Check for dead ram slot

[sj90]

I'm building my first system from the ground up. After putting it together, the system wouldn't start and just cycled on and off with no video output.

I found it's caused by either ram strip being in the second ram slot. With just the one ram stick in the first slot it boots to the bios no problem.

Unfortunately I made a bone head mistake during construction, I slipped and scratched the back of the mobo. I'm pretty sure that's what's causing the problem, but I'm trying to confirm it is before I buy a new one.

Any thing I can try to see if it's a settings issues or something?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks

Mobo is a gigabyte ga-h81m-s2pv
Ram is Kingston Hyperxfury Memory Red 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1866 CL10 Dual Channel Memory Kit 

 

[volcanoscout]

Are you saying it won't run with a single stick installed in just slot 2? Or are you trying to run two sticks in slots 1 and 2?

Have you tried installing them in 2 and 4, which are the usual recommended DIMM slots?

 

[volcanoscout]

If 2 and 4 don't work, try 1 and 3. It should still run in dual channel mode. If that works, but 2 and 4 don't, then slot 2 is probably faulty, for whatever reason. If you don't intend to add two more sticks in, then there's no reason to replace the board.

Is there visible damage to the board circuitry from the scratch? It's always possible that it shipped with a faulty DIMM slot rather than it being caused by the scratch.

 

[Chicano]

[strike]1. I understand the only RAM stick only works in RAM slot 1..[/strike] (mobo has 2 slots)
2. and that the BIOS boots just fine with the RAM stick in slot 1
3. but what happens after the BIOS posts or boots?...
4. does it sound the single beep that indicates the BIOS has completed the checksum?

EDIT: Ok, I got that wrong... so only one RAM slot works... slot 1,
The scratch would only cause issues if it's so deep that tracks have been broken in such a way that it limits data or power going through it.

 

[volcanoscout]

My bad - was looking at the wrong board. Am I correct in assuming that you tried both sticks in slot 1? And if so, did it boot both times?

 

[sj90]

The mobo only had two slots. It boots to the bios settings only when one of the sticks is in the first slot. Both sticks will work in the first slot but as soon as I put one in the second slot, it won't with or without one in the first slot.

I need to use both slots so only running one won't work.

Right now the system is setup with just the psu, CPu, heat sink, and ram. Right now I'm just trying to figure this ram issue out.

I don't have a speaker,i guess it would be a good idea to add one.

There is visible damage yes. The scratch goes through the coating but doesn't seem to go through any tracing.

 

[volcanoscout]

Do you have access to any 1600MHz DRAM that you can borrow to try? According to the mobo specs, it only supports up to 1600MHz, and that chipset is not listed at Kingston as compatible.

That doesn't necessarily mean they won't work at all (you're booting to BIOS, after all), or that you don't have a bad DIMM, but I do think it rates a test with alternative DRAM that is technically compatible.

 

[Chicano]

1866Mhz RAM should automatically slow down to 1600Mhz. Check the RAM voltage in the BIOS... it must be at 1.5v. Any variation can cause this if MHz frequency is not also changed.

Download the PDF manual and check page 20 to verify the BIOS RAM settings.

GA-H81M-S2PV PDF Manual
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/www.mrcdn.com/pdf/gigabyte/gigabyte-ga-h81m-s2pv-rev-1-0-owner-s-manual.pdf

 

[sj90]

Do you have access to any 1600MHz DRAM that you can borrow to try? According to the mobo specs, it only supports up to 1600MHz, and that chipset is not listed at Kingston as compatible.

That doesn't necessarily mean they won't work at all (you're booting to BIOS, after all), or that you don't have a bad DIMM, but I do think it rates a test with alternative DRAM that is technically compatible.

I might be able to graba pair out of my other desktop, but I need to check what it is first.

1866Mhz RAM should automatically slow down to 1600Mhz. Check the RAM voltage in the BIOS... it must be at 1.5v. Any variation can cause this if MHz frequency is not also changed.

Download the PDF manual and check page 20 to verify the BIOS RAM settings.

GA-H81M-S2PV PDF Manual
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/www.mrcdn.com/pdf/gi... .

