Question Broken RAM module wrecking motherboards?

[scottish_canadian_4_life]

I am trying to put together a computer out of some old parts that I have lying around. I have a few 2 GB DDR3-1333 modules that I want to install that I knew were previously working, but one or more of them now seems to be breaking the motherboard. The computer I want to set up is a Lenovo Thinkcentre.

I tried installing all four modules, and the computer sounded out a beep error code: 2 short beeps in a higher pitch tone and 5 long beeps at a lower pitch tone, and won't start up (though unlike normal beep codes, it sounds off only once, rather than being repeated). At first, I thought it was a defective board (the two links I could find suggested that it was either a memory problem or a system board problem), so I decided to try another board, and it gave the same ebeep code.

I had a spare RAM module and tried it on a third motherboard in the DIMM-2 slot, and it didn't give me any error codes and started fine. I tried a second spare RAM module in the DIMM 4 slot, and it still worked fine. As soon as I tried installing a third from the original stack that I was working with into the DIMM-1 slot, the computer gave me the same beep error code and wouldn't start up. I tried taking that RAM module out and going back to only one of the RAM modules that was working previously, and now all I get is that same error code.

I tried pulling everything from the computer, including the RAM modules, and starting it. I got a different beep code: 3 short and 1 long, all the same tone, and repeated multiple times (which signals a DRAM memory error). When I install one of the RAM modules again that was previously working, and I get that original beep code again.

So, it seems that at least one of these RAM modules is defective, and somehow wrecking the motherboard RAM circuits. Or is something else happening here?

Have any of your seen something like this?

 

[Barty1884]

In my experience, OEMs in general can be a nightmare for compatibility - especially Lenovo.
Unfortunately, they can be very picky on what memory they'll accept, and it's not clear on any spec sheet.

 

[scottish_canadian_4_life]

That's good to know in general. However, all of these RAM modules came out of scrap Lenovos that I had lying around that had previously been working (and I suspect that they were the original RAM for them for the most part, as all but one of the six used so far are identical), so they should be compatible with Lenovos in general.