Replacing RAM?

I have a problem... I believe one of my Corsair Dominator DDR2 800 sticks have failed.
As I've stated here: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1156698

So now I'm looking for a replacement while I can return it for a refund. (newegg)
How do newegg refunds work? I read a 15% restocking fee.. how much would I get refunded? - $323
Can I return it for a refund since one of the sticks is failed?

What's a good replacement for about the same price?

I'm looking at these, but if there's a 15% restocking fee.. I dunno.

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820148047

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820146563

Right now, the difference between the two isn't apparent.. except the price.

Anyone have any suggestion for one probably in the $260 - $300 range? One that's equal or better to my current ones?

Oh, and my current sticks are listed here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145168

Start by using Memtest to check your ram one stick at a time to figure out which one has failed. When you know for a fact that one of the sticks has failed, RMA it to either the manufacturer or Newegg. That way you dont have to worry about a restocking fee from returning it.

It freezes at boot when it displays the line EM64T CPU. I can't enter the bios or anything.

Sometimes it boots up with constant repeating short beeps and displays something talking about an error with keyboard or some other thing.

Sometimes it boots up and freezes at the EM64T CPU line. And on the motherboard, it freezes at the number 52. Quote, the manual:

Code: 52
Name: Memory Test
Description: Test all memory of memory above 1MB using Virtual 8086 mode, page mode and clear the memory.

One of the sticks just gives the computer one long, continuous beep.
The other gives what I've said above.

I think I'm going to go ahead and have it replaced.

Also.. could this be a problem with something else? The motherboard perhaps.

The motherboard perhaps.

Click to expand...

I think so. I say this based on the following assumptions, if any are not true then /shrug .

1) everything was working OK
2) memory voltage settings were reasonable (memory not abused)
3) Fails with either of the sticks installed individually.
4) Fails at factory default settings in bios and the machine would boot with that memory at defaults when first built.


Its rare that two sticks would die at the same time. Either the motherboard killed them (bad MB and memory) or motherboard is damaged/dying (bad MB).

It is possbile that both sticks went at the same time, but I would:

try the memory in another system
would not put any other memory in that board till you figured out what was going on.
see what Redbeard (Corsair rep) says

all pure speculation of course. Only other thing I can think of is some kind of surge in the power, either a spike in the AC or the computers power supply, is it on a surge protector ? Of course that just points to a damaged MB too. Aint computers fun ?

Yeah, everything was ok for about a week.
Mem voltage was left on default.

After a few more tests, both sticks give the same result. More like the same random results. Tested with each of the sticks individually.

I'm going to be quoting the EVGA 680i mobo's manual for the led codes.
And http://www.pchell.com/hardware/beepcodes.shtml for the bios beep codes.

First of all, whenever I moved a stick to another slot, it gave one of the random errors below:

1. Repeating short beeps - Power supply or system board problem
2. Continuous beep - Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem
3. No beep - Power supply or system board problem. (happened once) And the mobo led code: C1 - Memory Presence - Base memory detect

After one or more of those errors occured twice, it boots fine until... the line that says EM64T CPU displays on the screen.

It never gets passed led code 52, Memory Test - Test all memory of memory above 1MB using virtual 8086 mode, page mode and clear the memory.

A few times it even freezes on led code 50, USB init Initialize - USB controller

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One thing's apparent... in the random errors it gives, "system board" appeared in all of them.

And both sticks give the same error(s). The mobo can read both sticks fine because it shows 1GB of memory at boot.

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A little history behind the system.. http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1150005&highlight=680i

Before I got my Corsair hx520w psu, I used my old 420watt one and another 350watt one. Maybe this damaged the mobo a bit?

test memory in a differant system

RMA the board.

I don't have any other sytems to test it in.. I'll see if I have a friend who has a system I can test it in.

And... I've tested it a few times with both sticks in there, and another individually.

With both sticks, even after moving them both in different slots, first boot gives me a continuous beep. And led code freezes at C1, which as I stated before: "C1 - Memory Presence - Base memory detect."

Then second boot, it boots up and shows "EM64T CPU" and led code 52: "Memory Test - Test all memory of memory above 1MB using virtual 8086 mode, page mode and clear the memory." for a split second then reboots and gives the same result; boot to EM64T CPU and mem test for a split second and reboots again. A loop of reboots.

Gah, I just cant get past both sticks being bad, the odds are too high against it, I too think its the board.

Ya, definately test it in another motherboard.

Is it alright to test out the RAM in a PowerMac Quad? (The old PowerPC)

Lurk said:

Is it alright to test out the RAM in a PowerMac Quad? (The old PowerPC)

Click to expand...

I don't know the hardware for a Mac, so I can't answer that. But as your memory is DDR2, I'll have to take a guess and say no, it won't fit.

Yes, a friend of mine claimed his PowerMac Quad uses DDR2.

I've already placed a request for an RMA and got approved for cross shipping.

Anyway... what could've killed the motherboard?

duno if this will do anything.. but try flashing the bios (if you havent already).

try using the sticks again after flash.

Edit: Answered my own question..

Edit: Wrong user.

(I accidently posted from my friend's account, I'm posting from his laptop)

Alright, new motherboard came in, I've replaced the old one.

Same symptoms. It didn't do the trick. It didn't boot with either of the sticks. It didn't boot with both of the sticks. In fact, the same thing happens: it goes in a loop of rebooting when both sticks are in. It freezes at "52" or "Memory Test" with either stick or gives a random error.

One of them giving many short beeps and showing a screen. I can't exactly recall what it said, but I remember it saying it's either a keyboard error, drive a error. It also said something like BIOS Boot Rom Checksum error or something like that.

That being said, it's the ram now, right? I mean.. what else could it be? I definately hope it's not the CPU.

Edit: Also, if your conclusion is really the ram that's causing my problems, can you post a suggestion for ram preferrably in the $250-300 range? Something that would give equal or better performance than my current Corsair Dominator DDR2 800 PC2-6400 sticks. And preferrably Microns.