I have a Micro-Star B550M-A PRO motherboard. Currently, I have 8GB of RAM in one slot which works fine. I recently purchased a 16GB RAM module, but it seems like it isn't playing nice with my system. The new RAM has the Micron logo and a label that reads 'DDR4 16G 2666MHz DIMM PC4 21300 RAMPC78' but nothing else specific. When I try to boot with the new RAM installed, my system fails to pass POST and the screen stays black, even after waiting several minutes. I've run a handful of tests:
1. 8GB in slot 1 works fine.
2. 8GB in slot 2 also works fine.
3. New 16GB RAM in slot 2 with 8GB in slot 1 fails.
4. New 16GB RAM in slot 1 with 8GB in slot 2 fails.
5. 16GB RAM alone in either slot fails.
I've cleared the CMOS and checked the RAM installations, so I'm left uncertain. I suspect either the new RAM is incompatible with my motherboard or it's defective. Any advice?
3 Answers
Have you tried disabling XMP in the BIOS? Sometimes that can cause issues with new RAM sticks.
Maybe your defective RAM is a spy from North Korea and is sabotaging your setup. Just kidding—hopefully, it’s just a compatibility issue! But since you bought it from a trusted seller, that’s a good sign.
Haha, I appreciate the humor! But yes, we bought it locally from someone reputable. Just trying to figure out this RAM mystery.
Since all your tests with the 16GB RAM are failing, it sounds like it might be a bad stick. Ideally, you want your RAM to match. I’d suggest getting an 8GB stick that matches your current one or just buying a new matched set altogether.
Yeah, we're leaning towards that. The only downside is we don't have a way to test the new RAM in another PC to confirm.
Yes, we made sure that XMP is disabled. We also combed through the BIOS for any other related settings, but nothing seems to help. Our BIOS is from 2021, and everything else works fine with the original RAM.