Z87 GD65 Error 55...

[Sicarius]

Hi all, so I have had my new system for a while now. About 3 months and all has been good (apart from the noise which will soon be fixed >.<). About a week or two ago I was playing Far Cry 3 using integrated GFX as I do, and it crashed. Nothing was responding so I hit my reset button and hoped all would be well, I was wrong. My MSI board's POST LED's were displaying 0,19,55 and cycling through while refusing to POST. This points to memory issues or bent CPU pins. Now, I tried both RAM sticks (dominator platinum 8GB(2x4gb) @1600) by themselves and it worked with one certain module. So I then try them both together in the other channel on my board and all worked fine... I then reset my board and tried it in the default channel and I have been working fine until today, when I really need to do my college assignments  <_< . My system refused to boot with the same error codes again, and would only boot with a certain module. After swapping them in and out, and mixing and matching it would only boot with one of the 4GB modules. I was in Windows for ~30mins and decided I'd reset the BIOS and try again. And yet again they both work together in the original channel they were in. Dafuq? Now, is it possible this is a CPU pin? Even after working FLAWLESSLEY for so long? Is this more likely to be my board by the sounds of things? Any suggested actions? I just ran Memtest for 1hr (1pass) to see if there were any immediate issues and all was fine... I may run it all night tonight with the stick that seems to be faulty...

 

MSI Z87-GD65 'Gaming' mobo

I7 4770K @ Stock

8GB (2 X4GB) Dominator Platinum 1600MHz

 

EDIT: Ran memtest again on the module that appeared to be possibly faulty for 1 hour (2 passes) and all is good. Going to try loosening my cooler as suggested by Big Stroonz and manually clocking my RAM tomorrow rather than XMP to see if it sill helps, but for now it has been booted for a few hours with both DIMMs in, doesn't make any sense... Again any help is REALLY appreciated.

[Legitsu]

your have three possiblitys

1. the ram is bad

2. the board is bad

3. the cpu is bad

2 and 3 sound like the most likely

[Sicarius]

your have three possiblitys

1. the ram is bad

2. the board is bad

3. the cpu is bad

Yeah I get that, which is why I posted here... I am trying to rule out the CPU as I have no thermal paste so I can't remove it to check for bad pins, the machine has ran fine for months so it can't really be the pins can it? As for the RAM, I'll be running memtest for 6 hours tomorrow while I am out for college; that should be enough to confirm if this is a memory issue. But I was hoping someone here had similar issues or any advice as to what to do?

 

How comes 2 & 3 sound most likely? I damn hope this is the RAM.

[Analog]

I had a similar problem back in the day and it turned out to be RAM issue. I used to swap the memory as you have done and the computer worked fine for a some time and then the problem comes up again. The thing with RAM is that soemtimes RAM sticks work fine by themselves, but when you populate the other dimm slots, they might not. This makes it very difficult to replicate and diagnose a potential problem. As you have Corsair RAM I would call them up, explain the problem and ask if they can RMA my current kit. 

[Sicarius]

I had a similar problem back in the day and it turned out to be RAM issue. I used to swap the memory as you have done and the computer worked fine for a some time and then the problem comes up again. The thing with RAM is that soemtimes RAM sticks work fine by themselves, but when you populate the other dimm slots, they might not. This makes it very difficult to replicate and diagnose a potential problem. As you have Corsair RAM I would call them up, explain the problem and ask if they can RMA my current kit.

I so hope you are right. But now my system boots with the module that was playing up earlier by itself, its almost as if my system is bipolar. Running me test for another hour or two. Random question does me test utilise the CPU at all? Just so I know for tomorrow weather to ramp up my fans while out. ..

[Sicarius]

Another thought, could resetting the CMOS help? 

[BiG StroOnZ]

Noticed you are using an H100i. I have experienced error code 55 on motherboards before when the waterblock/pump on the unit is too tight. Loosening up the screws in a diamond pattern, then re-tightening in a diamond patter only by hand seemed to always do the trick. Sometimes I had to swap out the ram slots in the process of doing this to get it to boot properly again.

 

Sometimes if your block is on too tight, it causes the motherboard to flex slightly which can cause the problem you describing. Ram working fine in single channel, but not working in dual channel.

[Sicarius]

Noticed you are using an H100i. I have experienced error code 55 on motherboards before when the waterblock/pump on the unit is too tight. Loosening up the screws in a diamond pattern, then re-tightening in a diamond patter only by hand seemed to always do the trick. Sometimes I had to swap out the ram slots in the process of doing this to get it to boot properly again.

 

Sometimes if your block is on too tight, it causes the motherboard to flex slightly which can cause the problem you describing. Ram working fine in single channel, but not working in dual channel.

