[SOLVED] Mem test

[cpstar]

Mobo: aorus trx40 pro wif
Cpu: 3970x
Memory: 8x32 corsair vengeance lpx ddr4-3000
Cooler: kraken x73
Case: fractal meshify C



I'm having some issues with my system. I suspect it may be the memory. I have moment where the computer is really slow and sometimes freezes. I use this computer for poker solves. These solving applications require a lot of memory and put the system under hi load. I'm going to try and test the memory and I'm wondering what the best way to go about it. Should I just memtest all 8 sticks at once? Should I try two at a time? Not really sure what will he best method. My Temps on these solves can get as hi as mid 90s which I don't like. I feel as if it should be mid 70s to mid 80s. I also just bought a bigger case (Lian 011D ) as I will prob be rebuilding this if I don't see a problem. With the memory. The new case will give me a lot more room especially for the radiator. Right now I have the radiator in the front pulling in and 2 exhaust fans up top and one exhaust in the rear. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[Darkbreeze]

First question should be, did ALL of this memory come together in ONE kit, or is your full amount of memory made up of mixed kits and/or sticks? It doesn't matter if you have multiple kits of the same model or part number, that still counts as mixed kits.

For the testing, I'd recommend testing all memory at the same time to start with, and then, if it fails testing, resort to testing sticks individually. If all sticks pass individually but fail when tested together, it could be that one stick simply has a significant enough difference in it's makeup that it doesn't want to play nice with the rest of the sticks.

Memtest86​

Go to the Passmark software website and download the USB Memtest86 free version. You can do the optical disk version too if for some reason you cannot use a bootable USB flash drive.

Create bootable media using the downloaded Memtest86. Once you have done that, go into your BIOS and configure the system to boot to the USB drive that contains the Memtest86 USB media or the optical drive if using that option.

You CAN use Memtest86+, as they've recently updated the program after MANY years of no updates, but for the purpose of this guide I recommend using the Passmark version as this is a tried and true utility while I've not had the opportunity to investigate the reliability of the latest 86+ release as compared to Memtest86. Possibly, consider using Memtest86+ as simply a secondary test to Memtest86, much as Windows memory diagnostic utility and Prime95 Blend or custom modes can be used for a second opinion utility.

Click here to download Memtest86 USB package​

Create a bootable USB Flash drive:

1. Download the Windows MemTest86 USB image.

2. Right click on the downloaded file and select the "Extract to Here" option. This places the USB image and imaging tool into the current folder.

3. Run the included imageUSB tool, it should already have the image file selected and you just need to choose which connected USB drive to turn into a bootable drive. Note that this will erase all data on the drive.


No memory should ever fail to pass Memtest86 when it is at the default configuration that the system sets it at when you start out or do a clear CMOS by removing the CMOS battery for five minutes.

Best method for testing memory is to first run four passes of Memtest86, all 11 tests, WITH the memory at the default configuration. This should be done BEFORE setting the memory to the XMP profile settings. The paid version has 13 tests but the free version only has tests 1-10 and test 13. So run full passes of all 11 tests. Be sure to download the latest version of Memtest86. Memtest86+ has not been updated in MANY years. It is NO-WISE as good as regular Memtest86 from Passmark software.

If there are ANY errors, at all, then the memory configuration is not stable. Bumping the DRAM voltage up slightly may resolve that OR you may need to make adjustments to the primary timings. There are very few secondary or tertiary timings that should be altered. I can tell you about those if you are trying to tighten your memory timings.

If you cannot pass Memtest86 with the memory at the XMP configuration settings then I would recommend restoring the memory to the default JEDEC SPD of 1333/2133mhz (Depending on your platform and memory type) with everything left on the auto/default configuration and running Memtest86 over again. If it completes the four full passes without error you can try again with the XMP settings but first try bumping the DRAM voltage up once again by whatever small increment the motherboard will allow you to increase it by. If it passes, great, move on to the Prime95 testing.

If it still fails, try once again bumping the voltage if you are still within the maximum allowable voltage for your memory type and test again. If it still fails, you are likely going to need more advanced help with configuring your primary timings and should return the memory to the default configuration until you can sort it out.

If the memory will not pass Memtest86 for four passes when it IS at the stock default non-XMP configuration, even after a minor bump in voltage, then there is likely something physically wrong with one or more of the memory modules and I'd recommend running Memtest on each individual module, separately, to determine which module is causing the issue. If you find a single module that is faulty you should contact the seller or the memory manufacturer and have them replace the memory as a SET. Memory comes matched for a reason as I made clear earlier and if you let them replace only one module rather than the entire set you are back to using unmatched memory which is an open door for problems with incompatible memory.

