Will a Motherboard still boot with bad ram slots?

[Fikshun87]

I have a ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 Motherboard and G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBXL
It will only boot with 2 x 4GB sticks in the B1 and B2 slots (which seems odd in itself) any combination of 2 x 4GB sticks works so I know 100% it's not bad ram and I've also tested the ram on another machine and it works fine. I am assuming that because it boots up with the two sticks fine that it's not necessary a bad motherboard/bad dimm slots? But I could certainly be wrong; based on what I've read here it could be bent pins? but would it still boot fine with bent pins and ram in only the B1/B2 slots? Could it be misconfigured BIOS settings perhaps?

 

[captaincharisma]

did all 4 sticks of ram come in the same kit or are you mixing and matching ram?

 

[Fikshun87]

All exactly the same from same package

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429&nm_mc=AFC-C8JunctionCA&cm_mmc=AFC-C8JunctionCA-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10592396&PID=3938566&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker%2C+LLC&cjevent=2cc12e95c12311e8803f005a0a240613

 

[captaincharisma]

with the two sticks installed is your OS still running stable?

 

[asoroka]

When you say does not boot, do you mean BIOS or Windows?

Does it start into BIOS when all 4 slots are populated?

I would try one stick of ram in each socket first.

 

[rhodesyuk71]

I have a ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 Motherboard and G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBXL
It will only boot with 2 x 4GB sticks in the B1 and B2 slots (which seems odd in itself) any combination of 2 x 4GB sticks works so I know 100% it's not bad ram and I've also tested the ram on another machine and it works fine. I am assuming that because it boots up with the two sticks fine that it's not necessary a bad motherboard/bad dimm slots? But I could certainly be wrong; based on what I've read here it could be bent pins? but would it still boot fine with bent pins and ram in only the B1/B2 slots? Could it be misconfigured BIOS settings perhaps?

 

[rhodesyuk71]

if you have ram in the slots I would have thought no if you have ram in good slots and none in bad then it should post bios

 

[smorizio]

look at the mb guild for the two main ram slots. start with ram in those two slots. if the mb posts and boots fine try with three ram sticks. if there an issue with three ram sticks try updating the bios and changing the ram slot voltage from 1.5v to 1.6 volts. if the error stops with the voltage raised try the 4th stick. wit hany of the ram run memtest make sure it passes and rig is stable. if it wont post with three and 4 sticks and the bios is updated and the voltage changed and xmp profile is off and ram set to 2100 speed and there no post or reboot check for bent pins under the cpu. also with the cpu running run the intel cpu test make sure the ram controler in the cpu is ok.

 

[Fikshun87]

with the two sticks installed is your OS still running stable?

Yes completely stable but only when any set of two sticks is in the B1 and B2 slots only

 

[Fikshun87]

When you say does not boot, do you mean BIOS or Windows?

Does it start into BIOS when all 4 slots are populated?

I would try one stick of ram in each socket first.

Does not start into BIOS at all when all 4 slots are populated I get the 55 code on the Motherboard each stick will work individually but only in either B1 or B2 slots

 

[Peter Martin]

so you have the memory module hardware failing, OK get memtest86 and test the RAM, if it fails in those slots but works in the others, then it's a bad mobo

https://www.memtest86.com/

have you tried updating the bios, and resetting to defaults

 

[asoroka]

Can you confirm that you have 4 identical RAM sticks.

Did it ever work?

If you are using identical RAM sticks then you have a motherboard problem. Probably looking at a new Mobo.

 

[Fikshun87]

Can you confirm that you have 4 identical RAM sticks.

Did it ever work?

If you are using identical RAM sticks then you have a motherboard problem. Probably looking at a new Mobo.

Hey sorry for the delayed response had some real life issues to attend to, but yes I updated to a Beta Bios to V 3.00 (https://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z77%20Extreme4/#BIOS) and then turned XMP profile to off and voltage to 1.6 as Mr . smorizio suggested and it booted successfully

Thanks so much to everyone for all the helpful and prompt suggestions