[SOLVED] Ram degradation?

[powerlinexz]

Hi. This is my first post and it´s about a problem I´ve been trying to fix. I really hope someone can help me out.

Usually I use the pc for gaming, 3D modelling, rendering and browing the web. I´ve been using it for the past year or so without any flaws. Cpu running at stock speeds, ram running at its advertised speed of 3000 Mhz, no OCs of any kind above the suggested specs, not even on the gpu.

Until about a month ago there was a new nvidia driver, so I installed it and that´s when my problem started. If I recall correctly, that driver version was the first one to require the 1903 build so my reasoning was to update my windows version in order to get rid of any incompatibility issues.

Everything went flawlessly, or so I thought. When I started using my pc again random crashes and Bsods began to pop out. I was able to get the pc to boot up in the best scenarios, but seconds later found myself facing another bsod. After 2 days of testing each component , I finally came to the conclusion that my ram speeds where causing all those crashes and problems.

Whenever I tested the ram @ 3000 Mhz the pc would crash, so I switched the speeds back to 2133 Mhz and all my problems were gone until yesterday when the same problem arose, the only difference is that now there is no bsod, no error code, nothing, just random crashes, and the screen going black,forcing me to restart the pc. I managed to test the ram with Memtest86 and no errors came out.

Right now I´m typing this from my pc. The solution I´m relying on? Lower the ram to 1833 Mhz and only one stick of ram. I´m almost certain the problem is the ram and the speed it runs at. I´ve never heard or read anything close to this, that´s why I´m still skeptical about this conclusion. Sadly I don´t have any spare sticks of ram to test speeds, profiles, etc .Has anyone dealt with a problem like mine? If so, were you able to fix it without changing the ram altogether? Thanks in advance. Here are my specs:

CPU: Amd Ryzen 1700 @ 3.0
Motherboard: Asus Rog Strix x370-F
Ram: 2x 8gb Corsair Vengeance LED listed to work @ 3000 Mhz
GPU: Geforce GTX 1070ti Zotac Mini
Cooler: Corsair Hydroseries h110i
Storage: 1x Kingston SSD 120 GB (WINDOWS 10 OS 1903)
1x Hitachi HDD 2.TB
1x Seagate HDD 1.5TB

 

[mitch074]

It is possible for the RAM to become less stable with time; it's also possible for the motherboard to lose precision when controlling the voltage delivered to the RAM due to failing capacitors.
Most motherboards today allow you to check the actual voltages delivered; if your RAM sticks get less than 1.2V at 2133 and lower, the motherboard is failing. Also, at 3000, you should deliver a voltage of 1.3 - 1.35 V.

 

[demyansk]

I read your problem, this happened with the install of new nvidia drivers. Don't you think it was the drivers being the problem? Just curious, go back and install the previous driver before the problem?

 

[powerlinexz]

It is possible for the RAM to become less stable with time; it's also possible for the motherboard to lose precision when controlling the voltage delivered to the RAM due to failing capacitors.
Most motherboards today allow you to check the actual voltages delivered; if your RAM sticks get less than 1.2V at 2133 and lower, the motherboard is failing. Also, at 3000, you should deliver a voltage of 1.3 - 1.35 V.

Thanks for your reply. That´s what I was afraid of, the mobo not working properly. Something weird happened after I set the voltage on the ram to something above 1.2v (1.25v-1.3v) but didn´t touch the Mhz. Everything worked fine and in CPU-Z the voltage was still showing as 1.2v.

 

[powerlinexz]

I read your problem, this happened with the install of new nvidia drivers. Don't you think it was the drivers being the problem? Just curious, go back and install the previous driver before the problem?

I appreciate your suggestion, sadly it didn´t fix the issue. I guess it was just a coincidence.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Do a clean install of 1903 and then everything should be OK

 

[demyansk]

I figured you had it lined up with something else, it's crazy with all this tech, you need to have the skills of a doctor.

 

[lynx1021]

"Ram degradation?" I think it is possible especially if the ram is not specifically for the motherboard. In my case I had 4-2GB sticks of Kingston hyper X ram in my 775 motherboard, ran like that about a year. Then I started getting BSOD's after checking with Memtest 86 http://www.memtest86.com/technical.htm I had errors. I checked each stick individually and they were fine. I finally found I could run 3 sticks with no errors and after digging I found they were not specified for my motherboard. Ended up buying guaranteed ram after that so I wouldn't have any more ram issues.

 

[powerlinexz]

"Ram degradation?" I think it is possible especially if the ram is not specifically for the motherboard. In my case I had 4-2GB sticks of Kingston hyper X ram in my 775 motherboard, ran like that about a year. Then I started getting BSOD's after checking with Memtest 86 http://www.memtest86.com/technical.htm I had errors. I checked each stick individually and they were fine. I finally found I could run 3 sticks with no errors and after digging I found they were not specified for my motherboard. Ended up buying guaranteed ram after that so I wouldn't have any more ram issues.

This! I just had a talk with asus support and they pointed out my ram wasn´t compatible with the mobo mine is CMU16GX4M2C300015R. While the compatible model listed on their website is the CMU16GX4M2C300015 with no effing "R". Guess it does make a big difference. I´ll have to search for a compatible model. Thank you very much.

 

[Pinhedd]

This! I just had a talk with asus support and they pointed out my ram wasn´t compatible with the mobo mine is CMU16GX4M2C300015R. While the compatible model listed on their website is the CMU16GX4M2C300015 with no effing "R". Guess it does make a big difference. I´ll have to search for a compatible model. Thank you very much.

It doesn't make a big difference. There are only a very small number of SDRAM manufacturers of which 3 of them (SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron) dominate the market.

There's no such thing as Intel specific DDR4, or AMD specific DDR4. That's just marketing. The same is true for "compatible models"; compatibility is the norm because DDR4 is a JEDEC standard, incompatibility is the exception. Incompatibility rarely occurs, and when it does it's usually the result of an edge case in the firmware's memory configuration code.

What can happen, and often does happen, is that wear and tear on a motherboard's power delivery system causes power delivery to drop or become less stable over time. Memory that is getting "just enough" power today may get "a little bit too little" power in a year or so. Increasing the DRAM supply voltage by 0.05 volts is sufficient to remedy most of these instances. If that's not enough, tightening other power supply options such as current limits, switching frequency, and calibration may resolve the issue. Bumping the voltage to the memory controller can often help as well.

 

[powerlinexz]

It doesn't make a big difference. There are only a very small number of SDRAM manufacturers of which 3 of them (SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron) dominate the market.

There's no such thing as Intel specific DDR4, or AMD specific DDR4. That's just marketing. The same is true for "compatible models"; compatibility is the norm because DDR4 is a JEDEC standard, incompatibility is the exception. Incompatibility rarely occurs, and when it does it's usually the result of an edge case in the firmware's memory configuration code.

What can happen, and often does happen, is that wear and tear on a motherboard's power delivery system causes power delivery to drop or become less stable over time. Memory that is getting "just enough" power today may get "a little bit too little" power in a year or so. Increasing the DRAM supply voltage by 0.05 volts is sufficient to remedy most of these instances. If that's not enough, tightening other power supply options such as current limits, switching frequency, and calibration may resolve the issue. Bumping the voltage to the memory controller can often help as well.

I totally agree with everything you said and was one of the first thoughts to cross my mind when I purchased this ram kit,that it shouldn´t really be an issue. But the employee at Asus had me when they said my specific ram model is not on the list and to rule out problems I had to test the mobo with "compatible" ram. From my point of view they have the high gound here, They can justify the mobo not working because I´m not using what´s listed on their QVL.