Question memory problems on Asus P6X58d-e

[sunnytoday]

My computer is driving me mad . So many problems , but let me start with the memory . It is a AsusP6X58d-e motherboard which has 6 memory slots . It was populated with 6 x 2 GB ddr3 , everything working fine , Then memory issues and it went down to 2 GB , I got it back to 4 Gb and then it settled on 8Gb and was running fine - still triple channel using 4 slots . I assumed - I have no other computer to test the memory in - that 2 sticks were faulty - one from each set . Now it has dropped again to 4 gb . Is it possible for the Motherboard to destroy the memory ? Or any other help would be appreciated . Other problems I will have to start threads about in the appropriate places are issues with windows and files popping up everywhere and GPU cooler fan not working - Two cards .

 

[Darkbreeze]

Almost certainly this is a motherboard issue, not a memory issue. Memory almost always either works, or doesn't. It won't generally work intermittently or randomly. Unless there is a board issue. Plus, barring any abuse or misconfiguration, or incompatibility, memory tends to last a very long time. Motherboards on the other hand, fail, regularly, especially after about five years of fairly heavy usage. The fact that you also have graphics cards problems, with multiple cards, makes a LOT more likely that it is a motherboard issue than anything else.

It certainly COULD be a power supply issue though. All of these symptoms can be directly related to a failing power supply and I'd probably start there unless you can see any obvious bulging or leaking on any of the motherboard capacitors.

What is the EXACT model of your power supply and how long has it been in service?

 

[sunnytoday]

Almost certainly this is a motherboard issue, not a memory issue. Memory almost always either works, or doesn't. It won't generally work intermittently or randomly. Unless there is a board issue. Plus, barring any abuse or misconfiguration, or incompatibility, memory tends to last a very long time. Motherboards on the other hand, fail, regularly, especially after about five years of fairly heavy usage. The fact that you also have graphics cards problems, with multiple cards, makes a LOT more likely that it is a motherboard issue than anything else.

It certainly COULD be a power supply issue though. All of these symptoms can be directly related to a failing power supply and I'd probably start there unless you can see any obvious bulging or leaking on any of the motherboard capacitors.

What is the EXACT model of your power supply and how long has it been in service?

PSU is Corsair CX 650m and less that a year old also i had it checked with a PSU tester and it was good

 

[Darkbreeze]

Then I'd say you almost certainly either have a dying board or a dying CPU.

The only way I can see the memory physically being the issue, is if it has been abused in some way or run with voltage outside it's specifications. Of course it's possible for memory to go bad, but it's very uncommon and it generally doesn't do so intermittently. Usually if memory goes bad, it is just bad, ALL the time. Not good, then bad, then good again. Motherboards do THAT all the time though.

 

[sunnytoday]

Why do I have so much trouble with motherboards ? Two Dell 09kpnv workstation boards and now this one . I can get a replacement board but even S/H are not cheap at $80 . I love the platform - and have learnt SO much as a result of the problems , All the other components work well , all used components apart from PSU and CPU cooler . I have just run the IPDT tool and the processor past all tests .

 

[Darkbreeze]

I've seen CPUs with bent pins pass the IPDT, especially if the problem is a bent pin on one or more of the circuits that are only directly related to DIMM slot functions. This is however, a pretty weird situation.

Not sure a PSU tester is the full measure though. Lots of PSUs pass using those but can't hold up or supply full measure under a load. It does make it a lot less probable however if it can pass using a tester. I'd still be leaning towards the motherboard.

Perhaps memory though. Did all of the memory in use come together in a kit or do you have mixed sticks?

 

[sunnytoday]

I have not taken the CPU out and it has been working flawlessly , so unlikely to be bent pins - if there was reasonable suspicion that the processor is at fault then I have another two that can be fitted -another x5650 and a w3565 .
. One kit of three and three matched and compatible sticks . At the moment I have three modules installed , task manager and bios only see 2 gb - How can programs see and ID the memory but they are not working ? CPUz and speccy can see 6gb but in dual channel though slots A1 , B1 and C1 are populated . Is it possible for the M/B memory slots to damage the modules . I think I need to install all the ram in another computer .

 

[Darkbreeze]

I'm assuming you DO have them installed as seen here, and haven't accidentally mistaken WHICH slots are the A1, B1 and C1 yes? Note that C1 is the slot closest to the edge of the motherboard.

 

[sunnytoday]

Yes , I have the documentation printed out for reference .
On startup it used to startup better if the power was still connected to the motherboard after the last shutdown , but now the opposite is required , it gave a error message that the express gate was not working and changed the screen resolution from 1280 x 768 to 1280 x 1024 - reboot changed it back .

