System BSOD unless I use DIMM 4. Why??

happygilmore7891 · Dec 16, 2013

i7 2600k
MSI z77a-g45
2x Corsair Vengeance 4gb 1600MHz CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9

Random BSOD will occur while opening any applications... sometimes it happens in the middle of rebooting or during windows login. It also happens more frequently while using firefox/skype/video game, and many times these applications crash for no apparent reason. I've run memtest86 with each stick of ram in DIMM 2 for 10 hours each... no errors found. I ran memtest86 for 12 hours with both sticks of ram installed in DIMM 2 and 4... no errors found.

After many many hours of troubleshooting, and many different kinds of BSOD errors, I decided to try swapping a single stick of ram through each DIMM slot to see if the reoccurring BSODs would continue to happen. DIMM 1-3 all caused BSOD within 10 minutes. However, I have not had a single issue in the past 48~ hours since I installed a single stick of ram into DIMM 4. System is now working fine, no issues. Games are playing on max settings etc.

So does this mean it's my motherboard?

Nuclear101 · Dec 16, 2013

Have you made sure that the two RAM slots you are using is what is recommended by the motherboard? Some motherboards only allow dual slot RAM in certain slots so check your manual to make sure.

happygilmore7891 · Dec 17, 2013

Nuclear101 :

msi z77a-g45 recommends using DIMM 2 and 4 for dual channel, but I was getting BSOD so I've been troubleshooting to find the cause. After extensive testing I've found that using one stick of ram in DIMM 4 is the only way my system seems to stay stable. Now I'm trying to understand why that is, and why memtest86 never found any errors.

Pinhedd · Dec 17, 2013

happygilmore7891 :

According to your motherboard manual, DIMM1 and DIMM2 form one memory channel, while DIMM3 and DIMM4 form a second memory channel.

All memory ranks in a memory channel receive the same signals, except for the Chip Select signal which activates an individual rank. Thus, if a module works in DIMM4 but not DIMM3 this indicates either an error with the board, or an error with the Chip Select signal from the memory controller (possible a board issue as well).

So yes, you most likely have a faulty motherboard.

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System BSOD unless I use DIMM 4. Why??

happygilmore7891

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