PC shuts down during DRAM verification upon startup.
PC shuts down during DRAM verification upon startup.
Hi all, Built a new PC a few months back. Took me a while to get it to boot when it was first built. The issue I had was that it would boot just fine with one RAM stick plugged in, but not with both. I tried swapping out the sticks and they would both work independently, in various slot combinations, but not together. The workaround I found at the time was to boot to BIOS with 1 stick, enable XMP, then it would boot with both sticks. However, more recently, my PC stalls when booting, cycling between the CPU and DRAM warning lights several times before finally posting. I've tried updating the BIOS, reseating the CPU and RAM and cleaning the components. I'm wondering if there is something else I should configure in the BIOS or if this sounds like a hardware issue? I haven't overclocked anything or changed anything else in the BIOS except the aforementioned XMP. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thankyou! Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX Rev:1.1 CPU: Intel i5 13600k RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32GB (2x16GB) 5600MHz PSU: Corsair RM750x 80PLUS Gold GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC 12GB SSD: WD_BlACK SN850X 1TB Heatsink: Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black
It seems like a possible hardware problem. Have you attempted using Memtest86+? It might assist in identifying the issue.
Sure, I'm here to help. MemTest86+ primarily tests hardware stability and doesn't specifically target CPU memory controller problems. To check for this, you might want to run diagnostics like MemTest32 or use tools that monitor memory usage patterns. If issues persist, consider checking BIOS settings or consulting manufacturer support.
Hi again, I completed MemTest86+ with both drives and believe downgrading isn't feasible. The problem likely started when the BIOS was installed, making this the earliest version I have for this equipment. Since the system only supports testing one drive at a time without XMP, I'll run the test separately on each stick to check if performance improves. Usually, booting from a USB works fine, so this should help clarify the issue.
UPDATE: I've noticed that when I remove the second stick, the PC struggles to boot from the single stick with XMP. The process of removing the second stick, disabling XMP, then plugging it back in and re-enabling XMP generally results in a faster boot, though it does still lag on the DRAM light. Essentially, consecutive boots after reintroducing the second stick and re-enabling XMP tend to take longer than previous boots - this may explain why the issue has been worse as of late, since there had been more consecutive boots before I started investigating. Any idea why it may be booting slower each time? (The stall is still DRAM related)
I’ve identified a solution: I explored the BIOS settings and found presets for Hynix, Micron, and Samsung with various speeds and voltages. By default, enabling XMP was configuring my system to 5600MHz at 1.25V (with different voltage options), while Samsung RAM could go up to 6400MHz at 1.35V. I tested all available options and discovered the maximum setting resolved my boot problem. My 5600MHz RAM is now set to 6400MHz, and I can boot smoothly in just five seconds with two modules. I checked whether adjusting the voltage alone helped, but it didn’t. I’m keeping the higher XMP setting for now, as it appears to stabilize my system. Only time will confirm if this works consistently.