Wow THAT is interesting, never would even think of that. My H100I has been a problem child since day one. Noise, Bricked unit. I'm going to attempt this in a while, I also read somewhere that someone had the same RAM as me and Corsair had wrote incorrect timings to the XMP profile or something, which caused issues so they clocked it manually to the correct speed rather than use XMP, may try this also... 

[BiG StroOnZ]

Wow THAT is interesting, never would even think of that. My H100I has been a problem child since day one. Noise, Bricked unit. I'm going to attempt this in a while, I also read somewhere that someone had the same RAM as me and Corsair had wrote incorrect timings to the XMP profile or something, which caused issues so they clocked it manually to the correct speed rather than use XMP, may try this also... 

 

Try manually entering the settings, but also make sure the voltages are correct (make sure XMP isn't overvolting the memory too)

[Sicarius]

Try manually entering the settings, but also make sure the voltages are correct (make sure XMP isn't overvolting the memory too)

Where would I find the appropriate voltage settings?>= Never OC'ed anything before

[BiG StroOnZ]

Where would I find the appropriate voltage settings?>= Never OC'ed anything before

 

Find these settings in the Bios and it's at the bottom:

 

[Sicarius]

Find these settings in the Bios and it's at the bottom:

 

Thanks, so I just check the voltage before resetting settings and applying correct speed and then re-apply this voltage right? My system is on atm all booted and fine, my block is quite tight, I checked yesterday when adding some new fans etc; the block won't even move at all so hoping it is that. Want to narrow this down before I do my custom loop.

[BiG StroOnZ]

Thanks, so I just check the voltage before resetting settings and applying correct speed and then re-apply this voltage right? My system is on atm all booted and fine, my block is quite tight, I checked yesterday when adding some new fans etc; the block won't even move at all so hoping it is that. Want to narrow this down before I do my custom loop.

 

After you reset settings and apply correct speed. At the same time make sure the voltage is set to what you says on your DIMS. 

 

So you are saying you loosened up the block and it booted fine?

[Sicarius]

After you reset settings and apply correct speed. At the same time make sure the voltage is set to what you says on your DIMS. 

 

So you are saying you loosened up the block and it booted fine?

I thought I updated the OP. My system now for some reason boots with both DIMMs with no issue, it did this a while back too and then randomly crashed and throws error 55 again, my system is running with both DIMMs for now but will most likely fail again and I'll need to re-seat them again etc. I am going to loosen the block tomorrow when back from college as while my system is running I need to get an assignment done ASAP. That's what confuses me, there is no set conditions that make the system fail, there are no set configs that won't work; it decides to crash when it feels like it (albeit only 3 times in a month or so) and then I need to re-seat the DIMMs and try and re-boot. That's why I can't understand how one moment it will only boot with one DIMM and now it is booting with two, makes no sense. 

[Legitsu]

could very well be the IMC on the cpu is giving out 

extremely rare but does happen

you aren't gonna know anything for sure until you start testing components in another machine 

at minimum you need to get some thermal paste and re-seat the cpu

[BiG StroOnZ]

I thought I updated the OP. My system now for some reason boots with both DIMMs with no issue, it did this a while back too and then randomly crashed and throws error 55 again, my system is running with both DIMMs for now but will most likely fail again and I'll need to re-seat them again etc. I am going to loosen the block tomorrow when back from college as while my system is running I need to get an assignment done ASAP. That's what confuses me, there is no set conditions that make the system fail, there are no set configs that won't work; it decides to crash when it feels like it (albeit only 3 times in a month or so) and then I need to re-seat the DIMMs and try and re-boot. That's why I can't understand how one moment it will only boot with one DIMM and now it is booting with two, makes no sense. 

 

You have to realize an over-tightened block on an H100 does some funky weird things.

[Sicarius]

could very well be the IMC on the cpu is giving out 

extremely rare but does happen

you aren't gonna know anything for sure until you start testing components in another machine 

at minimum you need to get some thermal paste and re-seat the cpu

 

I am ordering some Arctic silver now so I'll be doing this hopefully on Sunday. I personally suspect the board now but I'll be running memtest for 6 hours tomorrow while at work as I forgot to do it this morning.

You have to realize an over-tightened block on an H100 does some funky weird things.

Haha I'll be loosening it in about an hour, I'll let you know how it fares after that. Only thing that worries me is breaking the seal between my CPU and the TIM.

[BiG StroOnZ]

 

Only thing that worries me is breaking the seal between my CPU and the TIM.

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much, if it is the stock application that comes with the unit they put a decent amount on there. You shouldn't notice any temperature differences.

[Sicarius]

I wouldn't worry about it too much, if it is the stock application that comes with the unit they put a decent amount on there. You shouldn't notice any temperature differences.

