I recently discovered that one of my 8GB RAM sticks has a dead 3MB section, which is causing my computer to crash. After running memtest86, I identified that a specific stick, a Corsair model (cmk16gx4m2e3200c16) from a 2x8GB pair, is faulty. A replacement stick of the same speed and size (cmk8gx4m1e3200c16) costs around 82€. I typically use about 20+GB of RAM, so I still have 24GB available. I'm wondering what options I have. Is there any way to fix the faulty RAM, or am I pretty much out of luck? I'm hesitant to spend 80€ since I just upgraded to 32GB in 2024 at a lower cost.
4 Answers
Hey, that's a Corsair stick, right? They usually come with a lifetime warranty, so you might want to check if you can file an RMA and get a replacement for free.
Honestly, your best bet might just be to replace the faulty stick. It's annoying, but that seems to be the fix most people end up with.
If the RAM only seems faulty when using XMP/EXPO settings, you could try running them at JEDEC instead to see if that helps. Otherwise, if it’s truly dead, it might be time for a replacement.
Some systems allow you to block out bad RAM sections through BIOS, especially in certain laptop models. You could also test the RAM at a slower speed. Just a thought: at least your RAM was putting in work for something, even if it wasn't the best use of its life! 😂
Running the Windows memory test did help me for a while, but I’ll definitely try lowering the speeds and disabling XMP to see if that makes a difference.