Issue with the bottom RAM port.
Issue with the bottom RAM port.
I updated my thermal paste after cleaning with alcohol wipes and replaced the old paste with a PMT phase sheet from Thermal Grizzly. The problem was a sponge spacer that had leaked liquid metal before I touched it, which could have caused a short to the motherboard. Luckily, it didn’t leak further. After removing the spacer and reapplying the paste, everything worked once I powered on with both RAMs. The first boot succeeded. During a stress test after four hours of use, the system froze and entered airplane mode repeatedly. When I restarted, the issue disappeared. I suspected a RAM problem or possibly one stick failing, but it seems the top slot RAM is fine—both sticks are working individually. Right now I’m using a single 32GB stick in the top slot, while the other remains on my desk. It feels like a waste, especially since DDR4 single-channel performance isn’t ideal. I’m looking for fixes to prevent this from becoming a permanent issue. I checked the motherboard thoroughly for any signs of damage or burn marks, and there were none. No burning odor has appeared either. The laptop is currently functioning well with one stick, but I’m concerned about long-term reliability.