Question Repeated BSOD, issues booting up with more than 2 sticks of RAM

[consumed]

Hi everyone.
I've been having ongoing issues with my PC for months and months. It worked fine for over a year and then the issues started one day with windows freezing at the splash screen when I would boot up the system. After several attempts it finally let me in. The issue persisted and then an error about a corrupt BCD or some such appeared. I was able to repair it using a windows installation usb to run a system repair. However, that didn't last and it kept happening. Eventually the system wouldn't even reach bios before shutting down. Or would reach the bios screen and freeze. I pulled some RAM out and it booted up successfully (Even though I still get a corrupt BCD error, which I just skip by pressing enter and it boots up fine).
Yesterday the same thing happened and I had to go back down to 16GB ram (out of the usual 64) in order to get back in. I did this by pulling out one stick at a time until I had taken out six, and then it booted up. So I looked around for a possible solution and saw some post about bleeding mobo power by disconnecting the power connectors for a few seconds. After I did that, I added the RAM back in one by one and with each attempt was able to boot into windows successfully. I thought that mobo power bleed tip did the trick, but a couple of hours later I got a BSOD citing MEMORY_MANAGEMENT. The system booted up fine after that, however.
Then about an hour ago, it froze up. No BSOD. I did a hard shutdown and tried to boot again. No go. Restarted before reaching BIOS.
Tried the mobo bleed tip again, but no luck. Took out 6 sticks of RAM to get back into windows, and here I am.
So I'm wondering if anyone has any advice of what the issue may be.
I wasn't sure which section to post this in as this doesn't seem to be an issue with the RAM itself but it does seem memory related. I just think there's no way 6/8 sticks are malfunctioning, right?
The RAM is ADATA XPG Z1 DDR4 8GB 2800
Here's a screenshot of the rest of the hardware specs

Thank you for reading and any advice you may have.

 

[Nemesia]

Hi Consumed.

What happens if you turn off XMP and let the RAM run at default speed?

What is your PSU brand and model?

 

[consumed]

Oh and the PSU is a Corsair GS700

 

[consumed]

Hi Consumed.

What happens if you turn off XMP and let the RAM run at default speed?

What is your PSU brand and model?

I can't recall if I tried doing that before. I made so many attempts at resolving this that it's kind of a blur.
I'll try doing it now.

 

[consumed]

Hi Consumed.

What happens if you turn off XMP and let the RAM run at default speed?

What is your PSU brand and model?

So I turned off the XMP and set it to auto. Should I have set it to manual instead? Sorry, I don't know much about these things.
Anyhow, I did that and added two more sticks, and it booted up fine. So I thought I'd just throw in the other 4. No go. Pulled them out one by one and still no go. Back down to the 4 it first booted with but it wouldn't boot then, either. So strange.
I'm back down to two now.
So that doesn't seem like it was it, unless "auto" wasn't the right setting to use?

 

[AcTaviousBlack]

I had this exact same issue with an Asus board. 64Gb total ram, but started having BSOD not allowing me to get to the desktop. Bios recognized all RAM sticks and I tested each ram stick. Test your RAM sticks in each slot one at a time until checking if each slot works properly. If you find one or two that works, try all your sticks in those slots and see if it still boots. If it does, your RAM sticks are fine. If it doesn't boot in certain slots, check which slots they are and see if they are linked slots. If so, sorry but it looks like you may have to RMA your board.

 

[consumed]

I had this exact same issue with an Asus board. 64Gb total ram, but started having BSOD not allowing me to get to the desktop. Bios recognized all RAM sticks and I tested each ram stick. Test your RAM sticks in each slot one at a time until checking if each slot works properly. If you find one or two that works, try all your sticks in those slots and see if it still boots. If it does, your RAM sticks are fine. If it doesn't boot in certain slots, check which slots they are and see if they are linked slots. If so, sorry but it looks like you may have to RMA your board.

I can't even get to BIOS some of the time. Whatever is the cause of this is so temperamental. Like I said in the post above, I was able to boot with 4 sticks, added the remaining 4, but it wouldn't boot. Took those extra 4 out and tried to boot with the 4 that worked moments ago, and it wouldn't boot.
Thanks for your suggestion. I'm just not sure if it will help weed out the issue as sometimes it boots up with all 8 sticks just fine. I may try it if I have no other ideas and enough spare time.
I do suspect it's more likely the mobo than the RAM. Unless it's something else all together.

 

[Bob.B]

Oh and the PSU is a Corsair GS700

Your psu is a little small.
Try unplugging one of your gpu's.

 

[consumed]

Your psu is a little small.
Try unplugging one of your gpu's.

I tried that and was able to boot up with 4 sticks of RAM, but for some reason windows disabled the card. I tried updating the drivers, no luck. In the device manager it said "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43) "
Also I run two monitors, both off the same card, but with just the one card in, the second monitor didn't work.
So I put the second GPU back in, still with 4 RAM sticks and it booted up fine and device manager reports no issues.
I'm gonna stick like this for now because I have some work I need to do, but as you say, I suspect the issue may be with the PSU. I will order a new one, 850W should be good enough I guess? Hopefully this setup works until the new PSU comes.
Thanks for your advice.

 

[consumed]

Your psu is a little small.
Try unplugging one of your gpu's.

Update:
I finally got a new PSU (SuperFlower 850 Gold). PC booted up first try with all 8 RAM sticks after I put it in.
Rebooted a bunch of times and it always worked. However, earlier today I was putting the case doors back on and accidentally hit the power button shutting the system down, and when I tried to reboot it, it behaved like it did before, shutting off before even reaching BIOS. I had to pull 6 sticks to boot up again. Thought I was back to square one, but then I noticed the fan on the PSU wasn't spinning. I guess I must have hit the fan speed switch to the off setting (it has three, I, O, II) on the back while installing the case doors.
After putting the fan back on, it booted up with all 8 sticks again. Not sure why they even have a switch to turn the fan off. Seems very unnecessary and potentially troublesome, as I experienced.
So, it does seem like the PSU was the issue.
Thanks for your suggestion!