Question about whether to use the RAM or the motherboard.
Question about whether to use the RAM or the motherboard.
So roughly six months ago I assembled my present computer;
Processor: Ryzen 9 7900x
Motherboard: Asrock B650m Pg Riptide
Memory: 2x16 gskill trident z5 ddr5 6000
GPU: RTX 2060
Power Supply: gigabyte p1000gm
All components were new except the GPU for my 2-year-old, which I plan to upgrade when funds permit.
Initially it operated well, only the memory speed profile reached 6000 and remained stable from the start. It had a lengthy 30-second startup, but otherwise functioned smoothly until two weeks prior.
For light gaming (such as Hearthstone or MARVEL Snap), the entire system would become noticeably laggy—mouse movement remained intact, yet gameplay and desktop tasks appeared to refresh extremely slowly, sometimes updating just one frame every five seconds. Diagnostic checks showed CPU and RAM usage normal, no error alerts, temperatures stable, though it would occasionally freeze after closing the game or for a few minutes before resolving.
Drivers were current and reinstalled cleanly; only Steam Discord and fan controls remained active, with Corsair's ICE for the headset removed as it caused past problems. No malware or viruses detected, and all systems remained secure. I formatted drives, installed essentials (drivers and a couple of games), but the problem persisted.
Notably, the issue didn’t occur during demanding titles like Star Citizen, where GPU and RAM would spike to 80%-100% while CPU stayed around 50%.
I suspected the GPU was the culprit, given its age and increased workload. I assumed upgrading sooner would be necessary.
Recently, a few days ago my PC failed to boot after about 30 minutes of waiting, showing DRAM and CPU lights. I cleared CMOS, removed one RAM stick, then reinserted it—booting successfully within five seconds. After re-seating the GPU, one stick, and booting again, it worked quickly. Adding the second stick caused a failure. The first stick booted alone on any slot, while the second never did. Combinations of both sticks also didn’t start.
Only the spare parts I had were older AM4 components, limiting my ability to test other hardware.
Given my motherboard supports four RAM slots and I initially had two 16GB sticks with plans to add more later, if it’s a faulty stick I’ll replace it with four new ones.
Before making that decision, anyone else has suggestions or ideas on what to check further or what might be causing this?
Also, I haven’t replaced my CPU since installing the AIO, applied thermal paste correctly, and didn’t force the AIO beyond its limits. Was it possible the CPU memory controller or the motherboard’s RAM slots were damaged? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated before investing in new RAM or a CPU/motherboard upgrade. Thank you.
-Update: Windows memory diagnostics show no problems; benchmarking with userbenchmark reported minor RAM performance drops, though no crashes. The issue seems limited to not running with overclocked profiles. All SSDs couldn’t be verified, possibly missing or inaccessible. RAM underperformed but didn’t cause freezes. I ran chkdsk /f on the C drive, which found nothing, and didn’t experience freezes during a three-hour session. The second RAM stick still appears unresponsive, while the first boots fine on its own.}
What is the BIOS version for your motherboard right now? Your RAM should fit in slots A2 and B2. What is the make and model of your AIO? You might want to ease some pressure from the CPU socket and check if the problem continues. The PSU you're using is a Gigabyte P1000Gm. You considered getting something from Corsair instead of Gigabyte. Did you reinstall your older OS drive without restarting the system? Regarding the operating system, which one are you using?
I'm using Windows 11 on my M2 SSD, which I transferred from an older rig a few months prior. It was fully formatted during the move. I'm updating the BIOS on my Mobo, but I don't have time to check since I'm not home. It was the latest stable version, but it had some stuttering and problems before the update—though I've been running smoothly for months now. My RAM is M.2 2-in-1, and I've tested every slot and combination after the one stick failed. My AIO is an Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360, installed with the correct AM5 slots.
hasn't handled it or anything else inside the case for a few months, until the stick failed.
In any case, I think it's dead, but because the laginess and choppiness problems still exist on the working stick, I'm guessing either the pair was defective or whatever caused one to die is likely to kill the other one that's still trying to work.
Do you encounter identical issues with integrated graphics? Have you tried using DDU to eliminate the current driver and then switch to the newest non-beta version? Do you possess VRM temperature readings? Are there methods to evaluate components on a different machine?
Integrated graphics were also on my mind, but after a fresh installation of all components—including the format it came with—it still occurs. I can't try it on another machine since my two earlier systems used AM4.