Question Trident Z dead?

[andremcintee]

I recently bought a new CPU cooler and while installing the fan and pump plugs, I removed one of my sticks of trident z ram. Once all was said and done, I reinstalled my ram and tried to boot up. The computer wouldn't post and it was showing a dram error light while the stick also wasn't lighting up like the other three. Pulled the computer open again, reseated the stick to make sure there wasn't an issue there, nothing changed. Tore the machine open again and swapped the stick with another stick from the next slot over. The computer booted up but both sticks that were moved are dark and I'm showing 16gb ram instead of the installed 32gb. I then ran the windows memory diagnostic which returned "no errors".
On top of all that, I threw the two "dead" sticks into another machine which ended up not posting either.
I guess, what I'm looking for is info on other tests to run. I have no idea if the issue is coming from the ram slot on my motherboard (Asus Rog Z390-E) or the sticks themselves but they worked fine prior to the installation of the cpu cooler.
I inspected the contacts on the ram sticks and there don't appear at all damaged and the slots look clear of any foreign objects. I have access to some more brand new ram to put into my machine to replace those sticks but I'm not sure if they're going to end up just also being dead.

TL;DR: Ram stick pulled out, reinstalled, seems dead, swapped another stick, which died as well. Looking for tests to run to eliminate causes for the issue.

 

[Newtonius]

My initial thought: That first RAM slot is haunted, SpOOooOoOKy. When the first stick was not lighting up, was the second dead ram stick lighting up when it was seated in its initial slot befoer you moved it for testing?

If it was, then my next step would be to give that first suspect RAM slot another sacrifice and toss in one of the working RAM sticks you still have into that slot. If the RAM stick dies, then the sacrifice was successful and the PC gods will be pleased, but you won't however, 'cause your RAM is dead and now you know why.

If the Stick doesn't die - then either:

• A momentary surge that ruined both sticks, which means a bad MOBO.
• 2 defective RAM sticks to begin with. It was just a matter of time that they died.

Since those sticks don't work in another test-rig. Then it's sad to say their souls are in the great beyond. #Megahurts

 

[andremcintee]

My initial thought: That first RAM slot is haunted, SpOOooOoOKy. When the first stick was not lighting up, was the second dead ram stick lighting up when it was seated in its initial slot befoer you moved it for testing?

Yes, the second stick was fine before I moved it over to the slot the killed the first stick.

So that being said, ruling out the chance that there was a surge that moidered both sticks, then chances are that my mobo now is to be run without using that slot or I have to buy a new one I suppose?

 

[Newtonius]

Yes, the second stick was fine before I moved it over to the slot the killed the first stick.

So that being said, ruling out the chance that there was a surge that moidered both sticks, then chances are that my mobo now is to be run without using that slot or I have to buy a new one I suppose?

Yep, seems likely that you just have a bad board then. If you have spare RAM laying around that you know works and wont use ever again, you should use it to test the board to fully confirm it's the slot. Until then it's just an urban legend / scary camp story of the haunted RAM slot of andremcintee.

 

[andremcintee]

Yep, seems likely that you just have a bad board then. If you have spare RAM laying around that you know works and wont use ever again, you should use it to test the board to fully confirm it's the slot. Until then it's just an urban legend / scary camp story of the haunted RAM slot of andremcintee.

Unfortunately, I don't have any spare throwaway ram kicking around so I'm bringing my spook story to Asus support to see if they'll send over an exorcist or something. Thanks!