I just got a new upgrade but my RAM is completely unusable.
I just got a new upgrade but my RAM is completely unusable.
Originally my system consisted of an I7-3770k Gtx 1050 ti with 16GB RAM, basic green expansion slots, an Asus sabertooth z77 motherboard, a 500W PSU, and I recently added an MSI GTX 1080 Ti gaming X trio along with a Corsair 650W PSU. After swapping the new parts everything functioned perfectly. But once I moved the PC it stopped working. Eventually I discovered the RAM failed. No worries, I ordered a replacement (G.Skill Ripjaws) and it was back online within a few hours. I played several games without issues before shutting down. Now coming home today I see my setup is back to normal, but the RAM has again failed. I’m planning to buy more RAM but need to identify the issue so I don’t damage another set. I’ve tried both the old and new sticks in another machine—both were dead. All eight 4GB RAM sticks tested, including four green/4 rip jaws. *There might have been a power outage recently. The PC is connected to a surge protector, could that help?*
I used to rely on this old RAM for years, and it performed perfectly until yesterday’s upgrade. Since it was reused, everything worked smoothly until today when it failed unexpectedly. It likely died in the same manner as the previous units, especially after I swapped the original one. This suggests something beyond just the used part might be causing the issue.
It's surprising how often people overlook details about their RAM—brand, speed, and so on—when it might actually be crucial to solving their issue. RAM deserves attention; if your system can't handle it or doesn't support DOCP/XMP, problems can arise. A board that worked before a GPU upgrade might not perform the same after. Also, the GPU could be contributing to the issue. For compatibility and BIOS updates, check the listed resources. I've encountered cases where hardware changes coincided with support being removed for certain devices. Sometimes the documentation isn't consistent across BIOS versions due to updates made in earlier releases.
It occurred repeatedly when the system was turned off without backup power. The failure to POST indicated something went wrong during startup. The system didn’t fully power on, then restarted repeatedly in a loop. Fans operated but no screen appeared. It booted into BIOS but didn’t progress to the OS. Your motherboard is nearly ten years old, so consider replacing the CMOS battery—the small silver coin on the board. A CR2032 battery costs around a dollar at the store. The board needs power to save settings like hardware and memory configurations. When the PSU powers down, it draws minimal energy, but during outages it relies on the CMOS battery. If the battery dies when the system is off, all saved data will be lost. In most cases this leads to a double boot, resetting BIOS settings and overclock tweaks. It may also prevent detection of the correct boot drive or cause memory issues. It seems like a coincidence that both times it failed after being without power, but replacing the battery is likely necessary regardless.
I wrote this at work and didn’t remember the specifics. The old and new RAM seem to fit with my setup, though I can only confirm the original ones functioned before the upgrade. After the change, everything worked smoothly. I think a power issue might have caused the RAM to fail.
I have my PC running with an extra 2GB stick or RAM. It starts and stops easily. Everything works fine except for the 2GB of RAM. Would the CMOS battery still be affected if the PC runs normally? And when the bad RAM is installed, the power button seems to activate it but I don’t see any screen, no BIOS, no OS at all. The RGB lights and fans are on, but that’s about it—it just won’t shut down. I’m pretty sure this is just a sign that the RAM is failing, not a clue about what’s causing it.