Memtest86 ran for 9.5 hours with 1 error

k-dot

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For the past week or so I've been dealing with a funky issue. My computer will radomly hang, freeze completely, BSOD with different error messages each time, games will hang and subsequently crash, sometimes without a crash report, sometimes with one.

I decided to run memtest overnight and when I woke up, after 9.5 hours it had found one error. Is it safe to say my RAM was the issue all along, or could it still be something else? Also, since I have 4 sticks, do I need to test all 4 separately? Not sure what my next step should be.

Thanks!

Edit:

OS: Windows 10 Pro
CPU: Ryzen 5 2600
Motherboard: Asus Strix B350-F Gaming
RAM: 4x4GB G-Skill Ripjaws V 3200Mhz
GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1070 FE
HDD: 1. Seagate Barracuda 2TB
2. Samsung 120GB SSD
3. Intel 80GB M.2 SSD
PSU make and age: EVGA G2 550W Gold+ (~3 years)
 

dalaran

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Try to run with only 1 pair of ram sticks (make sure you set them up for dual channel, this will depend on your motherboard, check your manual for proper placement if using only 2 sticks.)

If it occurs again assume one of the sticks is bad, put the other pair in, if this resolves your issues, then you can be pretty sure that faulty ram was the cause you can test the remaining sticks 1 by one to find the faulty stick and discard it (or check for an RMA if it's still under warranty). I would recommend using only two sticks, don't go with 3 it's likely going to cause issues (at the very least dual-channel might not work properly).
 

k-dot

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Alright, I will run the test again tonight. Is there a chance it could also be a faulty RAM slot? I would assume this test would determine if so.
 

dalaran

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Most likely yes, if it works fine with either pair then you know one of the the ram stick of the other pair is likely the issue, if neither pair work then you can try using 1 ram stick at a time, but you'd have to be quite unlucky for 2 sticks to be bad, just in case you might also want to check your ram timings in the bios to make sure they're set to what they are rated for.
 

k-dot

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Well, I ran memtest twice last night (once for each pair of sticks), and both times it reported errors. The first one had 136 in less than an hour, and the second had I believe 18 after about 4.5 hours. I've got one stick in now and am testing it, but since I'm working, I won't be able to check it until I get home. I also checked the RAM timings and they were good. Hopefully I've got at least two good sticks, and I'm really hoping the problem isn't my motherboard.

 

dalaran

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That's a bit weird, did you check the compatibility between your motherboard and ram on the motherboard manufacturer's website?
The 3 things I can think of
- The motherboard is not compatible with the ram you have
- The ram is defective (but you'd have to be unlucky for more than 1 stick to be bad...)
- The motherboard is defective

Other than that if you made any overclocks, put everything back to stock speeds just in case.
 

k-dot

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I just checked the Asus website and my RAM is listed as compatible, but only in the 2x4GB variant, I can't find the 4x4GB, which is what I have. Would that really make a difference though, being that it is the exact same RAM?



I'll update the BIOS when I get home. Not exactly sure when the last time I updated the bios was, so it very well could fix the issue.

 

k-dot

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So, i've tested 3 DIMMs individually in both Memtest86 and the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool, and both places, all 3 DIMMs have errors...this almost certainly is a motherboard problem now, correct?
 

k-dot

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So here's where I'm at. I've tested each stick of RAM individually in memtest86. Two report errors within the first pass, the other two go through the full 4 passes with no errors. Funny thing is, when I test those two "good" sticks together in dual channel, they report errors. I went ahead and called Newegg to set up a return on the RAM, hopefully it isn't my motherboard, but since I don't have any RAM that I know is good, I can'y really determine if it is or isn't. Also, I tested the two "good" sticks individually in both the DIMM_A2 slot and the DIMM_B2 slots and never got any errors, only when they were in dual channel. I'm not sure if that rules out the motherboard or not.

Thanks so much for your help so far.