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Computer randomly crashing with new ram

psyck0psyck0 Registered User regular
in Help / Advice Forum
Hi guys,

Upgraded my ram about a month back from 4g to 8g. Ever since, computer randomly crashes, mostly while gaming. Totally unpredictable. I've run the stock RAM test with windows and detected zero problems. Checked all the connections, reinserted about 3x. Never get any sort of useful error message. Mostly the game just crashes to desktop but somethings the whole computer just dies without BSOD or anything. What else can I do? I don't know for 100% that it is the RAM but this started right after I changed it and that's the only big change I've made.

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Posts

  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    Run it on some smaller subsection of the ram? If you have only one stick that's an issue but if you have two run it with only one of them and see if it continues. Swap in the old ram and see if it's still a problem?

    When I had an issue with a bad stick of ram the ram tests didn't really catch it but it was definitely the ram.

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  • Kane Red RobeKane Red Robe Master of Magic ArcanusRegistered User regular
    edited July 2015
    If it's a random crash that's happening after a ram upgrade it's like 99% a bad stick of ram. Definitely follow DA's advice there and look into a return when you figure out which stick has a bad segment.

    Kane Red Robe on
  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    You try making a bootcd/bootusb with Memtest on it, and run it for several passes. It won't always trigger whatever causes problems, but usually if there's something wrong with a stick, it will throw up an error or 2 over the course of a 2 or 3 passes. This will take usually about 8 hours, so you can run it overnight or whatever. Even if it just has a single error when you're done, that's a sign you should toss out that RAM. Though you can try doing single sticks to see if one can be saved as @DevoutlyApathetic said. Sometimes it's even a particular RAM slot, so you have a 2x2 layout on your board, try moving the sticks to the other pair.

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  • RiboflavinRiboflavin Registered User regular
    You are running a 64bit OS?

  • EchoEcho ski-bap ba-dapModerator, Administrator admin
    Did you replace old memory sticks with new memory sticks, or are you running old + new sticks?

    I had some weird-ass problem when I slapped another 8 gigs into my computer - it wouldn't boot when I just added the two new sticks into the second pair of slots. When I switched places so the new sticks are in the slots the old sticks were in... it worked.

  • VeeveeVeevee WisconsinRegistered User regular
    Could also be a power issue, where the new sticks are just overloading a small and/or bad PSU. Check to make sure the PSU can handle the upgraded RAM, but my money would be on one of the new sticks having an issue and needing to be replaced.

  • ViperFujaxViperFujax Registered User regular
    edited July 2015
    motherboard may be something to think about. I had computer problems years ago and tested every piece of hardware and took forever to think about the motherboard causing the actual problems and not the pieces on it

    but it sounds like bad sticks of RAM

    ViperFujax on
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