Installed Ram Upgrade and smelled Burning.

ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 AMD 880G HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT55TFBGRBOX

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C9

Xion Supernova XON-800R14N 800 Watt Modular-Power Complies with ATX 12V and EPS 12V v2.91 - Retail

When all the above was in the system it was in working order. With no problems.
I recently added another 4 gigs of ram to the system....
the same exact ram type
(CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C9)

When i plugged it in, i noticed the monitor was taking too long to come on and i got close to the computer and smelled burning.
please assist, dont get me wrong i know a fair share about computers but simply adding ram makes no sense how that could happen.

Did you insert the RAM modules correctly? If you insert them backwards, one side will clip in, and the other will not. Sometimes people aren't careful and i've seen several "DIY upgrade" machines come in for service that have had ram inserted backwards. This destroys the RAM, as well as the motherboard in every case i've ever seen. Check that first.

wow, holy crap i just built this pc for christmas....
eff!!

Check your RAM slots and see if there is any physical damage to the slots or the modules themselves. If you did happen to insert one backwards, you'll see. Usually there will be burned traces on the RAM, and the socket will sometimes be melted around a couple pins torwards the end.

Welcome to the forums, Newcomer. Adding the RAM indeed should not cause the problem you've described; however, some motherboards aren't very sturdy. Adding RAM while the mobo is mounted in the case can sometimes cause problems related to the mobo flexing. It is best to think outside the box for the moment.

Disconnect all wiring, including CPU fan. Thoroughly check the surface of the mobo for any scorch marks. If none are found, remove the mobo from the case and check underneath. Also check the inside of the case for any scorch marks, as well. If no scorch marks are found, on the case or otherwise, check the edges of the mobo to see if any of the layers have lifted or bubbled. If no physical signs of damage can be found, thoroughly inspect the PSU for any signs of damage.

If mobo and PSU look ok, breadboard your system. As you begin the breadboarding, install one component at a time. Start with the CPU and heatsink/fan assembly. Allow a few seconds to lapse before proceeding, to ensure that the currently installed component(s) are not burning. As you continue to add parts, carefully inspect each to ensure that nothing is damaged on said part.

Here are some theories as to why something started burning:

1. Mobo flexed when RAM was being installed, thus causing a circuit to damage
2. RAM module(s) have unseen/unknown residue
3. DIMM slot(s) could have an open circuit
4. Voltage to DIMM slot(s) aren't being reisted properly
5. Wiring inside the case may have been accidentally dislodged, causing an open circuit.

thanks... i appreciate it.

true, well thanks for all the insight, its so hard to know where to start looking.
I definately greately appreciate, it i hope my dumb a$$ didnt ruin a system i just built... smh i just wanted to run photoshop.

my bad i deleted the other threads...

yeah the fourth ram slot was not pushed all the way in, according to the feedback i recieved from reading around the entire ram bank is dead...
there was no burning on the chips none of the plastic was melted, there was one lil slot next to the fourth ram slot with what appears to be exposed copper on the board itself.
Basically with out a new mother board i have no way of knowing if the ram is also dead.

Too much to read through, but if it were 'me' I would try my Lazy-Man's Breadboard: unscrew all of the MOBO & PCIe screws, pull the MOBO away from anything conductive and dangle supported by a towel. Use only 1 stick of RAM, and disconnect all but the VERY minimum including keyboard & mouse. Also, if the CPU Fan backplate isn't plastic/rubber and is metal to MOBO direct contact then that too can cause a short.

Use the power button to start/shutdown.

Good Luck!

edit: use your nose to track-down the smell, if it's from your PSU then disconnect it immediately and replace it. A bad PSU can toast anything it's connected to: MOBO, GPU, CPU, etc.

I'll bet he didn't smell smoke until he powered the system on though. Power in the caps won't burn traces off the board. A DIMM module inserted incorrectly, grounding Vcc pins and causing Vcc to jump to other signal and clock lines, will though.