Increasing awareness of the problem Broadening understanding of the challenge Worsening the situation
Increasing awareness of the problem Broadening understanding of the challenge Worsening the situation
Hello everyone, I'm reaching out for your guidance and knowledge. I attempted to upgrade my memory setup using an MSI B360M MORTAR with an i5 9400f processor. Initially, the system worked for about 20 minutes before it froze and shut down completely. When I tried to restart, it would either fail to boot into Windows or keep cycling on and off while displaying a red DRAM LED. After some troubleshooting—restoring BIOS settings, reinstalling all four RAM sticks, enabling XMP profile, and setting the frequency manually—I still faced issues. The original 2x8GB Kingston modules were in slots A2/B2, whereas I placed the new ones in adjacent A1/B1. I also tried swapping them out one by one, changing slots, but nothing resolved the problem. Recently, I updated the BIOS to the latest version, yet everything remains unresolved. I'm feeling quite frustrated and unsure what to do next.
The PC starts only with the older memory cards, please let me know if that confused you. The previous ones function properly, but neither of the new ones works. It seems the system might not accept them, or both are defective, which is improbable.
Where did you obtain these units? Do you have another system available for verifying your memory? Also, please confirm whether you tested all RAM configurations—such as using just one stick per slot. Would you like me to return the sticks?
I purchased them online in new condition, they come with a warranty and can still be returned. Unfortunately, I can't test them on another system. Regarding the setup, I attempted to use just one of each module in every slot, but that didn't resolve the issue.
It seems you're facing the same issue again. Make sure the CMOS is cleared and give it a try. My older laptop had memory issues—removing the stick, draining power, then reinserting it caused problems. Even though the stick was back in place, it wouldn't boot properly and showed DRAM errors. Fixes involved taking the battery out, emptying power, and swapping RAM. Clearing CMOS should resolve it. If that doesn't help, consider using the warranty.
Make sure the CMOS is reset before proceeding with the diagnosis.
I tried setting the BIOS back to default and resetting CMOS didn’t help. I cleared the CMOS, let the PC run for a while but it froze, showing a blue screen with a kernel security check failure, then restarted. The DRAM indicator lit up and started flashing soon after. After taking out the modules and keeping the old ones in, the PC worked fine.
You managed to get the system running smoothly with all the RAM modules installed. Also, confirming you replaced the CMOS battery upon powering up.