Got a problem with my computer parts and need some help figuring out what to do next.
Got a problem with my computer parts and need some help figuring out what to do next.
I have an old computer that I kept running at high speeds right away even though some parts didn't work well, but today something went wrong. To keep everything safe and stop getting crashing errors or memory leaks, I had to slow down the RAM to about half its original speed so it would run okay instead of shutting down.
I don't know much about computer stuff because I built this machine myself, so could you tell me what should happen next? My setup is a Rampage IV Black with four CPUs running at 4960x by 4.8 ghz using 48 gigs of RAM that started at 2200 but were rated for only 1600 speed. I also have two 980ti graphics cards running at 1500mhz, which are dual GPUs and lightings. They never broke my systems even though I tried to overclock them myself without any trouble from the chips. Between these two GPUs there is a sound card that matters too. This has been working fine since the day it started.
I want to just buy a new CPU and RAM kit that works better together, not like the weird mix of two incompatible parts I used before. I don't know all the newest hardware yet but maybe I should go upgrade to something like an AMD or Intel chip from 2011-3 or later, even if it means using quad channel memory and four PCIe connections for more speed?
I am willing to try a setup that is better or at least as good as my old one, though. I was thinking about waiting until DDR5 comes out before doing anything else, so right now I'm tempted just to swap the CPU and RAM even though it's risky because I can't afford spending $1000 on a brand new one. There is always a chance that the parts won't work well at the speeds they promise. Please tell me what my choices are.
It seems like I don't understand why you want to swap out your computer's processor. Based on what you say, it looks like maybe just one or two memory sticks have broken inside them. You can test each piece of RAM individually with a program called MEMTEST86+ until you find the problem part or...
I don't see why you'd be looking to replace your CPU. From what you told me, it seems most likely one or a couple of RAM sticks are broken. You can run MEMTEST86+ on just one stick at a time until you find the problem. It's unlikely your CPU is overheated or damaged, especially since you've been keeping temps and voltages okay. CPUs are pretty tough things to break. Even if all your memory modules fail testing, it's much more likely that your motherboard is broken than the processor itself. If this has happened over time. I wouldn't even consider buying a used replacement for those processors because they usually run around $275. That is nearly enough money for a Ryzen 3600 and an X570 board. Sure, it does have 16 PCIe lanes and dual channel memory. But that's only 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes and maybe 3200Mhz to 3600Mhz speed. Very few jobs actually get better with four sticks of RAM which are usually quite small. I'd expect the much faster DDR4 memory to fix any performance gaps. The processor is more powerful and uses way less power unless you really use all those PCIe lanes. They are a waste anyway. You can put two GPUs in there very easily, maybe even better than one big card in a PCIe 3.0 x8/x8 setup, let alone a PCIe 4.0 x8/x8 config. Talking about graphics cards, you could swap out your dual GTX 980 Ti for almost the same thing as a single RTX 2070. That one card will likely beat those two GPUs in almost every game. Except maybe some incredibly rare games that are built specifically to work with SLI. For most things, it's going to be better and use way less power. Also, all new parts come with a brand-new warranty, so you don't have to worry about that. My advice is simple: find and replace the bad RAM module. If it gets worse later, then maybe you should just buy some new stuff. From both money and energy saving points. You mentioned not using it for workstations. Loaded up with lots of high-speed SSDs, fiber networking gear and other fancy stuff. Spending extra on 40+ PCIe lanes and four-channel memory is impractical when you are only doing casual tasks.
It stops on every single stick. The faster your clock goes, the quicker these crashes happen. But if there aren't enough sticks, they crash even more fast. I can get an hour out of it by running all of them at 1333 MHz. If that is true, I'll just build a 9900k or 3950X combo with a 2080 Ti. I don't want to upgrade yet, but you are right that the parts cost too much for this problem. I'm going back and test it again using memcheck because I forgot about it before.
Well it's only showing three gigs right now, which doesn't look great for a new GPU. The 2080 Ti is clearly the best choice, but I'm not sure where my current card stands once I factor in my overclocking settings. Do newer cards have way more room to work with or are they limited?
The board doesn't work anymore, and you can't connect channel B to the computer. For now, I'm using triple channel mode as a temporary fix while I figure out how to build a whole new setup.