Channel A not working, Can't get Dual Channel to work.

[deknegt]

Hello everybody.

Last year I bought a P8Z77-M Pro motherboard, with a 3770K Intel processor.
With that I bought 2x8 1600mhz Corsair Vengeance RAM to give me some nice memory speed.
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233280

Unbeknownst to me, I put both of them in my B channel, and for a year I had lots of fun with both of them.

Today I was watching a friend of mine build a computer of his own, and I saw that he put two DIMM's in the corresponding colours. Called it ''Dual Channel'', and it apparently was faster than the way I had it installed.

So I went home, did some research. And I realised that I wasn't running in dual channel mode, and that I had both of the RAM modules in the two right-most slots (Channel B).

So I opened up my computer, and I placed the rightmost module into the leftmost slot. So that one was in 1, and one was in 3. A review I quickly find also said that I needed to put it into those slots, so all was well...

But it wasn't. My computer started, but it never post-ed and it just blew aimlessly whilst the MemOK button was a constant red.

Only once it started, I can only assume it a random occurence. I checked my system, but I had only 8GB of RAM... I checked the UEFI, and only my Channel B module showed up.

I thought there might be something wrong with my RAM, so I swapped both of them... But no dice. I removed them both, and I tried it out in every single slot... And to my surprise only the Channel B slots would work, both sticks worked, just like they did earlier today before I tried to make it dual channel, so luckily there's nothing wrong with my RAM modules.

I updated the bios to the newest version (2105), but that didn't seem to fix my problems.

So right now I'm flat out of ideas. I have seen comparable issues on the internet and on this site, but most of them are either unanswered, or it was different hardware or a case where people Mix/Matched different brands...

So I'm asking this community if they might recognise these problems, and/or know a possible solution to my problems.
Of course I can still always work with single-channel like I'm doing right now for the time being, But I would truly love it if I could get Dual Channel to work.

If anyone needs more information about my system, please tell me so I can deliver.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ko888]

Could be a damaged pin/contact in the CPU socket that corresponds to the inaccessible memory channel. You would need to remove the CPU and examine the socket for any bent contacts.

 

[deknegt]

Could be a damaged pin/contact in the CPU socket that corresponds to the inaccessible memory channel. You would need to remove the CPU and examine the socket for any bent contacts.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I'm willing to check the CPU socket pin/contact, but that's a little bit radical as a first answer.
I'm wondering if there are other potential problems, ones that doesn't involve removing my water cooling system as the first step.

The reason I'm wary is because I assembled this PC myself last year, and I don't remember any issues with placing the CPU in the socket. And I have a lot of experience building PC's in a safe manner. Of course anyone would claim that, but I rather check other potential avenues first.

But I will certainly look into this, if other avenues have been crossed off.

 

[Tradesman1]

Can also try simply loosening the cooler then snugging it back down, often people tighten down a corner or side of the cooler overly tight which throws the CPU out of level so it doesn't have full contact with the pins and this type of Memory controller problem arises with 1 channel or the other

 

[ko888]

When only using two RAM modules in the P8Z77-M PRO you are suppose to place the two modules in DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2. The reason for this is because those two slots are located at the ends of each channel of the memory bus and provides proper termination of the memory bus to prevent digital signal reflections from possibly causing memory errors from signal interference.

 

[deknegt]

Hello, it appeared that my Motherboard was defective and that it simply was on the brink of death. It has since died, and I have since replaced my motherboard, everything works as a dream and I have dual-channel memory too.

Thanks for the help anyways guys!

 

[Tradesman1]

Glad to hear all is well

 

[deknegt]

Glad to hear all is well

Well is a big word, still lost a chunk of cash to buy the new motherboard. And the software fan controller of ASRock is a piece of shit where on the lowest setting it still goes insanely loud... But other than that, glad that the motherboard was the only thing broken.

 

[Tradesman1]

Agree, but am happy to hear the issue is resolved, rather than it continue to drag out and cost even more