[SOLVED] CPU not booting in dual channel.

[Mac n Cheese]

My i7-8700K is acting up. Before you say it's the ram, I have tested my kit on my friend's computer and it boots up in dual channel fine. Putting it in single channel mode (Slots A1 and A2) will make this computer boot up and I can game for hours without BSOD's. What's weird about this cpu is that whenever I remove it from the motherboard and put it back in, it will have the C1 error problem. Leave it for a month or two and clear the cmos, it boots up in dual channel. However, when it does boot in dual channel, putting it in slots A1 and B1 will result in a BSOD while gaming in intervals of 1 - 2 hours. (Critical Process Died and no OC applied to cpu and ram xmp profile) . A2 and B2 work fine. I need to know the problem since I'm planning on upgrading my ram kits to 32 GB soon. Could this be a bad memory controller or a motherboard dimm slot gone wrong / bent motherboard pins?

Troubleshooting steps done:

1. Cleared CMOS
2. Removed SATA HDD and NVME SSD
3. Removed GPU
4. Replaced SATA cable on HDD
5. Unscrewed the liquid cooler partially then tightened it again
6. Unplugged second monitor
7. Cleaned the dimm slots with a paintbrush
8. Updated to latest bios (F15A)

I need your help guys. I have no spare cpu or motherboard to test things out but I need to hear your opinion first. After the quarantine, I will be able to confirm the problem. I can put the specs down if anybody wants to know. Thank you in advance 😀

Edit: Here are the specs @Ralston18
Windows 10 Pro
i7 8700K (I got both the cpu and the mobo as a bundle back in 2018, new)
Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 5 (They didn't act like this back when I bought it. Happened only recently somewhere around 2019)
Corsair H100i v2 (Bought 2016)
Asus ROG Strix GTX 1070 OC (Bought in 2018, used)
Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 2x8 GB @ 3200 MHz XMP (Bought in December 2019)
Thermaltake Smart SE 730W (Originated in my haswell build back in 2015, still runs like a champ)
Cooler Master Cosmos SE

 

[Ralston18]

Update your post to include full system hardware specs and OS.

Include PSU: make, model, wattage, age, condition.

 

[Deleted member 1560910]

Does your friend have same chipset give him a few dollars to break his system done to help you. Take the CPU and drop into his rig see what happens. Personally i think its the board

 

[Karadjgne]

Test the sticks individually. I'm inclined to think it's a B1 slot issue due to heat buildup.

But if A2/B2 works fine, moving to 32Gb I'd go with 2x16Gb sticks anyway and keep them in A2/B2. I don't see it as a mc/cpu issue or that'd be an all time thing soon as B1 is populated not an hour later.

 

[Mac n Cheese]

Does your friend have same chipset give him a few dollars to break his system done to help you. Take the CPU and drop into his rig see what happens. Personally i think its the board

He doesn't have the same chipset as me. He's running a Ryzen 5 2400G. I even activated the XMP profile and it worked flawlessly. I can contact another friend and see if they have an 8th gen cpu or board lying around.

 

[Mac n Cheese]

Test the sticks individually. I'm inclined to think it's a B1 slot issue due to heat buildup.

But if A2/B2 works fine, moving to 32Gb I'd go with 2x16Gb sticks anyway and keep them in A2/B2. I don't see it as a mc/cpu issue or that'd be an all time thing soon as B1 is populated not an hour later.

I did test them individually. They are both running on my computer as we speak only they are operating in single channel mode. I gamed on both sticks in A1 and A2 and it runs for hours. I game for 8-10 hours in a day (CS:GO Faceit prac haha) and it doesn't throw any errors. Yes, it might be true that it can run in A2 and B2 but if the board has problems, I would want to replace it soon as it would save me headaches in the near future XD

 

[geofelt]

I have seen similar issues that are caused by a bent pin in the cpu socket.
The pins are easy to damage if you are not careful in dropping the processor into the socket.
If you smoosh it around to get it seated damage is likely.
Look carefully at the pins and if you find a bent one, use a needle to try to straighten it out.

Also, the cpu socket is designed for only 15 insertions.

Since A2/B2 work, buy your upgrade in the form of a 2 x 16gb kit.

Even if you did not have any issues, adding ram is not always going to work,
Ram must be matched, and matching 4 sticks iis harder.

 

[Mac n Cheese]

I have seen similar issues that are caused by a bent pin in the cpu socket.
The pins are easy to damage if you are not careful in dropping the processor into the socket.
If you smoosh it around to get it seated damage is likely.
Look carefully at the pins and if you find a bent one, use a needle to try to straighten it out.

Also, the cpu socket is designed for only 15 insertions.

Since A2/B2 work, buy your upgrade in the form of a 2 x 16gb kit.

Even if you did not have any issues, adding ram is not always going to work,
Ram must be matched, and matching 4 sticks iis harder.

Oh okay I'll check the pins later since it's 3 am here haha. May i ask why is the motherboard designed for 15 insertions only? Yup the 2x16 kit will work but if the motherboard has damage if I inspect it tomorrow, I'd rather want to replace it rather than work with what I currently have. I have set aside a budget for either an i9-9900K or a beefy asus rog maximus xi motherboard as long as I can confirm the damage so no problem on replacing parts.

 

[geofelt]

You would need to ask an engineer why 15.
I suppose it is because, in the normal course of events, a processor will normally be installed just once or a few times to accommodate a processor upgrade.
The pins are delicate and engineering to handle regular replacement of the processor would raise the cost out of proportion to the value gained.