Be aware that you SHOULD run Memtest86 to test the memory at the default, non-XMP, non-custom profile settings BEFORE ever making any changes to the memory configuration so that you will know if the problem is a setting or is a physical problem with the memory.

 

[cpstar]

Yes all sticks came together and are exactly the same brand, model and speed

 

[cpstar]

Oh sorry yes they didn't come in ONE kit. They came in sets of two I believe

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, if they came in two separate sets, that is VERY POSSIBLY your problem. Do you happen to know which sticks came in each kit, or has that been lost in the process?

Bottom line is, mixed memory, even when using the same parts from different kits, is no guarantee that you will not have problems. There is a REASON why manufacturers sell memory in kits to begin with and it's NOT simply to offer "bulk" or convenience of packaging. It's because that is the ONLY way they guarantee multiple sticks will be compatible with each other, as they are pre-tested at the factory before being packaged and shipped out.

Two sticks from the same production run might not even work together, or if they come from different points in time during the production run, may not even have the same general makeup.

As seen here. Three different configurations. One part number:

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/amd-ram-compatibility.3210050/#post-19785792

I also address the issue of mixed memory in my memory guide.

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[cpstar]

Oh sorry yes they didn't come in ONE kit. They came in sets of two I believe

So, if they came in two separate sets, that is VERY POSSIBLY your problem. Do you happen to know which sticks came in each kit, or has that been lost in the process?

Bottom line is, mixed memory, even when using the same parts from different kits, is no guarantee that you will not have problems. There is a REASON why manufacturers sell memory in kits to begin with and it's NOT simply to offer "bulk" or convenience of packaging. It's because that is the ONLY way they guarantee multiple sticks will be compatible with each other, as they are pre-tested at the factory before being packaged and shipped out.

Two sticks from the same production run might not even work together, or if they come from different points in time during the production run, may not even have the same general makeup.

As seen here. Three different configurations. One part number:

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/amd-ram-compatibility.3210050/#post-19785792

I also address the issue of mixed memory in my memory guide.

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

Ok this is great stuff. I can't remember which sticks came in which kit. I'm just going to test each stick one by one. My only question is regarding the CMOS. Do I need to pull the battery? I'm looking at mobo manual now and it has a CLR_CMOS. I'm guessing its a push button. Will it suffice just to push that?

 

[cpstar]

wow. So based on some of this reading these corsair 32gb lpx modules i have are not good with the ryzen platform. It could be a nightmare to get all these working in unison

 

[Darkbreeze]

Corsair LPX memory is very notoriously disliked by the Ryzen platform and Threadripper as well. The fact that you have not only two unmatched kits, but two unmatched kits of memory that is probably not even validated for that motherboard and which is known to be problematic even with only a two or four DIMM kit installed, makes it a very difficult proposition, perhaps even impossible, to work it out.

While it is expensive, no doubt, your best bet would be to get a single 4 or 8 DIMM kit in the capacity you wish to run. I've been through so many threads with people who had mixed memory on threadripper or X99/X299 platforms and in every case the only solution that ever resolved anything was a complete replacement of the memory with a single kit in the amount needed. ONE kit, only. Probably not even worth the effort to try and track down a bad DIMM to be honest. Even IF you find one, what will you do? Replace it with ANOTHER unmatched DIMM, making for memory from three different kits now? That's even less likely to run.

And if you can get the memory warranted, they are probably going to want to replace just the single stick, but don't let them. Memory is purchased in kits for a reason and if one DIMM is bad, the WHOLE KIT needs to be replaced to avoid creating the exact situation you are already currently in, or at best, not aggravating it further.

 

[cpstar]

Corsair LPX memory is very notoriously disliked by the Ryzen platform and Threadripper as well. The fact that you have not only two unmatched kits, but two unmatched kits of memory that is probably not even validated for that motherboard and which is known to be problematic even with only a two or four DIMM kit installed, makes it a very difficult proposition, perhaps even impossible, to work it out.

While it is expensive, no doubt, your best bet would be to get a single 4 or 8 DIMM kit in the capacity you wish to run. I've been through so many threads with people who had mixed memory on threadripper or X99/X299 platforms and in every case the only solution that ever resolved anything was a complete replacement of the memory with a single kit in the amount needed. ONE kit, only. Probably not even worth the effort to try and track down a bad DIMM to be honest. Even IF you find one, what will you do? Replace it with ANOTHER unmatched DIMM, making for memory from three different kits now? That's even less likely to run.

