What are the symptoms of memory controller failure?

[jimmy_lazers]

What are the symptoms of memory controller failure? Specifically a 939 athlon 64 3800.

 

[Solus]

Well, if the actual memory controller has failed then I wouldn't expect the motherboard to post, at least from one of the ram slots.

Failure iminent, hard to tell. BSOD's definately, though they're quite hard to diagnose without trial and error.

 

[DIABLO]

If it had failed it would'nt post if it was failing it woudl have the same sort of symptons of dieing ram i'd imagine. Random crashes in and out of window etc. Run a ram testing program such as memtest and see if it comes up with anything.

 

[gamesaregood]

I had an AM2 CPU which only worked with single channel memory, I expect this was a memory controller issue... Tried it with different Motherboard & Memory but it was always the same issue.

 

[Amonlym]

usually one or the other channel dies. depending on how mobo is wired up this should tell you:
try 1 stick in each slot. if all pass, try another in each slot. if all pass try 1+2, 1+3 and 1+4 combos. if all pass 2+3, 2+4 if all pass 3+4, if that passes - your problem isnt the imc. (or the mobo is wired up really wierdly)

 

[Jokester]

I would expect it to present itself as a RAM issue that's independant of the RAM that's actually used or just plain fail to boot.

 

[C64]

I would say that if 4 slots at once didn't post.

 

[matt100]

S939 boards didn't like 4 slots full at the best of times so I wouldn't say that was memory controller failure.

OP why are you asking? Probably easier to give symptoms of whats bothering you and get a diagnosis from there.

 

[esK`]

Isnt the 939's memory controller the cpu? Or was that what C2D introduced?

 

[Theguy]

to answer your question Esk, yea 939s had the memory controller onboard.
core 2s, do not, i7s do.