No, you haven't broken your RAM slot.
No, you haven't broken your RAM slot.
I was improving my power supply and cleaning the PC while swapping out thermal paste three months ago. I took out one RAM stick (it's in dual channel mode) so I could access the 24-pin connector, but it's hard to remove it with the stick inside. After reassembling everything, it won't boot. Removing one stick worked, and testing the other stick still functions. I suspect the second slot isn't a primary single-channel slot (since I'm using an H110M board with only two slots), so putting another stick there won't help. I blew out the supposedly broken slot with air, but it still doesn’t work. What should I do? Should I get a new motherboard? Should I try using contact cleaner?
I’d skip the contact cleaner unless you notice visible corrosion inside the slot. Usually, it doesn’t stop failure unless there’s physical damage or impact to the traces. It seems possible, though rare—some unexpected issues can arise. If this makes sense, you’ve checked both sticks in each slot individually; they function correctly in one slot only. That supports your search for a motherboard now.