I'm using an RTX 3060 12GB, an i5-11400F, and 8GB of DDR4-2600 memory in an ASUS PRIME H510M-A motherboard. One of the two RAM slots works, but the other does not detect any memory. I tested several RAM sticks individually and together, and the same slot consistently fails.
Could the slot have been damaged, or could the CPU cooler be mounted too tightly and affecting the socket contacts? Would resetting the CMOS help? This is a used PC I bought without a warranty, so I'd prefer to troubleshoot it fully before replacing the motherboard.
Also, I get around 120–170 FPS in Overwatch on low settings. Is that expected for this hardware, or should I be getting more performance?
3 Answers
Resetting the CMOS is safe and worth trying, but it usually won’t fix a slot that fails with every memory stick. Power the system off, remove the battery or use the clear-CMOS procedure, then test one stick at a time in the working and non-working slots. Also try loosening the cooler slightly and reseating the CPU, since excessive mounting pressure can flex the board and interfere with socket contact.
120–170 FPS in Overwatch is believable with an RTX 3060 and i5-11400F, especially with only 8GB of DDR4 running in single-channel mode. Adding a matching second stick and getting dual-channel memory should improve frame-rate consistency and may raise average FPS. Check GPU and CPU usage while playing before judging whether the performance is unusually low.
If multiple known-good RAM sticks all fail in the same slot, the motherboard slot or the CPU’s memory-channel connection is probably the problem. Since this board only has two slots, running with one stick leaves you in single-channel mode and can reduce performance. Before replacing the board, reseat the CPU, inspect the socket for bent pins, and check that the cooler isn’t overtightened. If everything looks fine, replacing the motherboard is likely the practical fix.
The CPU socket is worth checking because the memory channels are connected through the socket. A slightly bent pin or poor CPU contact can make one RAM slot appear dead even when the slot itself is fine.