2 Ram Channels Dead after Blue Screen of Death

Timmonx

Commendable
Jul 28, 2016
2
0
1,510
So last week I got hit with the Blue Death. My girlfriend found it at the time and shut off the PC without writing down the code. When I got home and attempted to boot up I got hit with a continuous beep and no boot up. After lots of research, I re-seated the CPU cooler and graphics card, reset the BIOS battery (forget the name) and played with ram. It seems that 2 of my channels are dead. All the ram sticks work perfectly in the 2 slots farthest from the CPU. I get a full boot up and successful operation for a week now on half the ram, however this stops me from running Photoshop and working my field. I NEED MORE RAM...anyways, I have found no information on dead ram channels and need advice! I was thinking about upgrading my 2 ram channels to 2x 4gig to get back to 8 total, but I would really love to be able to fix the other 2 channels and just run my standard set-up...

My specs are:
CPU - core i7-2600 3.4ghz
mobo - Gateway FX6860 (dual hannel ddr3 1333)
Windows 7 - 64bit
 
Solution
motherboard vendors change the default memory timings in the BIOS as problems are worked out during production. So if there is a BIOS update you should apply it to get the best default settings for your memory in BIOS. Many motherboard BIOS will have automatic overclocking on by default, when you update the settings are cleared but resetting the bios to defaults will also clear the settings of the automatic overclocking. Any setting change in BIOS even if you set it back to the original setting should trigger the BIOS to rescan its installed hardware and reassign hardware resources. It builds a database that it then sends to windows so windows knows what settings have already been used.

after you get your motherboard to detect the...

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
8806-2__83061.1418769249.1280.1280.jpg

If you can look at the DIMM slots on the motherboard there should be an indication of which slots are which, meaning if the are A1, B1, A2, B2. They will often ask you to populate the ram slots according to color which also means that a colored pair would entail dual channel mode. Judging from your above post it looks like you've been running on 4x2GB of ram.

Sure you can move for a 2x4GB kit to bring it back up to 8GB of ram though in your current state, see if you can manage to get a BIOS update and if the previous rams work as a precautionary measure prior to moving for a 2x4GB population.

In fact the sandy bridge platform could accept a maximum of 32GB if you were working with 4 DIMM slots meaning 8GB per slot. I'd ask you to borrow a 2x8GB ram kit from your friend and see if it runs on your system though please keep in mind the ram slots giving out like that was the first reason of the BSOD, the BSOD didn't take out your slot, which indicates that your board is indicting it's departure.

Even if you do manage to buy a DDR3 1333+ kit if the board gives out you could source a second hand motherboard from Ebay that is compatible with your socket/platform and just replace it. Come to think of it, you could just replace the board with an aftermarket, second hand, one and have better opportunities for support(drivers+BIOS) while working on your existing ram profile.
 

Tbuonomo

Commendable
Aug 2, 2016
3
0
1,510
Thanks for the response! I looked up specs for my mobo and it maxes at 16g memory. I heard that means each dimm slot will only take up to 4gig each, is that true?

Also, I looked on my mobo and it doesn't mention A1 etc. They are labeled dimm1, dimm2, dimm1, dimm2. Colored blue, black, blue, black. I heard they run in pairs but it isn't same color channel that are working. The first black and blue one work only...like your image of the mobo shows, it's the furthest two channels to the right that work...
 
Apply any motherboard bios update and reset and reconfigure your bios before you give up on the ram slots. Some of the old machines have quirks when they are fully populated with ram. My old asus machine had to run. the ram at a slower speed if all the slots were used. It was documented in the manual with a asterisk and a footnote.

 

Tbuonomo

Commendable
Aug 2, 2016
3
0
1,510
Okay well I already ordered a set of 2x 4gig to replace my 2x2gig set up. If I were to get the other two channels running again, would I be able to combine the 4 and 2's for a total of 12gig?

Could be more specific when you say bios update and reset? I know a bit but not enough...and you've been the only help so far haha so thank you ✌
 
motherboard vendors change the default memory timings in the BIOS as problems are worked out during production. So if there is a BIOS update you should apply it to get the best default settings for your memory in BIOS. Many motherboard BIOS will have automatic overclocking on by default, when you update the settings are cleared but resetting the bios to defaults will also clear the settings of the automatic overclocking. Any setting change in BIOS even if you set it back to the original setting should trigger the BIOS to rescan its installed hardware and reassign hardware resources. It builds a database that it then sends to windows so windows knows what settings have already been used.

after you get your motherboard to detect the ram, you want to run memtest to make sure it is working correctly.
if it fails to pass the test you have to go in and confirm the bios has the correct memory timings and voltages that your memory sticks expect. It is very common for a BIOS to have incorrect default settings for the secondary memory timings.
particularly the command rate. Sometimes on these older boards you have to slightly increase the voltage to the RAM when all of the slots are populated. or decrease the speed of the ram by one setting. (for example 1600Mhz to 1333Mhz )

generally the bank of RAM that is closest to the CPU can work slightly faster than the bank that is further away from the CPU.

 
Solution

Timmonx

Commendable
Jul 28, 2016
2
0
1,510
Trying all of this tonight. Just got my 2x4gig sticks and pc works amazing again...still hoping to update bios and recover those other 2 channels so I can add my other 2x2gig.

Say I recover the other two channels, how should I set up the sticks to work properly with 4 channels. Do the identical 4gig sticks go in A1,B1...then the 2gigs go in A2,B2?

Thanks again!!

 
you have to check the motherboard manual to be sure. generally the pairs are color coded.
or bank A would be slots a1 and a2
and bank b would be slots b1 and b2.

most of the time they will be offset so to increase the space between slots when you only have one bank populated.
ie the slot next to the cpu would be slot 0 and slot 0 and 2 would be a pair and slot 1 and 3 would be the second pair.

 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
Tbuonomo,
Please open a thread of your own and ask the relative questions. This thread belongs to the OP and as such you are considered hijacking this thread. This is stated in the Rule of Conduct found at the top of this forum section.

On another note, stop quoting the entire post when you're responding to a post that is directly above you to save the ordeal of scrolling through an unnecessarily long thread with a few lined posts.

Timmonx,
It's bad practive to mix and match ram kits and is the sole reason why users complain of an unstable system. Can you list you ram kits? You've forgotten to mention it in your follow up post. You should keep your rams as is and forgo with the 2x2GB load out entirely.
 

Tbuonomo

Commendable
Aug 2, 2016
3
0
1,510
I'm the same person...your website changed my username...if you're really an admin, you should know this. Is it against the rules to quote it all? Arrest meh!!

 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
It's not against the rules, per se, only that for a user with the same issue as you would have to scroll unnecessarily to find a solution much later than to have the ease of reading a thread that was propagating in a natural manner.

We are moderators and there are a number of us who report to the community manager. Your previous account is intact unless you forgot your login credentials. We don't allow multi accounts mind you.