Possible memory controller malfunction 3600x
Possible memory controller malfunction 3600x
Hi All,
My PC specifications are listed here. Recently, I experienced some instability issues with the computer for a while. Today, suddenly it crashed and restarted while playing BF1. I immediately opened Event Viewer and the system froze, showing no response except for the display remaining frozen. I had to shut it down by turning off the power supply, then restarting it. When I turned the power back on, it looped a few times and eventually stuck on DRAM. I removed one stick from the 4th slot, which resolved the issue—BIOS reset and XMP settings worked with one stick. After resetting the BIOS and clearing CMOS, it stuck again, either on CPU or DRAM. I switched RAM sticks, and both ran properly on the first slot.
My first 3600x also failed under similar conditions in 2022, with a memory controller problem. I thought it was happening again, so I left just one stick in and waited a while before trying again. Once I reinserted the second stick into the 4th slot after resetting and clearing CMOS, it worked fine once more, with XMP enabled.
Additionally, Event Viewer indicates a failed Dump file creation due to an error during the process before the first crash.
Edit;
Ryzen 5 3600x
MSI B450 Tomoawk Max
Zotac 3070 white
Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8 3000 Mhz
CM MWE 650W
WD SN550 1 TB
Acer VG240YP
My PC specifications are listed in the signature. Sign space details may change over time, making any advice or suggestions outdated for users like you. That's why we request users to provide their specs directly in the thread rather than mentioning them in the signature. I've included your specs in the thread content.
Consider the age of your PSU and the BIOS version on your motherboard. You might try flashing the BIOS to the latest version and observe if it resolves the problem. To eliminate the possibility of a faulty motherboard or corrupt BIOS chip, transfer your processor to another functional motherboard with the appropriate BIOS version. If the issue remains, it suggests the processor's integrated memory controller may be the cause.
Understood, I'm using the most recent BIOS version. The PSU is only two months old. Swapping CPUs won't solve the problem because the PC is functioning normally again after several restarts. The issue seems consistent, so I'll keep trying to identify the cause. I expect it to resolve if the symptoms remain stable.
There seems to be a recent bios update on the 30th of April, it was in beta a month prior, so I plan to install it just to be safe. However, I suspect the issue might be with the CPU or motherboard. Any thoughts?
If you wish to verify both your CPU's integrated memory controller channels and RAM simultaneously, have you considered using MemTest86?
https://www.memtest86.com/
You can handle two 3000MT/s DIMMs on a 3600X (rated at DDR4-3200), though it's likely one of them might be faulty.
Have you ever overclocked the 3600X using PBO? Did you adjust any CPU voltages manually? After prolonged overclocking, electro-migration issues could emerge if the CPU was pushed too far.
Yeah, I never enabled PBO or even tried overlooking with both my 3600xs and yeah I ran memtest last month foru passes and everything came out fine.
I've identified my main targets next. My next steps would involve checking the Windows drive using CHKDSK, SFC, and DISM. Then I'd methodically replace parts like the power supply, RAM, GPU, boot drive, motherboard, and cables. It's helpful if you have an unlimited spare parts supply or a compatible PC for testing.