And if you can get the memory warranted, they are probably going to want to replace just the single stick, but don't let them. Memory is purchased in kits for a reason and if one DIMM is bad, the WHOLE KIT needs to be replaced to avoid creating the exact situation you are already currently in, or at best, not aggravating it further.

Thank you so much. This is really helping me out. I have one more question. I'm prepared to do this build over and start again. I don't mind getting some new memory. I'm going to test my memory just to see and to learn something. But if I have to go buy some more memory I don't mind because I'm dying to get this computer solving. If I can't put 256gb of ram in this system reliably then I will be happy with 128gb or even 64gb(lowest willing to go) . What brand/speed/capacity do you think I should go with to have the highest chance of success with my system as described at the start of this thread ?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Let me ask you this. What do you actually DO/USE this system FOR? What is the primary purpose of the machine? What are any secondary considerations as well?

 

[cpstar]

Let me ask you this. What do you actually DO/USE this system FOR? What is the primary purpose of the machine? What are any secondary considerations as well?

Primary use will be using poker applications like Pio solver and gto+ to build and solve trees. To solve each individual tree requires a certain amount of RAM. The RAM needed is determined by the complexity of the tree. For most applications up to 128gb of RAM should suffice. The computer will also be used to run scripts with these same applications. A script is just the same thing mentioned above but on a larger scale. Instead of running 1 SIM your having the computer perform 187+ of these simulations which could take the computer a few days at 100% load. The speed of this is determined by processing power where increased core and thread count matter a lot. The computer will also be used for streaming and playing poker. I have no intention of playing any games on the machine. This is what I'm striving for.

Ryzen Threadripper 3 3970x/3960x Workstation Solver Build (256GB RAM) – Home

solveoptimized.com

 

[cpstar]

I just noticed after reading one of the sticky memory guides that that my BIOS for my mobo is version F2 which dates back to 10/24/2019. There have been two more updates since then. Version F3 on 1/20/2020 and F4C on 3/5/2020. The latest update the F4C was partly for memory compatibility. So I will be updating now

 

[cpstar]

I also found the box for my memory. All 8 sticks came in that same box together. So it was ONE kit. I put all 8 plastic holders right back in the box after I installed the memory. So I'm going to upgrade the BIOS then put one stick in at a time and test. Let's see where that takes me

 

[Darkbreeze]

It's still LPX memory, so it's probably not going to be as well tolerated or liked on this system as some other memory models. Chiefly, just about any of the even CL latency G.Skill sticks, but especially those intended for use with Ryzen like the Trident Z neos or Flare X kits.

Do your testing. It might only be the BIOS. That is HIGHLY possible. We OFTEN see a BIOS update resolve ALL memory issues with a given system. Be sure after you update the BIOS to do a hard reset of the BIOS settings and then reconfigure everything. Otherwise, the CMOS sometimes tends to "forget" to update some configuration settings and continues using old settings based on the previous configuration. IDK why, but it happens. A hard reset ensures that it does not happen.

BIOS Hard Reset procedure

Power off the unit, switch the PSU off and unplug the PSU cord from either the wall or the power supply.

Remove the motherboard CMOS battery for five minutes. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the graphics card to access the CMOS battery.

During that five minutes, press the power button on the case, continuously, for 30 seconds. After the five minutes is up, reinstall the CMOS battery making sure to insert it with the correct side up just as it came out.

If you had to remove the graphics card you can now reinstall it, but remember to reconnect your power cables if there were any attached to it as well as your display cable.

Now, plug the power supply cable back in, switch the PSU back on and power up the system. It should display the POST screen and the options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup. Enter the bios setup program and reconfigure the boot settings for either the Windows boot manager or for legacy systems, the drive your OS is installed on if necessary.

Save settings and exit. If the system will POST and boot then you can move forward from there including going back into the bios and configuring any other custom settings you may need to configure such as Memory XMP, A-XMP or D.O.C.P profile settings, custom fan profile settings or other specific settings you may have previously had configured that were wiped out by resetting the CMOS.

In some cases it may be necessary when you go into the BIOS after a reset, to load the Optimal default or Default values and then save settings, to actually get the hardware tables to reset in the boot manager.

It is probably also worth mentioning that for anything that might require an attempt to DO a hard reset in the first place, IF the problem is related to a lack of video signal, it is a GOOD IDEA to try a different type of display as many systems will not work properly for some reason with displayport configurations. It is worth trying HDMI if you are having no display or lack of visual ability to enter the BIOS, or no signal messages.

Trying a different monitor as well, if possible, is also a good idea if there is a lack of display. It happens.

