Question Ram slots not completely working

[Brozo12]

Almost brand new PC running used Ryzen 5 3600 and new MSI B550 Pro VDH Wifi. Both Ram sticks working yet I can only use one at a time. If I place the ram into any other slot except A1 it will not boot. Although at one point placing the ram in A1 did not boot either but I resolved this problem and got it running again after resetting Cmos twice. Now the PC is booting I have Update all drivers and updated the bios then I installed the 2nd ram again in the A2 and B2 slots to see if it world work and nothing. Switched back to A1 and it worked then I tried A1 and A2 and it booted completely. Then I tired to increase the speed of the ram and the bios kept freezing causing me to Shut down and drain the pc. I attempted this 2 more times and got the same result then the A1 and A2 stopped working now I removed A2 and It boots and runs again and I have not fully installed windows 11. What could be the problem to me not being able to run both Ram sticks.

 

[LordVile]

Almost brand new PC running used Ryzen 5 3600 and new MSI B550 Pro VDH Wifi. Both Ram sticks working yet I can only use one at a time. If I place the ram into any other slot except A1 it will not boot. Although at one point placing the ram in A1 did not boot either but I resolved this problem and got it running again after resetting Cmos twice. Now the PC is booting I have Update all drivers and updated the bios then I installed the 2nd ram again in the A2 and B2 slots to see if it world work and nothing. Switched back to A1 and it worked then I tried A1 and A2 and it booted completely. Then I tired to increase the speed of the ram and the bios kept freezing causing me to Shut down and drain the pc. I attempted this 2 more times and got the same result then the A1 and A2 stopped working now I removed A2 and It boots and runs again and I have not fully installed windows 11. What could be the problem to me not being able to run both Ram sticks.

Have you tried A1 and B1? Could just be a DOA board

 

[JayGau]

What is your RAM? Brand and timing. Did you get both sticks from the same kit (same sealed box)?

 

[geofelt]

Test each stick individually in a slot that works.
Run memtest86+
It boots from a usb stick and does not use windows.
You can download it here:

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

memtest.org

Some motherboards will run memtest from the tools menu in the bios.

If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.

If each works, test them both together in the slots that your motherboard manual recommends.

If the ram is not from the same matched kit, you will have more work to do.
Likely increasing voltage and accepting slower speed.

 

[Brozo12]

Have you tried A1 and B1? Could just be a DOA board

You see the computer works perfectly fine when I use only A1 I updated the drivers and even the bios via that when I added the 2nd ram after bios update in the A2 slot it ran but crashed every time I was in bio trying to turn up the speed. After a while A2 stopped working and I went back to only using A1. Any other combo don't work either. Also at one point A1 stopped working but I resolved that.

 

[Brozo12]

What is your RAM? Brand and timing. Did you get both sticks from the same kit (same sealed box)?

Corsair Vengeance 16gb 3600. Yes same kit I've had them for a while.

 

[Brozo12]

Test each stick individually in a slot that works.
Run memtest86+
It boots from a usb stick and does not use windows.
You can download it here:

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

memtest.org

Some motherboards will run memtest from the tools menu in the bios.

If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.

If each works, test them both together in the slots that your motherboard manual recommends.

If the ram is not from the same matched kit, you will have more work to do.
Likely increasing voltage and accepting slower speed.

I haven't tried the memtest 86+ but both rams wok and are from the same kit. I have fully booted windows with the individual rams. When I input it into the recommended slots A2 B2 prior it would cycle through then it would not have any debug lights on and not boot fixed that now when I input them into A2 and B2 the Dram light turns on. Same with any other combination.

 

[Brozo12]

Update I reinserted A2 and B2 and got a cpu light so I went to reseat the CPU the first time I've went to it and as I removed the fan the CPU came out with it.

Reseated CPU No pins are bent. Loosened the heatsink and now when I boot the Dram light is back on when in A2 and B2

 

[Brozo12]

So After that didn't work I went back and decided to test 1 stick in every slot. All the slots boot with 1 stick no but when I put the other in to dual channel they didn't tested the other stick solo and it failed in every slot and gave the Dram light. What baffles me is they were both working separately earlier. I don't have any extra ram to test it with so I think this is the problem for now.

 

[LordVile]

You see the computer works perfectly fine when I use only A1 I updated the drivers and even the bios via that when I added the 2nd ram after bios update in the A2 slot it ran but crashed every time I was in bio trying to turn up the speed. After a while A2 stopped working and I went back to only using A1. Any other combo don't work either. Also at one point A1 stopped working but I resolved that.

But have you tried booting in A1 and B1 together. Sounds like a board issue regardless

 

[Misgar]

I haven't tried the memtest 86+ but both rams wok

You cannot assume any stick of RAM is fully functional, just because the computer starts up and Windows loads. Mishandling RAM at any time without observing proper anti-static precautions (wrist strap, etc) can on rare occasions, lead to invisible ESD damage.

The only way to be certain is to run a comprehensive test like MemTest86. Even then, if your CPU or motherboard are damaged, you still won't be certain if the RAM is good or bad, until you test it in another system.

I was gifted a box full of old DIMMs pulled from office PCs and servers. Out of 80 odd DIMMs, 5 were faulty when tested with MemTest86. All but one of these bad DIMMs booted up into Windows, with no obvious sign of a fault.

I went to reseat the CPU the first time I've went to it and as I removed the fan the CPU came out with it.

That's a recipe for disaster! I've had the same experience on old AMD CPUs with pins on the bottom. The result was bent pins which needed careful straightening.

Are you 100% sure that none of the delicate spring contacts in the CPU socket aren't slightly bent? Use a magnifying glass or take a closeup photo with a phone from several different angles. A single bent contact on one of the two memory channels will stop the associated DIMM socket(s) from working.

