Is my Abit IS7 bad, or my ram?

[sheriffhippo]

I just built a computer for my father and it doesn't work.

The motherboard is an ABIT IS7.

The ram is two sticks of Geil PC-3200 256meg.

Here are the symptoms:

-If I put one stick in DIMM 1, and the other stick in DIMM 3, the computer
will not boot. (No post beep, no alarm beeps, and no bios diplay. Just a
black screen).

-If either of the sticks is put in DIMM 1, the computer appears to function
normally, boots to Windows correctly, and passes all MemTest86 tests with no
errors.

-If the sticks are put into the board together, in DIMMS 1 & 2, Windows will
boot, yet crash with memory errors almost immedietly. Also, with the sticks
in DIMMS 1 & 2, MemTest86 shows many, many errors.


Is the motherboard bad, is it time for an RMA?

Could anything else be wrong?

I haven't altered the bios in any way, do I need to?

The CPU is a Pentium 4 2.8 ghz.

EDIT: (The computer will now sometimes boot if the sticks are in DIMMS 1 &
3, yet MemTest86 shows many errors, and Windows will not successfully boot.)

 

[ThreeDee]

sounds like an rma situation to me

 

[CanadianBacon221]

only way to verify if its the motherboard or if its the RAM is to try another pair of sticks in there, or try the existing pair in another motherboard.