In the BIOS I believe it says the ram is running at 1400Mhz, I'll have to check when I get home this afternoon but I'm fairly certain. The CPU is rated for 1333Mhz so no option for 1600Mhz I believe. The reason I got 1866MHz ram is this system is likely to be replaced and the ram was the same price as lower speed sticks. From what I read, I didn't think it would cause any issues.

I've checked the voltage and it is set at 1.5V

I appreciate the help, I spaced on checking the ram compatibility with H81 mobos.

 

[volcanoscout]

As Chicano says, the mobo should automatically downclock the RAM speed, especially since the Fury series, like the laptop Impact series which I have three sets of, should detect the mobo/BIOS/CPU limitations and downclock itself as a function of its PnP (vs XMP) architecture. (This is a great feature by the way, as it works in reverse, too- it can also allow speeds in excess of what the board is rated at vs what it's capable of. With Impacts, I can run 2133 on a board rated at 1866 with no BIOS adjustments.)

The caveat to this is that all these functions and features won't help if the DRAM and system aren't compatible. That leaves you with three basic questions to answer in the current situation: is the DIMM slot faulty; if it's not faulty, will the sticks work plug-n-play as designed; and if the DIMM slot is good and the PnP isn't working, can they be made to work by adjusting DRAM and/or memory controller voltages, speed, or timings. Some knock-on questions are: do you have the time and inclination to work through the process of getting them to work; if yes and you can get them to work, what speed will they be running at and is that speed acceptable to you. I'm guessing that 1333 or 1600 would be okay with you since you're going to be replacing the system anyway, one which can hopefully run them at full speed.

The reasoning behind my approach of verifying the DIMM slot first (especially if you have easy access to DRAM that you're confident is compatible) is, if it's bad and you need to replace the mobo anyway, working on voltages, timings, etc, may not be the best use of your time. If you can verify that it's working, then you can concentrate on the DRAM specific questions. If you go at it from the other direction and you end up not being able get it working, you still won't know whether it's because of a faulty mobo or just compatibility. Keep in mind that when we're talking about compatibility, we're talking about having both sticks working - it's possible that even if the DIMM slot is good and you can get one stick to work, it may not be possible to get both working at the same time in spite of tweaking. I don't know how probable that scenario is, but it is possible. Just sayin'...

 

[Chicano]

One thing I have noticed is that boot and video issues are many times caused by trying the system before finishing it, and the cause is many times BIOS corruption. IMHO this should be avoided, and the BIOS battery should not even be on the motherboard before the build is finished... and since motherboards come with the battery installed, and it's common to try the system before it's finished, the BIOS should be reset at the first sign of trouble. It may not work but at least by doing this, you reset the RAM settings to defaults... btw; 1400Mhz is not default or any standard RAM speed.

How to Reset Your BIOS
http://www.wikihow.com/Reset-Your-BIOS

 

[sj90]

As Chicano says, the mobo should automatically downclock the RAM speed, especially since the Fury series, like the laptop Impact series which I have three sets of, should detect the mobo/BIOS/CPU limitations and downclock itself as a function of its PnP (vs XMP) architecture. (This is a great feature by the way, as it works in reverse, too- it can also allow speeds in excess of what the board is rated at vs what it's capable of. With Impacts, I can run 2133 on a board rated at 1866 with no BIOS adjustments.)

The caveat to this is that all these functions and features won't help if the DRAM and system aren't compatible. That leaves you with three basic questions to answer in the current situation: is the DIMM slot faulty; if it's not faulty, will the sticks work plug-n-play as designed; and if the DIMM slot is good and the PnP isn't working, can they be made to work by adjusting DRAM and/or memory controller voltages, speed, or timings. Some knock-on questions are: do you have the time and inclination to work through the process of getting them to work; if yes and you can get them to work, what speed will they be running at and is that speed acceptable to you. I'm guessing that 1333 or 1600 would be okay with you since you're going to be replacing the system anyway, one which can hopefully run them at full speed.

The reasoning behind my approach of verifying the DIMM slot first (especially if you have easy access to DRAM that you're confident is compatible) is, if it's bad and you need to replace the mobo anyway, working on voltages, timings, etc, may not be the best use of your time. If you can verify that it's working, then you can concentrate on the DRAM specific questions. If you go at it from the other direction and you end up not being able get it working, you still won't know whether it's because of a faulty mobo or just compatibility. Keep in mind that when we're talking about compatibility, we're talking about having both sticks working - it's possible that even if the DIMM slot is good and you can get one stick to work, it may not be possible to get both working at the same time in spite of tweaking. I don't know how probable that scenario is, but it is possible. Just sayin'...

