[SOLVED] Identifying which component has an issue?

[Huillam]

First of all, I apology for any typo, english isn't my primary language and I'm stuck with an old keyboard not working properly.

I just got my new RIG and had plenty of BSOD since. Most (all?) of them where related to memory issue but things are tricky enough for me to be at a complete loss.
The rig:
Motherboard: Asus Prime B450M-A
CPU: Ryzen 5 3600X
Ram: 2 8GB Corsair DDR4 (WMK16GX4M2E3200C16)
OS: Windows 10 Home

Thursday:
I got the new rig but had no internet connexion (a totally unrelated issue). I wasn't able to do much but everything did look fine.

Friday:
As I had once again access to internet I tried to update windows and install various basic softwares.
Windows kept failing to update (at various steps and with multiple error messages) and softwares had issue installing and I had multiple BSOD.
Someone suggested me to check with WhoCrashed and I was able to pinpoint the issue to my RAM. I ran windows memory diagnostic and had errors from the first few seconds of the test ( but every time I did this and had errors I had a BSOD while rebooting stopping windows from generating a log file).
I unplugged both sticks, plugged one back and ran memtest without any error. Unplugged it, plugged the other one: once again no error. Plugged both and still no error. One thing was messy: I couldn't boot at all with both sticks plugged in A1/B1 slots but I assumed that the CPU fan cable stopped me from plugging a stick correctly in slot A1.
The rest of the day everything was fine: no bsod, windows updating flawlessly (except for one update but it was apparently related to NetFramework missing).

Today:
The computer froze during its first boot in the morning. I rebooted it and had a BSOD few seconds after logging in. Three BSOD after logging in later I once again ran windows memory diagnostic and had errors in the first few seconds of the test.
I unplugged a RAM stick, plugged it back and ran the memory diagnostic again without any error.
I downloaded MemTest86 which is currently running its second pass of tests and have yet to detect any error.

Regarding the BSODs:
I had multiple error messages (and I may have missed some):
Memory management
Kernet security check failure
Page fault in non paged area
Critical process died
IRQL not less or equal


Obviously there's an issue somewhere. Could be the RAM, the motherboard or the CPU. Is there any way for me to know for sure?

 

[Vic 40]

Obviously there's an issue somewhere. Could be the RAM, the motherboard or the CPU. Is there any way for me to know for sure?

For ram and cpu are there stresstests, you already tried Memetest86 and for cpu could you try Aida64.

But in the end would swapping parts be in order. Since most things point to ram, return what you have and try another kit.

 

[Huillam]

So far the pattern repeats itself every day: crash during the first boot, BSODs (and almost 1000 errors in Memtest86 during the hammer test) until I remove a random stick of RAM and add it back. Past that point the computer run smoothly (with absolutly zero error in Memtest86) until the next morning.

I contacted my retailer and hopefully will get an exchange soon but still I'm curious: What could possibly explain that the PC run smoothly after that and yet crash after few hours of being powered off?


Anyway thanks for your answer.

 

[Vic 40]

but still I'm curious: What could possibly explain that the PC run smoothly after that and yet crash after few hours of being powered off?

Migth be that the motherboard does a new "learning in" for the ram when one stick is removed and will run it well, with a reboot that won't happen since no changes (to the bios/uefi). So might as well be motherboard problem, but ram is easier to swap.