Isolated BSOD to either RAM or MOBO - Need help to finalize solution

[noxturnz]

I have been troubleshooting BSODs for a while now. A quick history.

I have a 3 year old computer. About a 6 months ago i started getting BSODs. At first they were very rare and over the course of a couple of months they got significantly worse until they were daily. After lots of troubleshooting steps, reseating the RAM appeared to solve the problem.

A few months later I got a BSOD. Similarly they appeared to become more frequent over time. I have 2 4GB RAM cards. I ran multiple memory tests to see if the RAM cards were bad, but everything passed. I tried reseating the RAM and once again the BSODs went away.

I again went about 3 weeks without a BSOD. After the first one they again got progressively worse this time to the point where the computer was completely unable to boot until i reseated the RAM cards.

Why do I need to keep reseating the RAM cards? Is there a way to permanently fix this issue? Is this more indicative of a BAD RAM card or potentially a bad mother board connector? Any ideas on what I should do next?

 

[Greeko85]

Well if reseating the ram seems to fix it it could indicate an issue with the physical connection between the ram and the board-any dust/dirt in the dimm slot? when you seat the ram is it "secure" or does it a tad slack?

 

[noxturnz]

Well if reseating the ram seems to fix it it could indicate an issue with the physical connection between the ram and the board-any dust/dirt in the dimm slot? when you seat the ram is it "secure" or does it a tad slack?

Not sure how secure it should feel. There is a little bit of give on the side without the clip.

 

[noxturnz]

If I replace the MOBO would i need a new copy of Windows? Should I replace the MOBO first or the RAM first?

 

[Calvin7]

If you have a question about memory, I suggest you post the part number(s) or link to it. If it came with a retail PC or you purchased the parts separately, you should mention that.

Instead of "3 year old computer", I suggest you list the model number.

Run MemTest86 to test for defective memory.
https://www.memtest86.com/