 

[Darkbreeze]

What is the CPU model you are currently using? I don't see that mentioned here anywhere? Actually, what are the full hardware specifications for ALL hardware that is attached including all drives and the graphics card?

 

[sunnytoday]

What is the CPU model you are currently using? I don't see that mentioned here anywhere? Actually, what are the full hardware specifications for ALL hardware that is attached including all drives and the graphics card?

Mentioned the CPU in #7
I have a Xeon X5650 , installed after I removed the first X5650 , just to make sure both worked .
MSI GTX660 and a Coolermaster 212x CPU cooler

Have the computer now installed with 2 x 2 gb and working - which is a blessing as it it so hard using it with a measly 2gb

 

[lynx1021]

You may need to raise your ram voltage a hair, as parts age (capacitors) they need more power. I have a 4 slots filled on my boards and had to raise my memory voltage up to 1.6volts and if that doesn't help raise your PCH (memory controller) up a hair up 0.01.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yep, that is the next step I'd take is to raise your DRAM voltage by .020v, then add back in one DIMM and see if it works now or not. If not, take it back out and raise DRAM voltage by another .020v and try again. Don't exceed raising the stock DRAM voltage by more than .040v because if it's due to age and degradation then it wouldn't take more than that to cure the problem. Probably shouldn't take more than .005-.010v but .020v increments are often the minimum available on some platforms, and is usually enough to cure voltage issues in one step but not enough to create problems from raising DRAM voltage too much.

 

[sunnytoday]

Any idea what the normal QPI/DRAM voltage is ? It is direct input voltage , so the normal V is not shown . I have now 4 GB in slots A1 and B1 .

I managed to get , module by module , 8 gb working , had to leave the house and it reverted to 2 gb

 

[Darkbreeze]

What is the model of the memory kit? There can be wildly different voltage requirements for different types of DDR3, and wildly different even for the same types when you compare the default voltage to the XMP voltage, if there is a significant speed difference between the two.

Generally speaking, on average, for most XMP profiles on DDR3 the typical voltage is 1.5v but that should not be taken as gospel because DDR3 could be anywhere from 1.4 to 1.8v without batting an eye.

 

[sunnytoday]

What is the model of the memory kit? There can be wildly different voltage requirements for different types of DDR3, and wildly different even for the same types when you compare the default voltage to the XMP voltage, if there is a significant speed difference between the two.

Generally speaking, on average, for most XMP profiles on DDR3 the typical voltage is 1.5v but that should not be taken as gospel because DDR3 could be anywhere from 1.4 to 1.8v without batting an eye.

Well it looks like the computer is broken , Took it to two shops ( not the vendor ) but they both think the motherboard is finished - They have no more knowledge of Exactly what has gone wrong with the board than I have . I live within 100m of the sea so that is their first guess . Where I am located certain shops claim to be able to carry out "chip level repairs" on laptop boards but no-one can repair Desktops . Is there that much difference in the Two , or it it just a case of greater availability of replacement desktop boards ( apart from X58 ) ?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Likely, it is just marketing BS. Aside from, admittedly still pretty difficult, minor component replacement on desktop or laptop boards like the capacitors or similar comparatively large non-complex desolder and replacement jobs, there is practically nothing on a motherboard that any repair facility could handle in any case. Manufacturing specific equipment would be necessary for the majority of failures and most of them wouldn't even bother because in most cases it is simply less expensive to discard and replace the board than it is to try and "fix" it, unless it is something that is reasonably simple to replace. For shops, that isn't happening.

If they say "chip level" repair, they are likely talking about desoldering and replacing the CPU, which COULD be done, or they are simply charging enough to effectively purchase a replacement board that they can then say they repaired the old one. I'm sure there are some exceptions, specifically, but in general there are unlikely to be any repair shops out there with the ability OR the necessary equipment, to do any such thing.

 

[lynx1021]

If you really want to replace the motherboard here are some here used https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?trafficChannel=main&d=y&CatId=708045&SearchText=asus+p6x58d-e&ltype=wholesale&SortType=price_asc&groupsort=1&page=1

 

[lynx1021]

"chip level" repair" the only guy I have seen doing that is on YouTube and I was shocked to see someone still doing that in this day and age. Car repairs a about $100 an hour, don't know what chip repairs would go for. I did some repairs on my wife's computer motherboard but it was replacing capacitors that were apparently leaking. The hardest part is diagnose the bad part.