Does this sound like a faulty RAM stick?

[funkyiguana]

Hi there,

Long time reader, first time poster with what is probably a stupidly simple question.

I recently built a new system:

- i5 2500k
- Asus P8Z68 V-LX
- Corsair XMS3 1600 DDR3 (2x4GB)

The system ran smoothly for about a week then I got two BSODs in a short space of time. I've ran Memtest86+ with the following results:

BOTH STICKS IN
- fails with 10240 errors within the first minute

STICK 1 IN ITSELF (any slot)
- no errors after twenty minutes

STICK 2 IN ITSELF (any slot)
- fails with 10240 errors within the first minute

At the risk of asking the obvious, does it sound like stick 2 is faulty? Or could BIOS settings/something else cause it to fail with the same number of errors (at the same addresses) each time, regardless of slot used?

Thanks in advance for any help (bit of a newbie to all this!).

 

[funkyiguana]

Thank you both for your suggestions - much appreciated.

The speed and timings had been correctly set in the BIOS.

As the RAM was rated at 1.65v, I tried the two sticks again (together and then individually) at 1.65v, 1.50v, 1.55v and Auto. In all four, the results were identical to those in the OP (Stick #1 flew through Memtest86+ without an error, Stick #2 failed with 10240 errors within the first minute - all (seemingly) at the same address).

Do you think I can safely assume it's a faulty stick now?

Thanks again.

 

[funkyiguana]

I think you can say you have a faulty stick.

Brilliant - thanks again for your help.