Then I tired to increase the speed of the ram and the bios kept freezing

That's perfectly normal behaviour when the XMP speed exceeds the capability of the CPU/motherboard combination. You need to get the system running properly with XMP switched off.

The Ryzen 5 3600 is designed to work up to DDR4-3200 (see link below). Your RAM is rated at 3600MT/s which may be too fast for your build, with XMP enabled. You could try setting the speed manually to 3200MT/s.
https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Zen/AMD-Ryzen 5 3600.html

Integrated peripherals / components
Memory controller	Memory channels (total): 2 Supported memory: DDR4-3200

Just because your motherboard supports DDR4-3600 doesn't mean your CPU will run at that speed.

Switched back to A1 and it worked then I tried A1 and A2 and it booted completely.

Your motherboard's user guide recommends fitting RAM in slots A2 and B2 for faster "Dual Channel" mode. With both DIMMS in Channel A (A1 and A2), you'll be running slower "Single Channel" mode. Some motherboards can be fussy about DIMM placement. If you don't have a DIMM in slot A2 (not A1, or B1 or B2) the system might not POST.

If slots B1 and B2 don't work, it's likely you've got bent pins in the CPU socket, or a bad CPU, or a bad motherboard.

 

[Brozo12]

But have you tried booting in A1 and B1 together. Sounds like a board issue regardless

Yes I tired a1 and B1 together and it didn't work with both rams sticks. A1 and A1 worked for a brief period then stopped. I tested the 1 working stick on all slots and they all worked and were recognized by the CPU. I have a new Vengeance 8gb stick coming tmrw I will try again to dual channel.

 

[Brozo12]

You cannot assume any stick of RAM is fully functional, just because the computer starts up and Windows loads. Mishandling RAM at any time without observing proper anti-static precautions (wrist strap, etc) can on rare occasions, lead to invisible ESD damage.

The only way to be certain is to run a comprehensive test like MemTest86. Even then, if your CPU or motherboard are damaged, you still won't be certain if the RAM is good or bad, until you test it in another system.

I was gifted a box full of old DIMMs pulled from office PCs and servers. Out of 80 odd DIMMs, 5 were faulty when tested with MemTest86. All but one of these bad DIMMs booted up into Windows, with no obvious sign of a fault.


That's a recipe for disaster! I've had the same experience on old AMD CPUs with pins on the bottom. The result was bent pins which needed careful straightening.

Are you 100% sure that none of the delicate spring contacts in the CPU socket aren't slightly bent? Use a magnifying glass or take a closeup photo with a phone from several different angles. A single bent contact on one of the two memory channels will stop the associated DIMM socket(s) from working.


That's perfectly normal behaviour when the XMP speed exceeds the capability of the CPU/motherboard combination. You need to get the system running properly with XMP switched off.

The Ryzen 5 3600 is designed to work up to DDR4-3200 (see link below). Your RAM is rated at 3600MT/s which may be too fast for your build, with XMP enabled. You could try setting the speed manually to 3200MT/s.
https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Zen/AMD-Ryzen 5 3600.html

Integrated peripherals / components
Memory controller	Memory channels (total): 2 Supported memory: DDR4-3200

Just because your motherboard supports DDR4-3600 doesn't mean your CPU will run at that speed.



Your motherboard's user guide recommends fitting RAM in slots A2 and B2 for faster "Dual Channel" mode. With both DIMMS in Channel A (A1 and A2), you'll be running slower "Single Channel" mode. Some motherboards can be fussy about DIMM placement. If you don't have a DIMM in slot A2 (not A1, or B1 or B2) the system might not POST.

If slots B1 and B2 don't work, it's likely you've got bent pins in the CPU socket, or a bad CPU, or a bad motherboard.

I'll run memtest to see if the memory has issues. I do know I can't boot at all with the other stick. The primary stick I was using at A1 is now in A2 and the system has been running decently smoothly ever since although I have crashed out of a game once because of ram usage. Apart from that I have another stick on ram same brand and speed coming tomorrow to test if I can dual channel now. Also I verified that I can boot with the good ram in any slot now so I will test run memtest later tonight.

 

[beyondlogic]

Almost brand new PC running used Ryzen 5 3600 and new MSI B550 Pro VDH Wifi. Both Ram sticks working yet I can only use one at a time. If I place the ram into any other slot except A1 it will not boot. Although at one point placing the ram in A1 did not boot either but I resolved this problem and got it running again after resetting Cmos twice. Now the PC is booting I have Update all drivers and updated the bios then I installed the 2nd ram again in the A2 and B2 slots to see if it world work and nothing. Switched back to A1 and it worked then I tried A1 and A2 and it booted completely. Then I tired to increase the speed of the ram and the bios kept freezing causing me to Shut down and drain the pc. I attempted this 2 more times and got the same result then the A1 and A2 stopped working now I removed A2 and It boots and runs again and I have not fully installed windows 11. What could be the problem to me not being able to run both Ram sticks.

ram must be used in a2/b2

I'll run memtest to see if the memory has issues. I do know I can't boot at all with the other stick. The primary stick I was using at A1 is now in A2 and the system has been running decently smoothly ever since although I have crashed out of a game once because of ram usage. Apart from that I have another stick on ram same brand and speed coming tomorrow to test if I can dual channel now. Also I verified that I can boot with the good ram in any slot now so I will test run memtest later tonight.

you must only use a kit of 2 or kit of 4. do not mix rams. even if they are same vendor because they wont be from same batch and msi and ryzen in general is fickle with memory.

ryzen 5 3600 will work on 3200 memory speed at max 3466.

according to the websites support for memory 3000 series tops out at 3466 from there testing.

at least for that board.

i would personally dial back to 3466 see if it works.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B550M-PRO-VDH-WIFI/support#mem