Issue with inconsistent POSTs on one RAM stick in a Ryzen 5 3600 system
Issue with inconsistent POSTs on one RAM stick in a Ryzen 5 3600 system
Here are the quick specs again:
Ryzen 5 3600
ASUS TUF Gaming B450M-Pro II
8x2 3200 MHz Kingston Fury Beast RAM
Galax GTX 1650 Super
Crucial P2 1TB SSD
Corsair CV 650
Windows 10 Home
BIOS 3810 (2022)
So, before all this mixed updates, I wanted to share a clue that might explain the problem I’m facing:
Every time I restart from a cold boot, the system usually launches normally and lands on Windows, then displays the login screen. After entering my PIN, it freezes into a black screen and remains there (can’t move the mouse or anything). Only after a hard reboot does it return to the desktop as usual—no problems after the second restart, until another shutdown occurs after a night’s sleep. This happened for about a week.
Two days ago I suspected a graphics driver issue because I upgraded from a 1050 model (attributed to drivers since it boots fine to Windows just after login). I tried DDU, installed the new drivers, restarted without the black screen, and continued with my day. Then I shut it down.
LEGEND: W = working RAM stick, D = defective RAM stick
The next day, when I booted from a cold shutdown again, the same happened—then on the second restart, it refused to POST, showing no display. I checked RAM configurations first and found that the third slot worked, so I used that slot normally. After that, I tried other slots and even the DDR memory, but all failed. Eventually, I reset everything and switched back to my 3600. Now W posts on all four slots, while D still fails everywhere.
I’m wondering:
- Why would switching CPUs resolve the issue?
- Is it because reseating the CPU fixed it?
(Checked both CPU pins—everything looks good.)
Why do defective RAM sticks seem to work better with Ryzen CPUs?
(I have a few friends who also face similar problems.)
I’ll update this thread if I encounter more POST issues after a cold boot. Until then, I might avoid shutting down the PC until I finish important tasks.
I’ll probably consider a BIOS update (though I’m still unsure) and enabled DOCP on W—it seems to work.
EDIT: T-Force 8x2 3600 MHz RAM just arrived; my PC is now back to 16 GB, but I didn’t update the BIOS.)
I've now upgraded to BIOS 4631 for added confidence, though temperatures remain elevated on my 3600 (idle at 50-60 and 70-80 during gaming). After further investigation, it appears typical for the Ryzen 3000, another concern I'd like to resolve. It seems a new cooler or case might be necessary.