BSOD 2 RAM Stick

[vinid223]

Hello all,

 

I hope someone will find a fix for this frustrating problem.

 

Long story short, I've just bought a new Motherboard+CPU+RAM since I wanted to upgrade my PC.

Here are the part list:

Motherboard Asus Z390-A: https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119152

CPU I7-8700k : https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117827

Ram G.Skill Value Series DDR4 2666 16Gb : https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232719

 

 

I've been able to install Windows without issue, installing drivers and all was good.

But when I do a cold boot (pc completely off) I always get a BSOD right in the rotating dots for the boot and goes into a boot loop since it can't boot Windows. The Diagnostic/Repairing boot of Windows does the same thing and can't do anything. The error message is always different, can't write to read-only memory, driver issue with wdf01000.sys, memory error, etc.

The only way I can boot on Windows is to boot on the BIOS, wait a few seconds and just click save and reset and now I can boot and everything is fine until I shutdown and start again.

 

I've tested multiple things. Here is what I did

• Reinstall Windows with a clean ISO and USB creator from Microsoft. Did not install any drivers and just did a cold reboot and BSOD
• Updated the BIOS to the latest version (0905) and trying a cold reboot and still the BSOD
• Unpluging every SATA drive except my NVME SSD and unpluging any USB devices except Keyboard. Still having a BSOD
• Running Windows Memory Diagnostic and it wasn't giving any issue.

The only thing that seemed to work was to remove one stick of RAM (doesn't care which). Windows boot just fine with one stick. The stick can be in any slot of the motherboard and it can be any of the 2 stick and it works. As soon as I put them together I get a blue screen on a cold boot.

 

When I boot after getting in the bios first, there is not any issue. I can play games, work and everything is fine.

 

I don't know what the problem is and it bugs me out. Is it a motherboard issue or a CPU one? The RAM looks all right since using only one at the time works and even together when doing to BIOS trick.

 

Can it be a BIOS setting I need to change? I am using all the default settings of the motherboard.

 

Thanks in advance.

[HXRT900]

We had a very similar issue with a cold boot, turned out to be the GPU and motherboard, very strange, only happened leaving the unit 12hours+

 

Do you have a spare GPU to test?

 

Hope this helps.

[vinid223]

Just now, HXRT900 said:

We had a very similar issue with a cold boot, turned out to be the GPU and motherboard, very strange, only happened leaving the unit 12hours+

 

Do you have a spare GPU to test?

 

Hope this helps.

I don't have a spare GPU. I can try to boot without mine.

For me I don't have to wait that long, I just shutdown the computer, wait for 5 seconds and press the power button and it does the BSOD.

[HXRT900]

That sounds like a voltage problem, I would very slightly increase the voltage on each component.

 

Grab the base voltages from CPU-Z.

[vinid223]

So quick update, doesn't change anything having the GPU removed. Still the BSOD on cold boot.

 

8 minutes ago, HXRT900 said:

That sounds like a voltage problem, I would very slightly increase the voltage on each component.

 

Grab the base voltages from CPU-Z.

What voltage should I change? Memory? CPU?

[SpookyCitrus]

Download Bluescreenview and run it, see what it gives you for the reason the bluescreen is happening, i.e. error code or which system process is causing it see if any of them are the same. Since it says a different one every time, it makes me think it could be a bios option causing it, maybe try disabling CSM, and changing boot compatibility to Windows UEFI if it is on Other OS. Also make sure the NVME drive is in an actual NVME compatible slot and it's not a Sata M.2 slot. If I remember correctly ASUS motherboards have an NVME slot and a Sata M.2 slot and if the NVME is in the Sata only m.2 slot it either won't work or will have boot issues.

[vinid223]

3 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

Download Bluescreenview and run it, see what it gives you for the reason the bluescreen is happening, i.e. error code or which system process is causing it see if any of them are the same. Since it says a different one every time, it makes me think it could be a bios option causing it, maybe try disabling CSM, and changing boot compatibility to Windows UEFI if it is on Other OS. Also make sure the NVME drive is in an actual NVME compatible slot and it's not a Sata M.2 slot. If I remember correctly ASUS motherboards have an NVME slot and a Sata M.2 slot and if the NVME is in the Sata only m.2 slot it either won't work or will have boot issues.

I've downloaded Bluescreenview and it doesn't find any minidump files (the folder is empty). I tried to disable CSM but on boot the BIOS reset it to enabled. Changing Boot compatibility to Windows UEFI or not doesn't change anything.

The SSD I have is this one https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147689

After reading everything it is compatible with the motherboard.

 

Still doesn't explain why only one memory stick work but not both of them

[SpookyCitrus]

2 minutes ago, vinid223 said:

Still doesn't explain why only one memory stick work but not both of them

Were the two bought as a kit or seperate?

[vinid223]

5 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

Were the two bought as a kit or seperate?

They are a Kit. There is the link in the top of my post.

[vinid223]

7 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

Were the two bought as a kit or seperate?

I can see your config under your posts, did you have to change any settings to make everything work? I have the same CPU as you and the z390-A

[SpookyCitrus]

Just now, vinid223 said:

I can see your config under your posts, did you have to change any settings to make everything work? I have the same CPU as you and the z390-A

No mine worked fine from day one, I tweaked my bios settings though, disabled CSM, disabled fast boot, set it to Windows UEFI, I'm also running a 5ghz OC and have my ram on XMP II. If it's possible for you to try another ram kit I think that would be the next step. If you can run either ram stick separately in any slot with no issue then it must be a problem with them working together, I'd try a different kit if possible and see if it still does it.

[vinid223]

22 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

No mine worked fine from day one, I tweaked my bios settings though, disabled CSM, disabled fast boot, set it to Windows UEFI, I'm also running a 5ghz OC and have my ram on XMP II. If it's possible for you to try another ram kit I think that would be the next step. If you can run either ram stick separately in any slot with no issue then it must be a problem with them working together, I'd try a different kit if possible and see if it still does it.

I'm supposed to receive a new RAM kit this week. Since I first though it was a RAM issue. But I started to doubt when both stick works separately or together if I go in BIOS first and wait a few seconds.

 

Asus support just told me to clear the CMOS, but that didn't help. 

 

I tried to disable CSM, but on every boot the BIOS re-enable it. I don't know if this can cause the issue. I also don't have any XMP profiles showing up in the BIOS.

 

Thanks for your help. I will get you updated. Finger crossed it is just a bad memory kit not a bad motherboard.

[vinid223]

I know I am really late, but I want to make an update. The new Ram Kit works great. It seams it was a compatibility issue between the ram and the motherboard. 

 

Thanks to you all for the help you provided.