Ok, cheers. A quick update that I think narrows it down to not being the CPU for sure; probs not the boardf either.

 

So I get home from college, turn my wall plug on, turn the PC on and again; error 55 and keeps re-booting. So I turn it off and remove the stick I thought what faulty from slot 3, (other dimm is in slot 1). All of a sudden, it all boots fine. I then remove the 'good' stick from slot 1 and replace it with the 'seemingly faulty' dimm and put into slot 1 where the 'good' stick was; refuses to boot with error 55; then I put the good dimm back in slot 1 and here I am in Windows... I am still going to try the cooler etc but I will probs be RMA'ing my RAM as well. Does this not sound like it is the RAM now? The board can't tell the difference between 2 DIMMs haha.

[BiG StroOnZ]

Ok, cheers. A quick update that I think narrows it down to not being the CPU for sure; probs not the boardf either.

 

So I get home from college, turn my wall plug on, turn the PC on and again; error 55 and keeps re-booting. So I turn it off and remove the stick I thought what faulty from slot 3, (other dimm is in slot 1). All of a sudden, it all boots fine. I then remove the 'good' stick from slot 1 and replace it with the 'seemingly faulty' dimm and put into slot 1 where the 'good' stick was; refuses to boot with error 55; then I put the good dimm back in slot 1 and here I am in Windows... I am still going to try the cooler etc but I will probs be RMA'ing my RAM as well. Does this not sound like it is the RAM now? The board can't tell the difference between 2 DIMMs haha.

 

You know it's not the sticks if they work fine on their own in single channel. I would get to loosening your block up and see where that takes you before you try to come to anymore conclusions.

[ProKoN]

I messed up pins on my z87 mpower max. I get the same thing when trying to run dual channel memory. I'm guessing the pins I fubared are for the imc. Double check your socket for bent pins. I can still run single channel in slot 1 and 2 with two sticks. If I try installing a dimm in slot 3 or 4 I get the 55 error as well.

[Sicarius]

You know it's not the sticks if they work fine on their own in single channel. I would get to loosening your block up and see where that takes you before you try to come to anymore conclusions.

Right I loosened my cooler and also made sure my standoff screws are not tight and then tried to boot with both sticks. A wild Error 55 appears. Luckily I found some old ddr3 ram downstairs, 4 sticks of it. So here is a video shoeing my errors. In my first video at the end I sort of fail because Iput the 'good' stick in expecting it to boot but it doesn't. I mixed the sticks up so that was the bad stick, once I figured it out I start video 2. I'll explain more in detail if needed when back from shop. Hop someone can help me here :\

Ram part 1: http://youtu.be/RE0OKSiZkm8

Ram 2: http://youtu.be/ooRzxlBPnsQ

Also sorry for robotic voice. Gota cold-.-

[Sicarius]

I messed up pins on my z87 mpower max. I get the same thing when trying to run dual channel memory. I'm guessing the pins I fubared are for the imc. Double check your socket for bent pins. I can still run single channel in slot 1 and 2 with two sticks. If I try installing a dimm in slot 3 or 4 I get the 55 error as well.

Ah don't say that haha. As I posted above I can get 2 sticks to work of old RAM, just the 2 new ones won't work and only one works in single channel, the other new stick only works if it wants to... Praying this is the RAM, can't even get both sticks to load so I can run memtest now...

[BiG StroOnZ]

Ah don't say that haha. As I posted above I can get 2 sticks to work of old RAM, just the 2 new ones won't work and only one works in single channel, the other new stick only works if it wants to... Praying this is the RAM, can't even get both sticks to load so I can run memtest now...

 

Okay well if you run memtest and it reports no errors on either sticks. Did you check to see if it's applying the correct DRAM voltage? I would put it one stick that you know is working. Make sure all the settings and timings are correct. Make sure the DRAM voltage is correct. Then attempt to try to run it in dual channel mode. Also try different slots. It appeared in the above video that you tried putting them in the same configuration, Like slots "2 and 4" try "1 and 3"

[Sicarius]

Okay well if you run memtest and it reports no errors on either sticks. Did you check to see if it's applying the correct DRAM voltage? I would put it one stick that you know is working. Make sure all the settings and timings are correct. Make sure the DRAM voltage is correct. Then attempt to try to run it in dual channel mode. Also try different slots. It appeared in the above video that you tried putting them in the same configuration, Like slots "2 and 4" try "1 and 3"

I can't even get the 2 dominators to boot together and the see!singly bad stick will not boot by itself as opposed to the seemingly good stick which I am Using right now. But the 2 old dimms boot togetherfine.hence why my hopes are high for it being the seemingly bad module. I'm going to reset my BIOS now so it will run the ram at default settings albeit under clocked to 1333MHz