Problem with DIMM ports, memory, and controller. Unclear what's happening.
Problem with DIMM ports, memory, and controller. Unclear what's happening.
Hello there, friends. I've been facing some issues with my system for quite some time now, and I finally took a break from work to figure things out. Right now, my memory seems to be affected only in the two outer DIMM slots. The board layout is B1, B2, A1, A2, with A1 and A2 causing significant problems. My computer would suddenly display blue screens or crash unexpectedly. I ran memtest86 using one stick per slot and all four sticks, but the results were disappointing—everything worked in B1 and B2, yet none of the four sticks functioned in A1 or A2. Specifically, tests 8 and 10 consistently failed during memtest86. No other tests triggered errors, but the numbers were off. I also checked the DIMM slots and the rest of the motherboard visually; nothing obvious looked damaged. After re-seating my CPU, there was no visible harm to it or the socket. The PC still runs normally with two sticks in B1 and B2, though this means less memory capacity. I'm pushing my technical limits to see what else I can try, and I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions. It seems the system hasn’t suffered any major physical damage, but I’m unsure if it’s something more subtle. I’m starting to think electronics might simply give out over time. I don’t have the budget to replace anything yet, but knowing what I need to prepare for a potential replacement would be helpful. Thanks in advance for your support!
Dead slots might show poor pin contact because the cooler mount isn’t level, is too snug or too slack. Even after re-seating the CPU, you might have gone through the same tightening/loosening steps twice. To check, try a standard cooler (often included) and see if the slots function properly. With two sticks installed, are you using the original frequency or enabling XMP/EXPO? Did those slots work before they stopped, and if not, was there any recent change that could explain the issue?
I'll check for a spare cooler nearby. Maybe I can power it on and just place the cooler against it if needed. I've tested both stock and 3200 settings, and even adjusted the voltage to a steady 1.4v without any improvement. The connectors were fine until they suddenly stopped working. Other than that, I'm not sure what could have caused this issue.