[SOLVED] Did two sticks of RAM die on me?

[MishterKirby]

I restarted my PC, but it abruptly shut down (the weird thing is that the fans were still running, so I unplugged it for a while). When I tried to turn it on, it would just power the fans on, but not POST. When I saw it did that, I pulled the memory modules out, and tried booting it with no memory. And it beeped, so I put the RAM back in, testing each stick and and slot separately, but it still won't boot. Could both sticks have died at the same time?

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Make and model of your motherboard? Make and model of your PSU and it's age? You might want to see if the sticks of ram work on a donor system. Got a link to the sticks of ram you're working with?

 

[MishterKirby]

Motherboard: MSI K9N6SGM-V

I can't tell what RAM I have because the labels are very faint, but I remember there being a 2GB Nanaya stick, and (IIRC) a 2GB Micron stick.

PSU: HP PSU I salvaged from an old PC (about 8 years old +/-), that I installed 2 years ago.

You might want to see if the sticks of ram work on a donor system.

I don't have a donor system, unfortunately.

 

[MishterKirby]

Wait, if the memory controller dies, would the mobo still be able to detect the presence/absence of RAM?

 

[Alex Storm]

Motherboard: MSI K9N6SGM-V

I can't tell what RAM I have because the labels are very faint, but I remember there being a 2GB Nanaya stick, and (IIRC) a 2GB Micron stick.

PSU: HP PSU I salvaged from an old PC (about 8 years old +/-), that I installed 2 years ago.



I don't have a donor system, unfortunately.

Use Thaiphoon Burner to identify your sticks of ram

 

[MishterKirby]

Use Thaiphoon Burner to identify your sticks of ram

The PC won't boot, so I can't do that.

 

[Alex Storm]

The PC won't boot, so I can't do that.

Sorry I was not attentive

 

[MishterKirby]

Wait, I forgot to mention that my CPU was cycling between 0 and 100% usage when I decided to restart, not sure if that helps, though.

 

[Alex Storm]

I restarted my PC, but it abruptly shut down (the weird thing is that the fans were still running, so I unplugged it for a while). When I tried to turn it on, it would just power the fans on, but not POST. When I saw it did that, I pulled the memory modules out, and tried booting it with no memory. And it beeped, so I put the RAM back in, testing each stick and and slot separately, but it still won't boot. Could both sticks have died at the same time?

The memory controller in modern processors is implemented directly in the processor itself. And he can "misbehave" for a variety of reasons. It so happens that even if you reset the settings to the nominal, then, for example, the "dead" memory channel will no longer come to life. Accordingly, replacing the module will not lead to anything. It is also possible to oxidize contacts on RAM - the most common problem of RAM malfunctions (and not only), so make it a rule - if there are problems with the platform, then arm yourself with an ordinary stationery eraser and gently wipe the contacts on both sides. This is true just in those cases when problems arise when the memory is working normally, if before that it worked without failures for months or years.

 

[Alex Storm]

Mobo, CPU, storage, PSU and RAM are all interconnected, so if one of them is unstable, then it causes the entire system to malfunction. The most correct way of diagnostics would be to test each of these components on a different system. Thus, by elimination, we can identify the “weakest link” and replace it. But unfortunately you said that you do not have a donor system. But I tried to show you the right way.

 

[MishterKirby]

So I tried the eraser trick, and it still doesn't boot. So I think the RAM is dead.

 

[MishterKirby]

I restarted my PC, but it abruptly shut down (the weird thing is that the fans were still running, so I unplugged it for a while). When I tried to turn it on, it would just power the fans on, but not POST. When I saw it did that, I pulled the memory modules out, and tried booting it with no memory. And it beeped, so I put the RAM back in, testing each stick and and slot separately, but it still won't boot. Could both sticks have died at the same time?

Could a bad PSU cause the symptoms I described?

 

[Alex Storm]

Could a bad PSU cause the symptoms I described?

Yes maybe

 

[MishterKirby]

I forgot to mention, for the past few months, my PC had been not starting, and it would usually start after I swapped the memory modules around.

 

[MishterKirby]

After investigating a bit further, I discovered the motherboard died. That's probably why it stopped recognizing the RAM.
Thank you all for trying to help me, though ☺️