BSOD stops when I remove RAM sticks?

skifreak3535

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May 5, 2012
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Intel® Core™2 Quad processor (up to 1333 MHz FSB)
NVIDIA® nForce® 720i (MCP7A-D) Chipset
8 GB of DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM
EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi)

About a month ago I began getting different BSOD messages, ranging from DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL and PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. I figured it to be a RAM issue so I removed the first stick and started to run memtest to determine the fault ram. To my surprise the computer ran nice and smooth after removing the 2GB stick from the first slot. I ordered a new stick to replace the faulty one and when I installed it I began getting BSOD messages again. So, I then thought that maybe the slot on the motherboard could be the culprit.

I returned the stick and everything has been running smooth for about a month until earlier today when I began to get BSOD Messages again. After alot of fussing with the computer I decided to remove another stick (now leaving 4GB in the PC compared to the original 8GB that its always had) and bingo, no more BSOD messages. So far so good with the computer but I'm now down to 4GBs :-(. I'm trying to figure out what could cause these two issues.

I haven't made any changes in the BIOS or anything else so I'm confused why taking more and more sticks out have been the fix to all the BSOD messages that I've been getting. Does anyone have any suggestions? Are the slots on the motherboard really the issue here or does it sound like something that is more closely linked to my BIOS ? This is my first post on these boards so I can provide any additional information if necessary, and I'd appreciate any help because I feel like I'm starting to become a crazy person. Thanks guys for the help!

Zach
 

clutchc

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The NVIDIA® nForce® 720i is the chip set. It would be nice to know the motherboard make/model. Does the board have 4 or 2 memory slots. I can speak from experience with an Asus board from that era... when all 4 slots are populated with the fastest RAM the board is designed for, it becomes unstable. I had a P5Ne-SLI board that would constantly BSOD with all slots populated with DDR2 800MHZ memory. The only way I could use all slots (8GB) was to use 667MHZ memory. Or down-clock the 800MHZ to 667MHZ.
 

skifreak3535

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May 5, 2012
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Sorry about that, the motherboard is listed as FMCP7AM NB. I wasn't able to easily identiy it, however it's off a Gateway LX-6810-01 if that help. The board has 4 memory slots, so previously it had all 4 slots filled with 2GBs each, while it now only has 2 Sticks set in the two slots on the right. Thanks!
 

skifreak3535

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May 5, 2012
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Okay I know how to get into my BIOS and everything so I should be able to figure it out. Just checking but, this isn't something that could potentially kill my motherboard is it? I just want to make sure because sometimes I feel like I'm getting a little too ambitious with my PC. Thanks again with all the help.
 

clutchc

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Unless the manufacturer/BIOS designers built in functions that were beyond the Voltage and current capacities of the board, no. But remember, anything you do in your BIOS has the potential of making the machine un-bootable if you don't know what you're doing. If I could find an online copy of your board's manual, I might be able to be more specific. On my Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3P Board for instance, I change the memory multiplier to get the freq I want. But all BIOSs are worded slightly different.

A simpler solution, but more expensive, would be to just buy 667MHZ memory and sell the 800MHZ. But I'm sure you'll figure it out once you do a little investigating. Don't be in a hurry and don't change more than one thing at a time.
 

skifreak3535

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Found the motherboard: MCP7AM01G1. Would you be able to tell if the voltage was beyond the abilities of this board? I'm not so worried about the BIOS because I have messed with that before, I'm just worried about the motherboard.

 

clutchc

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One would need the motherboard's manual with the BIOS setup to be sure. Or have access to the system itself.
 

skifreak3535

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May 5, 2012
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So I couldn't locate anywhere on my BIOS to adjust the MHz of the RAM. I'm using the stock motherboard from when I bought the pc so maybe that's why?

Also, I did replace the two sticks of RAM back into the computer and while I was able to get into the BIOS (it displayed 8GBs under system information(, when windows started to boot it immediately gave me the BSOD. Any other suggestions? I'm open to anything!

Zach
 

clutchc

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If your board's BIOS has been simplified such that you don't have access to memory speed, you probably won't be able to accomplish what you need to do. On my old Asus P5NE-SLI board, I had a setting that allowed me to unlink my FSB from my memory clock. It looked like this:
clipboard01lbk.jpg

Then I was able tochange my actual memory speed to what I wanted. Do you have anything like that?
 

skifreak3535

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Nope, the only two selections under advanced chipset are about my CPU. There's nothing that has to do with RAM settings. There is a voltage section but that only displays the temperature and current voltage along with the smart fan toggle. Any other suggestions as to what's causing the BSODs when I add the RAM back in?
 

clutchc

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No other suggestions, I'm afraid. I still stand by the theory that you can't populate all 4 slots on that board with the fastest rated memory. I speak from my own experience with that era Asus LGA 775 board. Use 2 sticks of 800MHZ or 4 sticks of 667MHZ.
 

skifreak3535

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Yea, that is what I have right now. 2 sticks of 800MHz (2 GBs each) for a total of 4GBs of RAM. Not that anything I'm doing on my PC really requires much more than that I'm just worried that a month from now yet another slot will go bad and then I'll be stuck with only 2GBs of RAM.
 

clutchc

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The slot isn'tbad. It's a timing issue with that board and others like it.
 

skifreak3535

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It's running Windows Vista 64bit.

The machine is a little over three years old and the only upgrades that I've made to it include adding two case fans (the lx6810-01 model had a terrible overheating issue) and a graphics card.
 

skifreak3535

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Okay, so it happened again. After about a month and a half of running with only 4GBs (2 Sticks of 2GB each), I got the dreaded BSOD again last night while on the computer. AAAAAHHHHHHH!!! I don't want to go down to 2GB because I'm afraid that won't be enough for what I need to do on my PC.

As a response to the previous question I was unable to locate anything on the BIOS that was related to the Voltage of the RAM. Is this common or am I just missing it somewhere on the BIOS?

I'm open to any suggestions and I would be happy to provide any other specifications if needed. Thank you so much for the help!

Zach
 

clutchc

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Let's back up and start over. Is this a retail PC? If so, they usually dumb down the BIOS so no one messes it up. So, your probably not going to get any help with BIOS settings. Do you know what the board's rated RAM speed is? Does it even handle 800MHZ? Can you find a manufacturer and model designation of the motherboard printed on it anywhere?
 

skifreak3535

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Hey clutchc, thanks for jumpin in and helping out again!

Yes, this a retail PC...I know. It's a Gateway LX6810-01. The only things that I changed was the graphics card and I added a couple case fans and a blu-ray drive. Besides that everything else is exactly the same as when I bought it (motherboard, cpu, ram, etc.) I tried to find the motherboard manufacture but I wasn't finding any good answers, however I was able to find a picture of it, maybe this will help?

http://www.skyline-eng.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=7220

I have not changed any of the RAM sticks, so I would assume that the board's rated speed matches the sticks that I'm using (the ones that it came with)? Thanks again for all the help!
 

clutchc

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Oh. This is the original factory installed RAM. Factory installed 4 x 2GB 800MHZ memory? I thought you had added RAM to get 8GB. In that case, the board should be OK with all 4 slots populated with the fastest RAM it was designed for. I withdraw my original comments.
If you've run Memtest on each stick of RAM individually in the 1st slot (as per your board) for 1 full pass, and the RAM is determined to be OK, then the problem may very well lie elsewhere.

Have you been keeping your system clean of resource wasting crap and registry errors? If not run CCleaner and do the Clean and Registry both. http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner
Then look at your Sys Config Util. Type msconfig in the Start Search box and run it. Under the Startup tab, see how many items you have checked; running at start up.