[SOLVED] PC Freezes or BSODs with 8gb of RAM, but not 4gb

[AndDude]

Configuration:
CPU : AMD FX-8350
MB: Gigabyte 970A-UD3P (rev. 2)
PSU: Cobra Power 700W RX-700-AE-B 80 Plus Gold
GPU: Sapphire Nitro+ ATI Radeon RX580 8gb VRAM
RAM: Patriot 2x4gb @1600MHz (PSD38G1600KH) / Replaced with Samsung 2x4gb @1600MHZ (M378B5173QH0-CK0)
SSD: Kingston 223GB SA400S37240G (Boot Disk)
HDD: Western Digital 1Tb WD10EZEX-08WN4A0
OS: Windows 10 64-bit

Recently, my PC started freezing or BSODing a few minutes after power on, and would continue to do so for some time, and then would stop and would run normally. I noticed that when that happens the PC detects 8gb of ram, but only uses 4gb, both speccy and task manager show this. If i tried going in to BIOS after this, it showed 4gb only once, every other time it was 8gb (even though PC only used 4). Its like the PC turns off one of the modules?? They were seeded in dual channel slots further way from the CPU slot (call them 1 and 3), so i switched them to the other two (2 and 4), but the same problem occurred. I figured one of them is busted so i tried running them solo to see which one it is, but the freezes never happened. Both worked fine, although the software (overmodded Skyrim) would crash due to having only 4gb of ram available. I then got my hands on some Samsung 2x4gb memory sticks, inserted them and the had the same problem just like with the old Patriots. I tried intentionally putting them in non-dual channeled slots, and it booted, noticed that there is 8gb available, but used only 4gb, and was thus stable. I now noticed that the RAM was running @803MHz instead of 1600. I then checked if the Patriots would also run at only @803MHz and they are. So its clearly not the RAM itself.

I figure either there is an issue with the motherboard, PSU, or maybe drivers or windows itself. I don't have a spare PSU to test the hardware though. Recommended course of action?

 

[PC Tailor]

@803MHz

I am assuming, but I would potentially guess this is actually 1600 as it's the DDR (Double Data Rate) of 800.

Have you tried each RAM module individually in each RAM slot? To identify if there is a slot at fault?

 

[AndDude]

Yes, I tried different slots and different sticks, everything works fine when there is only one.

 

[PC Tailor]

Yes, I tried different slots and different sticks, everything works fine when there is only one.

May be worth trying raising the voltage of the RAM modules slightly in the BIOS.
Have you checked the CPU socket for bent pins or contamination? May be worth removing the CPU, and reseating, and reseat cooler.

If it works with every stick individually, but just simply can't handle 2 modules, I'd look at the above or probably faulty MB. But it's a case of eliminating possibilities.

 

[AndDude]

So, before I tried following your advice, I decided to insert all 4 RAM sticks to see what happened, and for some reason the PC worked fine for about 2 days, before going back to being borked. I then removed the CPU to check for bent pins and such, but there weren't any, but the PC has been working fine since then. I don't know what happened or why, but it seams to be fixed. Thanks.