Why does my PC bluescreen & RAM slots not work?

[jamiewilliams31797]

I regularly receive bluescreen errors. I've done a virus scan, updated drivers, done an sfc /scannow, memory diagnostic and even done a clean install of windows. Also my computer only starts if my RAM is in the slots: 1&2 even though my motherboard manual recommends 2&4 if that has anything to do with it?

Some bluescreens I've experienced:
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
INTERRUPT_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

 

[Ralston18]

First:

Try with the RAM in the recommended slots.

Failing then - Second:

Take a look at Reliability History.

You should find some relevant errors codes and warnings occuring just before or at the time of the BSODs.

And please post your system specs.

 

[jamiewilliams31797]

First:

Try with the RAM in the recommended slots.

Failing then - Second:

Take a look at Reliability History.

You should find some relevant errors codes and warnings occuring just before or at the time of the BSODs.

And please post your system specs.

My RAM slots 3 and 4 don't work atall.
Intel i5 4690k
DDR3 8GB RAM
AMD R9 380

 

[Ralston18]

This: "
My RAM slots 3 and 4 don't work atall."

Are you able to provide more details? E.g., make and model motherboard, the installed memory card specifications, etc..

Do you know if memory slots 3 & 4 ever worked or anything about the events that occurred when memory slots 3 & 4 stopped working?

 

[jamiewilliams31797]

This: "
My RAM slots 3 and 4 don't work atall."

Are you able to provide more details? E.g., make and model motherboard, the installed memory card specifications, etc..

Do you know if memory slots 3 & 4 ever worked or anything about the events that occurred when memory slots 3 & 4 stopped working?

I believe they've never seemed to work. My RAM is some old DDR3 4gb sticks (not sure which) and a MSI Z97 Gaming 5 motherboard

 

[Peter Martin]

You said it recommended 2 and 4. Was that a typo?

 

[jamiewilliams31797]

You said it recommended 2 and 4. Was that a typo?

The motherboard manual recommends slots 2 & 4 but both my 3 and 4 slots don't work atall so I have to use slots 1&2

 

[Peter Martin]

so you have motherboard issues. if they want 1&3 and 2&4 then you won't get max performance.

 

[Ralston18]

Does the following link present your motherboard?

https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/Z97-GAMING-7/Specification

Found this Page also:

http://www.manualsdir.com/manuals/466990/msi-z97-gaming-5-ac-manual-z97-gaming-5.html?page=29

Please provide the full specs for your memory modules. Someone may spot a mismatch.

 

[jamiewilliams31797]

Does the following link present your motherboard?

https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/Z97-GAMING-7/Specification

Found this Page also:

http://www.manualsdir.com/manuals/466990/msi-z97-gaming-5-ac-manual-z97-gaming-5.html?page=29

Please provide the full specs for your memory modules. Someone may spot a mismatch.

That motherboard is pretty much mine except mines the Z97 Gaming 5 not the Gaming 7.

RAM: 2x Spectek 4GB DDR3 - 1600 CLII UDIMM

 

[Ralston18]

Go to the following link within this Forum:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3605683/udimm-dimm-matter.html

I did a compatibility check and if I correctly identified everything then your Memory modules seem to be compatible.

Reference:

http://eu.crucial.com/eur/en/z97-gaming-5/CT5862272

Do doublecheck the mother and memory module specs.

However, if slot #4 never worked at all that is a flag against the motherboard if anything at all.

 

[jamiewilliams31797]

Go to the following link within this Forum:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3605683/udimm-dimm-matter.html

I did a compatibility check and if I correctly identified everything then your Memory modules seem to be compatible.

Reference:

http://eu.crucial.com/eur/en/z97-gaming-5/CT5862272

Do doublecheck the mother and memory module specs.

However, if slot #4 never worked at all that is a flag against the motherboard if anything at all.

Yes, they're definitely the correct RAM and motherboard specs. So you think it's just a motherboard issue and has been all along? Probably makes sense seeing as I've done memory diagnostics and it's been fine too.

I'm not sure if this has any relevance or you know anything about this but I've also been receiving regular bluescreen errors since I built this PC too. They're very random and quite often different error codes, some of which are:
SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (wdf01000.sys & Ndu.sys)
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (dxgmms.sys)
INTERRUPT_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
BAD_POOL_CALLER
SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION (win32kfull.sys)

I've been trying to fix these for the past few days and had no luck. I've: updated windows, updated drivers, virus scan, malware scan, memory diagnostic and a sfc scan and still hasn't helped. I even paid for Microsoft support to help me and they couldn't fix the issue. I'm thinking maybe it's also a motherboard issue but I'm not sure. Wish I could just know what was the issue and I would just replace the hardware or whatever needs doing... :/

 

[Ralston18]

With respect to the other BSOD's and varying errors I tend to suspect the PSU.

Reliability History may provide some additional insight especially if you can identify specific error codes and warnings that correspond to the BSODs. Any errors just before or at the time of the BSOD are key.

Event Viewer can also provide useful information. Just somewhat more cumbersome than Reliability History.

Here is a link from within this Forum to get you started. Do give Event Viewer a few minutes - it may report "no data" but it is really out looking for errors.

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-3128616/windows-event-viewer.html