Need help checking ram before I RMA

dazftw

Ok so today just while browsing boards here my pc froze up and started making scratching noises and my screen went fuzzy.. I turned it off by holding in the power button and then it wouldn't boot up

So I opened her up and took out all the ram and tried one stick.. it worked! second it worked! Third didn't! Fourth did! So im left with three sticks fine ill RMA them they have lifetime warranty! So I emailed OCZ.. fine I can rma it but ive got to send the 2 sticks in the dual channel!

Then out of no where 2 more sticks stop working I got the same problems and had some trouble building outside the case etc etc to fix it..

Now only one stick works! The other 3 would not work by themselves or paired with the one working one.. Ive reset cmos and the jumpers still no joy so ive 1 good stick and 3 bad.. and I don't feel like sending them all back and having no computer for a couple of weeks.. is there anyone on here that wouldn't mind trying these for me just before I post them off just to make sure its not my mobo? When I get a reply tomorrow from OCZ ill ask can I send 2 and when there sent back can I send the other 2 see what they say..

Just incase I cant if they think im trying to rip them off or something, id say id ask on here..


Anyone help?

SeanW

Sounds like dodgy RAM alright, I had similar problems with my OCZ RAM, when I first built this machine, I had problems with system freezes ( both temporary and irrecoverable), display corruption, system crashes etc but when I put the RAM into another configuration it all worked perfectly.

Then I upgraded to an nForce board and all the problems I had at first build time came back 10 times worse figured it was a RAM problem but Memtest showed nothing wrong.

Finally I decided to try each stick on its own - the system worked perfectly with one but was almost totally non functional with the other so I ****ed it all back to the retailer.

Though a mobo or PSU problem might also be a factor in your situation - that 2 other sticks worked initially but then packed in sounds worrying. Go into your BIOS and make sure your RAM is not being run out of spec.
Please post the make and model of your mainboard and PSU, for the latter I hope you're not using some crap like Q-Tek or NorthQ.

I'm not 100% that RAM is your only problem.

What kind of "scratching noise" are you getting? Is the sound on your PC (like whatever music you're playing) being distorted? Or is there a scratching noise coming from the PC itself?

It sounds like you bought 4 sticks of RAM in 2 packages, if that's the case return the package with the 2 dead sticks first, get those replaced (preferably with a better RAM brand like Crucial) then return the package with the one good stick.

awhir

well its not defintly not dodgy ram.maby the 680i horror is back and its killing ram again .
I would put this on ur mobo ( may be just picky some days ! happens to my dfi all the time)

dazftw

Yea the scratching noise was probably from my speakers now that I think about it.. Yea ill have to get someone to try it in theres if it works ill just get a new mobo..

dazftw

lol 2 more sticks went on me last night and only one worked.. very frustrated I was.. so I left it a 1GB and turned the pc to go to bed woke up this morning googled it a bit to get some info.. and decided to try again.. put one of the sticks back in set the voltage to 2.1 (2.2 before this happened) and presto she worked.. Its the mobo id say now! Ill get the other two checked in another computer and if they work.. Ill look for a new mobo in jan sales

SeanW

Hmm, yeah I figured it might have been a settings issue.

What voltage does the manufacturer specify for your RAM? If you we're unwittingly overvolting it, that might have helped destabilise the system.

Again, referring to manufacturer specifications, tweak the RAM settings in your BIOS, if your hardware isn't borked, you might be able to sort out the problems in there.

dazftw

Yea it was 2.35 by OCZ and I had it set to 2.2 and now 2.1 I want to try the other sticks but don't want to risk it you know..