[SOLVED] Yet Another EZ Debug RAM CPU White LED Blinking

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Whiplash7777

Whiplash7777

Mar 7, 2020
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Whenever I try to install more than 1 stick of RAM in the motherboard, I get a long white RAM EZ-Debug LED with a quick blip of the CPU LED before going back to the RAM LED.

Specs:
MZI Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard (with latest beta BIOS from 11/2019)
Intel i7-9700K
4 x 8 GB G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4-3000 (F4-3000C16Q-32GTZR - on the MSI compatibility list for this board for 1, 2, and 4 sticks)
1 TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe installed in slot #1 (between the top PCIe slot and the CPU)
Using the onboard video or an old Radeon HD card (I'll install my existing 1080 GTX once I get the system up and running I can migrate off my older desktop).

If I install 1 stick of RAM in the first slot, it comes up and tells me to install the RAM in the 2nd or 4th slot.
If I install 1 stick of RAM in the second slot, it comes right up and boots (I tried all 4 sticks, individually in this slot without issue)
If I install a 2nd stick of RAM anywhere (preferred/optimal slot is #4, but it doesn't matter where I put the 2nd stick as the behavior is always the same), I get a long white RAM EZ Diag LED, with a quick blip of a white CPU EZ Diag LED.

I really want to be able to install all 4 x 8 GB DIMMs for 32 GB RAM.

At first I thought it was a BIOS issue, so I went to update it. The board had the latest GA BIOS, but the beta BIOS from November showed updates for memory compatibility so I installed that.

I did verify that the BIOS is detecting the one stick properly (CL16-18-18-38 and 1.35V)

I was able to install and update an OS on the 1 TB drive with only 1 stick installed, so it sounds like most everything is working properly, except the motherboard.

I originally thought I had a power supply issue as my new 650W power supply did not have 2 x 4+4 connectors, so I ordered another brand new power supply (this time 850W) so I could have a model with 2 x 4+4 connectors to ensure that the CPU was getting the power it needed.

I have reset the BIOS multiple times throughout this process.

Do I need to RMA this board?
 
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Whiplash7777

Whiplash7777

Mar 7, 2020
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rocktalkrock said:
Try the solution in this old post.

Can only boot with one stick of ram

recent upgraded to new mobo asrock z87 pro4 with a new i7 4770k system wont boot however unless i have in only one stick of ram im using ballistix sport 4gb 1600 mhz any ideas what to do about this without having to but new ram i comfirmed both sticks work
forums.tomshardware.com forums.tomshardware.com
Click to expand...

Thank you! I will try that tomorrow and post my results.
 
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Whiplash7777

Whiplash7777

Mar 7, 2020
5
0
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I contacted MSI as enabling XMP did not help. They suspect that either the motherboard is bad, or the CPU is bad. They think the motherboard is more likely bad than the CPU.
I plan to keep this thread posted with my updates for posterity.

I was able to get 2 sticks working in slots A1 and A2 (the two slots closest to the CPU). It would simply display the message that the RAM was not in the optimal slots.
I also swapped from one pair of sticks in A1 and A2 to the remaining pair and all 4 sticks function properly in those slots.
Putting a stick in either B1 or B2 results in the board flashing the white RAM EZ-Debug LED. That indicates that the entire 2nd channel of memory is not functioning.
MSI was pretty certain this was an issue with the motherboard, so I have started the return process with Amazon to replace it with the exact same model.
If I have the same problem with the new board, it is an issue with the CPU, and I will do a return/replacement with Amazon for that as well and that should fix me right up.
 
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