 

[cpstar]

So I updated BIOS and and a bunch of other utilities then I started the memtest. I'm about to finish pass1 (12hrs) with no errors. My system is in default configuration(xmp disabled). Should I complete all 4 passes(~60hrs). If I complete all 4 with no errors should I enable xmp and do it again? Or just enable xmp skip the test and go about my business. Then if I feel the computer is acting up go back and run the test. I also didn't do any BIOS hard reset.

 

[Darkbreeze]

If you complete one pass at the non-XMP configuration, then go ahead and enable XMP and do the test again for all four passes. THEN, if there are any errors, go back and run it for all four passes with XMP disabled.

 

[cpstar]

Ok so it looks like I'm going to pass both tests... stock and XMP enabled. I did 4 passes each test. Roughly 90hrs each to complete each test. Should I move on to PRIME 95?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Actually, since you BELIEVE this to be memory related, and since there's a very good chance it could be, given the number of modules involved and the the type of modules, I'd probably suggest that you run the Windows extended memory diagnostic test before you run anything else.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-check-your-pc-memory-problems-windows-10

 

[cpstar]

It's still LPX memory, so it's probably not going to be as well tolerated or liked on this system as some other memory models. Chiefly, just about any of the even CL latency G.Skill sticks, but especially those intended for use with Ryzen like the Trident Z neos or Flare X kits.

Do your testing. It might only be the BIOS. That is HIGHLY possible. We OFTEN see a BIOS update resolve ALL memory issues with a given system. Be sure after you update the BIOS to do a hard reset of the BIOS settings and then reconfigure everything. Otherwise, the CMOS sometimes tends to "forget" to update some configuration settings and continues using old settings based on the previous configuration. IDK why, but it happens. A hard reset ensures that it does not happen.

BIOS Hard Reset procedure

Power off the unit, switch the PSU off and unplug the PSU cord from either the wall or the power supply.

Remove the motherboard CMOS battery for five minutes. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the graphics card to access the CMOS battery.

During that five minutes, press the power button on the case, continuously, for 30 seconds. After the five minutes is up, reinstall the CMOS battery making sure to insert it with the correct side up just as it came out.

If you had to remove the graphics card you can now reinstall it, but remember to reconnect your power cables if there were any attached to it as well as your display cable.

Now, plug the power supply cable back in, switch the PSU back on and power up the system. It should display the POST screen and the options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup. Enter the bios setup program and reconfigure the boot settings for either the Windows boot manager or for legacy systems, the drive your OS is installed on if necessary.

Save settings and exit. If the system will POST and boot then you can move forward from there including going back into the bios and configuring any other custom settings you may need to configure such as Memory XMP, A-XMP or D.O.C.P profile settings, custom fan profile settings or other specific settings you may have previously had configured that were wiped out by resetting the CMOS.

In some cases it may be necessary when you go into the BIOS after a reset, to load the Optimal default or Default values and then save settings, to actually get the hardware tables to reset in the boot manager.

It is probably also worth mentioning that for anything that might require an attempt to DO a hard reset in the first place, IF the problem is related to a lack of video signal, it is a GOOD IDEA to try a different type of display as many systems will not work properly for some reason with displayport configurations. It is worth trying HDMI if you are having no display or lack of visual ability to enter the BIOS, or no signal messages.

Trying a different monitor as well, if possible, is also a good idea if there is a lack of display. It happens.

I've done a lot of testing with my build. I passed the memtest with and w/o XMP 4 passes. I passed the OCCT stress test (~4h). I just cant for the life of me pass the AIDA64 SST with a 6 subtests enabled. When I run it with all them enabled it hangs after like 5 seconds then I have to go into task manager and close it down. My 3970x temps are good( mid 70s to mid 80s under load. My gut feeling it has something to do with this Corsair memory(CMK256GX4M8D3000C16). I looked at the QVL and nowhere on that list did I see any 256gb memory. I'm going to try two things. I'm going to just put two sticks of CMK256GX4M8D3000C16 in ~64gb and see if that works. If that does then I will try a total of 4 for 128gb. I will stress test those configurations. If I don't have success with that I was going to go with the GSKILL stuff that is recommended on their site under the QVL tab. I was thinking this flare kit (F4-2933C14Q2-128GFX). It says on the GSKILL site that my AORUS TRX40 PRO WIFI mobo supports it. I'm going to give up on 256GB for now. Does this sound like a good plan?

Edit: I can do a hard reset of bios as well but I haven't really changed much in there except xmp and fan curves

 

[Darkbreeze]

Well, it is "A" plan anyhow. Whether it is a good one or not probably depends entirely upon the results. LOL.

Sorry man, but unfortunately sometimes that is the only thing you can say.