[SOLVED] Can an incompatible RAM cause reboot cycle?

[ubuffon]

Hi!

I'm upgrading my PC, new motherboard (Gigabyte Z490M), new CPU (i5-10400F), new RAM (2x8GB Corsair Vengeance LPX [CMK16GX4M2B3200C16]). After all was set up and connected, I fired it up and got a restart cycle, no POST, black screen, I don't have a speaker, so I can't say if it's complaining about anything with sounds beeps, but restarts are pretty much random in terms of time intervals, it may go down after a second, it may go down after 3 or 4. Since that's new mobo I thought it had factory settings, but for the sake of it I've cleared CMOS - no luck there. Next thing I did - dropped off power to a components one by one, till there was only CPU and RAM left. And without RAM it's all fine, no restarts whatsoever. If I plug in ANY of two sticks I have in ANY slot - restart cycle is there. At this point I was thinking two options, either both sticks are malfunctioning (which I believe is really, really unlikely, but please correct me if I'm wrong) or there's something wrong with a memory controller on mobo (which, again, is quite unexpected for a brand new motherboard).

So, I got myself a RAM support list for Gigabyte Z490M, and, surprisingly (for me) CMK16GX4M2B3200C16 wasn't there. I'm a software developer and hardware itself (not in terms of programming it) is not really my strongest side.

I know that's really stupid of me to get a component without checking it's compatibility, but I've pretty much selected it via technical parameters, compatible MHz, slot type, etc. My last PC upgrade was really long time ago and it seems there's more to compatibility that I know of.

And the question is pretty simple - could it be that unsupported (though technically acceptable) memory stick will just send motherboard to a restart loop that easy? I would just test those two sticks with a compatible motherboard, but I don't have one and I'm not sure if that's my f-up and I should just buy another RAM sticks (this time compatible), or I should check if that's a motherboard issue and get a guarantee check?

P.S. sorry for my English, not my first language

 

[RealBeast]

If it is not on the QVL, I suspect that it is the memory. The best first step is to contact Corsair support by email and ask for settings to make the memory work properly or an exchange for compatible memory. G.Skill is pretty helpful, but I'm not sure about Corsair.

While you are waiting for a response, try running the memory pair at 2133MHz with loose timing at 1.35V.

 

[ubuffon]

If it is not on the QVL, I suspect that it is the memory. The best first step is to contact Corsair support by email and ask for settings to make the memory work properly or an exchange for compatible memory. G.Skill is pretty helpful, but I'm not sure about Corsair.

While you are waiting for a response, try running the memory pair at 2133MHz with loose timing at 1.35V.

Hmm, but how can I set it up without BIOS? There’s no option for me when RAM is plugged - just an imminent restart.

 

[RealBeast]

Hmm, but how can I set it up without BIOS? There’s no option for me when RAM is plugged - just an imminent restart.

You cannot use the delete key to get into the bios with one stick before it starts Windows then change the values and exit and power down to add the other stick? Once you change the speed and other values its okay if it actually boots to Windows to shutdown and then add the second stick. I've done it a number of times on various computers.

 

[ubuffon]

You cannot use the delete key to get into the bios with one stick before it starts Windows then change the values and exit and power down to add the other stick? Once you change the speed and other values its okay if it actually boots to Windows to shutdown and then add the second stick. I've done it a number of times on various computers.

Thanks, but there's not even a POST, it just restarts after a power up, there's no control, no BIOS execution, nothing. Any stick in any RAM slot causes it to happen, and without RAM I cannot access BIOS