Is it just me? Multiple RAM failures...

#1: GeiL (2)x 512mb DDR-500 Golden Dragon sticks in Abit AG8. One failed. RMA'd and they're working again. Never overvolted or got above DDR-495 speeds on them.

#2: GeiL (2)x 256mb DDR-500 Golden Dragon sticks in Abit AG8. One failed, still have yet to RMA. Never overvolted or got above DDR-495 speeds on them.

#3: Corsair (2)x 1GB DDR2-800 CM2X1024-6400C4. Used for two years, no problems, then BAM! failed in a Gigabyte 965P-DQ6 (won't post), tried in an Asus Maximus Formula X38, failed, posted once, but not again (Swapped in/out single, BOTH STICKS!). G.Skill DDR2-1066 2Gbx2, works fine in both machines.

WTF? :shadedshu

Success!!! ONE lesson learned...

As I was writing the above... I was holding one of the sticks of Corsair memory just as the sun was shining through a window.

There on the contacts, a faint greenish patch of something on one stick. I broke out 91% rubbing alcohol, cloth and a pencil eraser. I cleaned the contacts and gently worked the eraser like a tooth-brush on all the contacts, both sticks.

Guess what? BOTH Corsair sticks are now working perfectly (for now).

I do recall... when I was retiring my old Koolance case & removing tubing, some coolant drops got slung around on the MB. Even though there was a thorough cleaning, some got left behind - that was last year!

So - before RMA'ing your memory, you might want to try the above!!!

i789 said:

so is it possible that the memory slots in your motherboard also need some cleaning???

Click to expand...

They probably do, but... the contacts on the memory are quite close together, so it wouldn't take much to short them. The contact pins in the memory slots are basically wires, and much futher apart, so a lot less likely. So far, no issues with the motherboard.