Please help! Ram slots A1 A2 not working

[curiouscat3]

Ram slots A1 and A2 not working, they worked before but then I took the PC apart and now they don't work anymore. The motherboard is MSI B250M Pro VDH

B1 and B2 works just fine, I can enter windows and go on the internet and everything.

I don't think there are any bent pins in the cpu slot
Tried to clear CMOS, didn't work....

Any suggestions? Please help

 

[Jwpanz]

Reseat your CPU and make sure your cooler isn’t tightened down too much. It only needs to be snug.

 

[curiouscat3]

Reseat your CPU and make sure your cooler isn’t tightened down too much. It only needs to be snug.

I tried taking out the cpu and putting it back in, jiggle it...but the ram still don't work in A1 and A2

The cooler is intel's stock cooler so placing it just involves turning the plastic legs so I not sure how to make sure it's not tightened too much

Could I have damaged the motherboard somehow when I removed it? What kind of damage involves ram slots A1 and A2?

 

[Jwpanz]

Did you check for any bent pins in the socket? The most common cause of a channel not working is the contact between the controller pin the socket with the CPU. This can be caused by the CPU not quite sitting right in there, too much pressure from the cooler, or a bent pin. Other causes can be something making contact with the motherboard leads (something metallic) and shorting the leads. Check the back of your motherboard and make sure nothing is touching the board bedsides the standoff’s. And try booting with one stick at a time in each slot.

 

[curiouscat3]

Did you check for any bent pins in the socket? The most common cause of a channel not working is the contact between the controller pin the socket with the CPU. This can be caused by the CPU not quite sitting right in there, too much pressure from the cooler, or a bent pin. Other causes can be something making contact with the motherboard leads (something metallic) and shorting the leads. Check the back of your motherboard and make sure nothing is touching the board bedsides the standoff’s. And try booting with one stick at a time in each slot.

Took a look at it again, seems that one of the pins did break

Given that I still have 2 ram slots remaining and that I can enter windows using only those two, can I still use the motherboard? Would it damage the cpu in extended use? I would rather not have to buy a new motherboard if possible.

 

[Jwpanz]

Using your PC as is will not hurt anything. You will be unable to use dual channel RAM which makes things run a bit smoother. Is that pin broken or just bent?

 

[lallihiiri]

I had same problem with z370-h, i5-8600k,
Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ballistix Sport LT Gray
DDR4 3000
Installed as motherboard manual, slots A2, B2 did not boot, only dram light goes on. Got them working with slots B1, B2, but not dual channel.
I removed cpu and cooler, didn't see anything wrong there and placed all back again with care and suprisingly got all slots working!

 

[Karadjgne]

That pin is bent, twisted slightly to the right, putting it in contact with the adjacent pin. (according to my Zoom). Its almost certainly fixable with a good magnifying glass and a toothpick or mechanical pencil (make sure to unplug from the wall and hold the power button down for 30 seconds first). Also make sure you touch (physically) the metal part of the case frame before (preferably during as well) attempting anything. Those pins are hyper fragile, so ultimate care and a very soft touch is an absolute must.