Setup:
I have the following hardware
- CPU: Intel Core i5 3550 4x 3.30GHz So.1155
- MB (old): GA-Z77-DS3H MB
- MB (new): GA-Z77X-UD3H
- RAM: GB (2x 4096MB) Corsair Vengeance black DDR3-1600 DIMM CL9-9-9-24 Dual Kit
- Power: be quiet! Straight P. BQT E9 700W ATX23
- GraCa: SAPPHIRE Grafikkarte R9 290 TRI-X 4GB GDDR5
Issues:
Issue 1: The computer started for no reason during the day.
Issue 2: The computer did not start anymore. Pushing the power button, the PC powered up for few seconds and powers down. It starts again and ends up in a few seconds starting loop.
Troubleshooting
For issue 1: I checked windows event log, removed the power switch from the mb, checked wake settings (keyboard, lan) but didn’t find the root cause. After a while issue 2 occurred.
For issue 2: I removed my graphics card, everything which was plugged in from the back, removed all SATA connectors, removed the RAM (some combinations), tested the power supply with a PSU tester. After removing nearly anything, the issues persisted. So it could only be the CPU (which I think is very unlikely), the board or the power supply (even if the 5$ PSU tester says its okay). I send the power supply to the vendor, due I had still warranty on it, but after test from the vendor, it is in a good condition.
So, it must be the board, right? I bought a new board GA-Z77X-UD3H. After putting everything back in a minimum setup together, the issue still persisted. 🙁
This time i was able to check the POST code, where the board restarts. The last code before failing is 51, which is according to the manual «Memory initialization error occurs».
I thought, memory? How? I tried on the old board different combinations of plugging one or both rams into the slots. This didn’t made any difference.
So this time i did the following with the new board:
RAM1 or RAM2 to Slot 1 -> fails
RAM1 or RAM2 to Slot 2 -> fails
RAM1 or RAM2 to Slot 3 -> works
Windows is booting and working like a charm. I ran MemTest86 and the ram is absolutely fine. But it only works in Slot 3.
Slot 4 is currently unusable, because the after marked cpu cooler is blocking the slot. I could switch the orientation but I do not want to invest two more painful hours at the moment. (see update)
I checked the bios and the RAM settings are all set to auto. I also cleared the cmos and resetted all settings multiple times without any effect.
How comes that RAM2 is not working in Slot1/2? The board is completely new.
Any ideas what else could be the root cause? Any suggestions?
Thank you very much for your time reading this and trying to help!
Slot 1/2 not working on the new board? Not a board/ram/psu issue? CPU? But why is one slot working?
More clarification on Slot1-4 (from right to left): Slot 1 DDR3_1
Intel® Processor Diagnostic Tool passes also without errors.
UPDATE
I spend the effort to switch the cpu cooler and used the opportunity to double check that all cpu pins are good. Now I have two RAM modules in slot 3 and 4 and both work. But only in single channel. I will run memtest again, just to be sure. Any idea why Slot1/2 do not work? What could it be? Bios is also up2date.
UPDATE 2
Memtest passed with two ram bars in slot3/4 worked.
Open questions: — Is the old board broken? — Why don’t the RAM bars not work in slot1/2?