[SOLVED] Need help looking for bent pins or problems.

[agraff90]

So my PC wont post if I have a single ram chip inserted in the B1/B2 channel dimms. Any combination of A1 and/or A2 will boot but is not optimal because it is single channel and not XMP capable. After reading a ton of forums I am assuming that the problem was too tight of my CPU cooler, but after disassembling everything it didn't seem too tight at all. So help me, please.

MOBO: Z390 Aorus Pro Wifi LGA 1151
CPU: I7 9700K
Video: EVGA RTX 2080
CPU Cooler: Dark Rock Pro 4
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000MHz 2X8GB

https://imgur.com/a/iwU078f

View: https://imgur.com/a/iwU078f
- Some pics I can add more if need be.

ps It boots and runs fine in single channel 16GB but obviously I am not getting the performance I should be getting out of the chips.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

Well, all pins are present and accounted for, and they all look straight. You said the cooler didn't seem too tight at all, have you considered that it wasn't tight enough? Sometimes RAM channels not working is a sign of a CPU that isn't being pressed into the socket with sufficient force. So, my advice is to carefully tighten the cooler, test to see if it works. If it doesn't, and you think you can tighten a little more, then go a little more. Now, it could also be a setting in the BIOS, but from the sounds of things I think it is mounting pressure.

EDIT: If things feel like they are getting perilous I'd take it to someone who can give you a second opinion.

 

[agraff90]

Well, all pins are present and accounted for, and they all look straight. You said the cooler didn't seem too tight at all, have you considered that it wasn't tight enough? Sometimes RAM channels not working is a sign of a CPU that isn't being pressed into the socket with sufficient force. So, my advice is to carefully tighten the cooler, test to see if it works. If it doesn't, and you think you can tighten a little more, then go a little more. Now, it could also be a setting in the BIOS, but from the sounds of things I think it is mounting pressure.

EDIT: If things feel like they are getting perilous I'd take it to someone who can give you a second opinion.

Thanks Justin, Yeah its pretty frustrating because the machine is a beast outside of this single issue. It is such a hassle loosening or tightening the Dark Rock Pro 4 once it is mounted because the fan blocks the screws. I probably rebuild it here in a bit and hope the issue is resolved, I would sleep fine if I never discovered the culprit.

Question: On the back plate, is it a problem if the plate is touching the chrome plate on the motherboard. I used the included rubber washers as directed but it appears to be touching or nearly on the back of the MOBO.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

Thanks Justin, Yeah its pretty frustrating because the machine is a beast outside of this single issue. It is such a hassle loosening or tightening the Dark Rock Pro 4 once it is mounted because the fan blocks the screws. I probably rebuild it here in a bit and hope the issue is resolved, I would sleep fine if I never discovered the culprit.

Question: On the back plate, is it a problem if the plate is touching the chrome plate on the motherboard. I used the included rubber washers as directed but it appears to be touching or nearly on the back of the MOBO.

No, that isn't a problem at all. That chrome plate is there to add rigidity to the socket. So if you are pressing against it with the cooler backplate it is helping to provide pressure to hold the CPU down.

 

[agraff90]

No, that isn't a problem at all. That chrome plate is there to add rigidity to the socket. So if you are pressing against it with the cooler backplate it is helping to provide pressure to hold the CPU down.

Ah cool. Is it advisable to test the cpu seat without mounting the cooler outside of the case? It makes me nervous but it would be a lot easier to see if it works without mounting the CPU cooler.

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

Ah cool. Is it advisable to test the cpu seat without mounting the cooler outside of the case? It makes me nervous but it would be a lot easier to see if it works without mounting the CPU cooler.

If you put the motherboard on a non conductive surface it is fine to pull it out of the case to work on it and test it. I'd suggest just using the on chip graphics in this case as a heavy GPU could be an issue if it isn't held in place. It'll save you some anxiety as well.

 

[agraff90]

If you put the motherboard on a non conductive surface it is fine to pull it out of the case to work on it and test it. I'd suggest just using the on chip graphics in this case as a heavy GPU could be an issue if it isn't held in place. It'll save you some anxiety as well.

What all needs to be connected to the MOBO in this scenario? Obviously the CPU and MOBO power cables but what else?

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

What all needs to be connected to the MOBO in this scenario? Obviously the CPU and MOBO power cables but what else?

For a bench test for RAM? CPU, RAM, power, cooler, monitor, keyboard, and maybe mouse. You don't need a hard drive to get into the BIOS.

 

[agraff90]

For a bench test for RAM? CPU, RAM, power, cooler, monitor, keyboard, and maybe mouse. You don't need a hard drive to get into the BIOS.

Success, Crisis resolved. Guess reseating the CPU and everything fixed my issue. Thanks for the help bro!

UserBenchmarks: Game 126%, Desk 107%, Work 104%
CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K - 115.2%
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 - 151.7%
SSD: Samsung 860 Evo 500GB - 124.6%
SSD: Microsoft Storage Space Device 999GB - 376.8%
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB - 95.4%
MBD: Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI

 

[justin.m.beauvais]

Fantastic! Glad to hear it.