Only one Memory Slot appears to be working?

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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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Hi

I recently installed some more ram into my PC. I have a single 8gb stick of regular Crucial RAM and two twin 4gb Crucial Ballistix Tactical sticks of RAM. This all started when I removed my sticks and tried the new single stick alone. It worked fine but when I went to put my old sticks back into my PC, it would only recognize one.

Now for some reason only one slot (the one closest to the CPU) appears to working and when I try and boot the PC using only the other slot, I get an infinite boot loop with no signal at all, indicating that it isn't recognising the RAM at all. I've tried all three RAM sticks in each socket and I get the same results each time (PC Booting up in the first slot and looping in the second) I can run my PC just fine using only the one slot but I'd like to use the extra RAM if I have it right?

Things I tried:

Resetting CMOS
Cleaning out the RAM slots with compressed air
Looking inside the slot (no visable damage)
Raising DIMM voltage up from 1.5 to 1.59 (didn't really wanna go above that)

My motherboard is the Z77 Stinger Mini ITX motherboard and it only has two DIMM sockets so I have no other sockets to compare.

Thanks.

 
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Jaster_1

Jaster_1

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Jan 13, 2016
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Silly question. Have you reseated your CPU? With the memory controller being directly on the CPU a poorly seated CPU often results in random issues like this especially when you have changed things round. Also try booting and resetting the BIOS with only one memory stick in the second slot (Some BIOS's hold on to timings from the first slot regardless of BIOS clearing). Making sure you hold the power button down once the power cable is removed to remove any residual charge on the board before removing the battery. Try those and let us know.
 
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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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Funny you mentioned that, I installed a new CPU a few days prior to this so that could actually be a thing. I'm gonna try reseating it and see if that helps
 
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Shaun o

Shaun o

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Oct 7, 2007
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It can be down to the density of the memory chips on each memory module, the amount.
And how also populated on each memory stick.

Some boards do not like it.

For example your twin Crucial ballistix pair of ram modules may have memory chips fitted to both sides of each stick.
where as the new 8gb stick may only have one side of the memory module populated with memory chips of a higher density or storage capacity of each chip.

Also.
By first having two sticks of memory in the system, the mode for memory set in your bios will be dual channel mode.

By adding the third stick of memory to the system with a total of 8Gb of regular ram the board should be running in single channel memory mode.

And why the other two memory slots are no longer read.

The 8Gb memory stick also needs to have the same voltage, and timing settings and speed rating as the two 4Gb Crucial Ballistix memory modules.

As again if the settings differ the motherboard bios will have problems configuring the settings for both.

You need to post all the information of the Ballistix memory.
And also the regular Crucial 8Gb memory stick.
Along with if both are XMP capable.
 
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Way2much

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Here is all the info about my Twin Ballistix sticks from the website:

Brand Ballistix
Form Factor UDIMM
Capacity 8GB Kit (4GBx2)
Warranty Limited Lifetime
Specs DDR3 PC3-12800 • 8-8-8-24 • Unbuffered • NON-ECC • DDR3-1600 • 1.5V • 512Meg x 64 •
Series Ballistix Tactical
ECC NON-ECC
Kit Qty 2
Speed 1600 MT/S
Tracer False
Voltage 1.5V
DIMM Type Unbuffered

I don't have any info about the single stick because I got it from a friend's old rig and it isn't branded so I can't really look it up. Its just plain old ram with a crucial sticker on it

The PC is running in single channel mode at the moment but why isn't it not reading from that one slot but the other one works fine?
 
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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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Just tried reseating the CPU again to no avail (I really thought that might be it, unless my reseating was incorrect for a second time). Do you mean booting the bios with one memory stick in the working slot? Because I can't even get to the BIOS when a single stick RAM is in the other slot.
 
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Jaster_1

Jaster_1

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hmmm. If its not configuration based which we seem to have covered then I would suspect a fault somewhere. Check the board isnt shorting anywhere (I know these itx systems are tight and one loose screw can cause havok). I would say its more then likely the board, then possibly memory, rather unlikely the CPU (unless you've rammed 12 volts through it and I don't think EVGA allow that in there BIOS :) )
 
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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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It might be the board but I'm struggling to fathom how I could have damaged the DIMM sockets by simply removing and replacing RAM. Its not like its my first time inserting and removing RAM or anything so I'm not sure how it could be damaged if it is. I know it isn't the memory because they all work seperately in the first socket and I doubt it's the CPU because I've tried reseating twice now. I might try putting my old 3570k back in just to be 100% sure though.

I'm probably gonna try updating the BIOS as well but I don't know if that's gonna help considering the Socket was just working yesterday but its worth a try.
 
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Jaster_1

Jaster_1

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I could only see one bios update. The updating will 100% reset the bios so worth a shot if it's clinging to some older spd info from the 8gb module for some reason. Seen that happen alot of gigabyte boards due to the dual bios but never on an evga board. Worth a shot. Let us know how you get on.
 
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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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Well, it seems I may have tickered one too many times because now I'm unable to boot at all indicating that neither port is working, which seems too bad to be true (I've never heard of case where both RAM slots stop working) I'm kinda at a loss for words right now.
 
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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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I concluded that I MUST be doing something wrong as both memory sockets couldn't just give way in the space of a day. I decided to take my PC into my local shop to get a second opinion on it to see if I missed anything. If it turns out they are busted, I'll have to get a new board (my warranty is up) but hopefully it doesn't come down to that. Fingers crossed I guess.
 
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Way2much

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Dec 4, 2012
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Yeah, sucks that I had to give up a 120 bucks but it had to be done I guess lol.
 
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