I had a look in the other computer I have, it's a store bought desktop with Samsung DDR3-1600 ram. I tried this ram and got the same problem as before.

As for time and inclination, time yes and I'm trying to learn as much as I can fast. That was one of the reasons I didn't go all out on this build is I don't really know much about this stuff and I didn't want to learn on a top of the line machine.

Your approach is a good one, unfortunately that is the only other DDR3 ram I have access to.

Chicano,

I have re-assembled the system again, reset the bios by pulling the battery for a few minutes and it still is acting the same way.

I have not idea but why, but the mobo defaults the ram to 1400Mhz. I double checked this and after resetting the bios it changed from the 1333Mhz I set it to back to 1400Mhz. I have to change it from auto to get 1333Mhz.

 

[Chicano]

Chicano,

I have re-assembled the system again, reset the bios by pulling the battery for a few minutes and it still is acting the same way.

I have not idea but why, but the mobo defaults the ram to 1400Mhz. I double checked this and after resetting the bios it changed from the 1333Mhz I set it to back to 1400Mhz. I have to change it from auto to get 1333Mhz.

Well, it's possible you did not allow th BIOS sufficient time to reset to defaults(?)... It should be at least 5 minutes but if that apparently does not show normal defaults, give it 10 minutes. and while you're waiting turn the PSU switch off or remove the AC power cord, and press the front panel power switch holding it in for a full minute. Other options are setting the BIOS to Optimal defaults, failproof defaults. If RAM is still at 1400Mhz, Install HWiNFO to get detailed system information on the CPU and RAM settings such as clock speed, stock and running RAM frequency, RAM latency, etc... and upload a full report to https://justpaste.it/ and post the link here.

http://www.hwinfo.com/

 

[sj90]

Chicano,

I have re-assembled the system again, reset the bios by pulling the battery for a few minutes and it still is acting the same way.

I have not idea but why, but the mobo defaults the ram to 1400Mhz. I double checked this and after resetting the bios it changed from the 1333Mhz I set it to back to 1400Mhz. I have to change it from auto to get 1333Mhz.

Well, it's possible you did not allow th BIOS sufficient time to reset to defaults(?)... It should be at least 5 minutes but if that apparently does not show normal defaults, give it 10 minutes. and while you're waiting turn the PSU switch off or remove the AC power cord, and press the front panel power switch holding it in for a full minute. Other options are setting the BIOS to Optimal defaults, failproof defaults. If RAM is still at 1400Mhz, Install HWiNFO to get detailed system information on the CPU and RAM settings such as clock speed, stock and running RAM frequency, RAM latency, etc... and upload a full report to https://justpaste.it/ and post the link here.

http://www.hwinfo.com/

Hey, busy weekend, I just got a chance to try your suggestion and got the same result. Ram slot still prevents booting and it defaults to 1400MHz. Here's the link to the report.

http://justpaste.it/j7y3

Thanks again for the help, I appreciate it.

 

[volcanoscout]

I would recommend either contacting your retailer, if you're still within the return period, or Gigabyte and requesting an RMA. While you may still not be able to get the full speed out of the Furies with a new board, I think you've proven pretty conclusively that the DIMM is bad.

 

[sj90]

I would recommend either contacting your retailer, if you're still within the return period, or Gigabyte and requesting an RMA. While you may still not be able to get the full speed out of the Furies with a new board, I think you've proven pretty conclusively that the DIMM is bad.

Unfortunately I don't think RMA is an option, or at least in good conscience. The scratch is obvious and right across tracing that goes to that DIMM slot. I made it while installing the heat sink, I didn't notice washer fell off and the nut dug into the board.

I will suck it up and buy a new board I think, one that fits my needs a bit better. It was my mistake and a relatively cheap lesson to learn, compared to doing it on a board that costs 3x as much.

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[volcanoscout]

I would give Gigabyte a call. If they won't swap it (which they might, even with the scratch), they can probably repair it for much less than the cost of a new mobo. Or you can try a local shop. Alternatively, if you've written it off, you could try applying a solder patch or bridge yourself.