Upgrade in RAM causing system instability
Upgrade in RAM causing system instability
Hello everyone, I recently upgraded my RAM from 2x8GB to 4x8GB and am facing instability and crashes (BSOD). The errors differ—some are system_thread_exception, others KMode Exception—but the machine doesn’t stay on long. I’ve tested running the PC with just the old RAM and just the new one, both times it boots fine. So far I haven’t tried the new RAM alone for stability. I changed the BIOS profile from "Enhance Stability" to "Normal," which helped a little, but crashes still occur after shutting down Prime95 after ten minutes. My system specs are: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2 GHz Quad-Core, Gigabyte GA-Z170M-D3H, Micro ATX, LGA1151, with Crucial 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-2133 and new modules. Also an EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB for gaming. Appreciate any advice you can offer!
They are available in slots 1, 3, 2, and 4. Make sure to use all of them together at 2133. You might consider slightly boosting the DRAM voltage for better stability.
I swapped my old RAM into slots 1 and 3, then placed the new one in slots 2 and 4. Most settings now follow automatic defaults except for a couple. I switched profiles from Enhance Stability to Normal to test. It didn’t seem to help much. I remember both were set to 2133 in the morning BIOS. I’ll try raising the voltage gradually, testing each time.
I'm reviewing your manual now. Looking at the German forum post, I'll separate the slower ones to 1,3 and the others to 2,4.
Sure, here are the complete parts for each kit along with links for comparison. This should help you see the timing differences clearly.
I'll change them and let you know. Thanks! The specifications are: 2400 RAM, part #CT2K8G4DFS824A; 2133 RAM, part #CT2K8G4DFD8213.
Thanks for the guidance. I made sure to reinstall the slower RAM in the 1,3 slots. I thought my motherboard would automatically slow it down, but it actually used the faster sticks for memory settings. The latency changed (15-15-15-36 vs 17-17-17-39), so I adjusted the BIOS settings manually. After a one-hour stress test with Prime95, everything seems stable. Are there any other things to watch for?