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Possible dead RAM slot???

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Hello guys,

I am seeking advice on an issue I just discovered. On my i7 rig the center green RAM slot seems dead. I try one stick at a time and it won't boot when I try that slot. If I put two 2GB sticks in that slot and another slot it only picks up 2GB instead of 4GB.

However, what puzzles me is that Windows detects 6GB but only 3.99Gb are usable. If the RAM slot is dead, windows shouldn't pick up 6Gb right? The BIOS only detects 4GB at the boot screen. Any feedback guys?
 

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I would go with the BIOS number but gotta be explanation why Windows 7 is showing 6GB. And I would say that mem slot maybe not dead but damaged at least.
 
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check if one of the pins of your possibly defective RAM socket is present or bent. because i killed a ram slot once by bending one of the RAM socket pins [because i forced a ram stick in too hard]. also try troughfully cleaning the motherboard just in case and then setting BIOS to default.
 
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Hello guys,

I am seeking advice on an issue I just discovered. On my i7 rig the center green RAM slot seems dead. I try one stick at a time and it won't boot when I try that slot. If I put two 2GB sticks in that slot and another slot it only picks up 2GB instead of 4GB.

However, what puzzles me is that Windows detects 6GB but only 3.99Gb are usable. If the RAM slot is dead, windows shouldn't pick up 6Gb right? The BIOS only detects 4GB at the boot screen. Any feedback guys?

I had a dead stick of RAM (one side of chips pulled off) that was still recognised in Windows, just not usable.
Seems like your RAM slot is almost dead, yet just alive enough to read the chip on the RAM that advertises the size of the stick.
 
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Thanks for the feedback everyone.

I will inspect the slot and clean. If that don't work, I'll have to RMA.

What do you suggest cleaning the RAM slot with?
 
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Thanks for the feedback everyone.

I will inspect the slot and clean. If that don't work, I'll have to RMA.

What do you suggest cleaning the RAM slot with?

First try a can of compressed air, check if any pins are bent and if they are, see if you can carefully bend them back with a pair of tweezers or something.

I use a dart or a pin in really small spaces.

If no pins are bent and compressed air doesn't do the job, you might try some rubbing alcohol, but you might want to check if that affects the plastic first.

EDIT: shooting a high-res macro close-up picture might help spotting bent pins.
 
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Also try using an old tooth brush as a mini broom to clean the insides of the slots :)
 

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As well as compressed air, use isopropyl alcohol - it's fantastic at cleaning off any grease/oil or crap that gets stuck onto a connector. Even if it looks "clean", it may just about have enough invisible oil deposit on it to not work.
 
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Thanks guys. At work right now but when I get home I'll give it a shot and let you know.
 
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Bios update might help. You can try memtest too.
 
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Bios update might help. You can try memtest too.

This happened with other BiOS also, I thought it was just memory reserved for graphics card.

Not sure how memtest would help here though???
 
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Memtest might find the memory or find defects in the memory but I guess it is a problem with the slot.
 
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Yeah it's def. Slot issue.
 
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Well guys, I removed and inserted my CPU again, loosened/tightened cooler. Checked for bent pins in the socket. Everything is fine. Middle green slot just doesn't pick up RAM, but windows does.

so I have two sticks in the green slots (except for middle slot) and one stick in the first black slot by the CPU. Windows at first earlier today was detecting 6GB but only 4.45 GB useable. now it detects and uses all six. WTF????

 

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Sounds like that slot is intermittent.

I'm a little confused: Is it now seeing 6GB with one slot empty? :confused:

Surely, you mean that you have a stick in that dodgy slot and it's working normally at the moment?
 
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Sounds like that slot is intermittent.

I'm a little confused: Is it now seeing 6GB with one slot empty? :confused:

Surely, you mean that you have a stick in that dodgy slot and it's working normally at the moment?

Instead of having the sticks in slots 1,3,5. I have them 1,2,5. 3 doesn't pick up the RAM.

However I had tried 1,2,5 before and it would recognize all six GB's but only use 4.45. Now its the same setup configuration and it uses all six. :confused:
 
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