RAM issues

Hey guys,

Of course I've got a problem.

A week ago, my old GPU bit the dust, so I picked up a GT 440 with 2GB DDR3. Grabbed an extra 8 GB of DDR3 RAM at 1600 MHz
too.

Here’s the deal. Every time I boot up, it hits the "Starting Windows" screen and just freezes. Then the whole thing resets and starts the loop all over again. Sometimes, right before it crashes, I get hit with a Blue Screen that says "dumping physical Memory..."

I figured out a weird workaround—if I jump into the BIOS first, poke around for a second, and then exit without changing anything, Windows actually boots fine.

I installed Windows 7 64-bit when I put the new sticks in. Now I'm sitting at 12 GB total. One stick is 4 GB but runs at 1333MHz.

My motherboard is an old LGA 1156 model and doesn't support 1600MHz, so both sticks are running at 1333.

Any idea how to fix this mess? I haven't touched any voltage or latency settings in the BIOS. Honestly, I have no clue what my power supply wattage even is, so maybe that's part of it...

P.S. I had the exact same headache when I tested the system with just the new RAM (so 8GB without that 4GB stick)

Try a CMOS reset. Might do the trick. There's also a slim chance your motherboard battery is just dying...

So, if I’m following you correctly, you're dealing with two different types of RAM on your motherboard. From what I recall, mixing them can cause all sorts of headaches on certain boards, though that doesn't necessarily mean yours is one of those problematic models. Generally speaking, the golden rule is to stick to identical memory modules. Just try popping one type of RAM into the board by itself and let me know if the glitch persists. If it’s still acting up, then we can start looking at other options.

Also, it might be worth digging through the motherboard manual; there could be some specific details tucked away in there regarding memory compatibility.

Steven Hayes26 said:So, if I’m getting this right, you’ve got two different types of RAM on the motherboard. From what I remember, that can cause headaches on certain boards—doesn't mean yours is one of them, though. It's always better to stick to the same type. Just try popping one type of RAM in there by itself and let me know if it still acts up. If it does, we'll figure out the next step.

And yeah, check the motherboard manual. There might be some useful info in there about memory compatibility.

First off, I already tried resetting the CMOS. Total waste of time, nothing changed. It’s still doing the exact same thing. It even blue-screened on me last night while I was just watching a movie. Finished the movie, hit ESC, and boom... Blue Screen of Death. Absolute joke.

Kate Martin3, the first thing I tried was using just that 8GB stick because I figured mixing them would be a mess, but even with just that one, it kept crashing. I didn't even touch the second stick until I realized the first one wouldn't run at 1600MHz, so I thought I'd give it a shot and use both.

Now I'm stuck with basically one option: test it with my old 4GB 1333MHz stick just to prove once and for all that this new RAM is the culprit. Then I'll have to deal with the fallout... somehow.

Thanks for the help. If anyone else has any bright ideas, throw 'em my way...

You didn't mention which motherboard you're using.
That 8GB module is likely perfectly fine, but since you're working with an older LGA 1156 socket, your board probably caps out at 4GB per slot—meaning a 16GB max if you have four slots available. I'd recommend checking the manufacturer's website to see if there's a BIOS update available or if that specific module is even compatible. It probably isn't, though.

dustybadger902 said:You didn't even say which motherboard you're using.
That 8GB stick is probably fine, but since you're running an old LGA 1156 socket, your board likely tops out at 4GB per slot—maybe 16GB total if you've got four slots. Go check the manufacturer's site to see if there's a BIOS update or if it can even handle that module (probably not).

Problem solved. aka47 was right. I totally missed checking if the board could actually take a single 8GB module before I bought it. Just swapped it out for 2x4GB sticks. Thanks for the help!