Best Way to Replace RAM - RMA? (Resolved)

[Roger Wilco]

I recently purchased a kit of 8x2 16GB G Skill DDR4 3200 mhz (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015FXXBW0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

After a lot of troubleshooting, only one stick works. What is the best way to RMA this? Should I ask Amazon to perform an RMA, or should I contact G Skill?

Is there any way they will send me a backup kit, so I can still run my system while they fix their broken product?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Go through Amazon first. There is No chance they'll send you a back up kit.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Would it be possible to buy a new kit, install it, and then return this one? Or will Amazon have to verify that the current kit is faulty to issue a refund?

I'm trying to stay "up and running" throughout the process, so I wasn't sure if there was a way to circumvent downtime...

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Would it be possible to buy a new kit, install it, and then return this one? Or will Amazon have to verify that the current kit is faulty to issue a refund?

I'm trying to stay "up and running" throughout the process, so I wasn't sure if there was a way to circumvent downtime...

Avoid buying a kit just to return it. That's saddling Amazon with the burden of the bad product, and that's not their fault. It's a douche move. If you want to stay "up and running" you gotta get memory from companies that issue Advanced RMAs like Kingston or Crucial.

Either way, go through your standard return channels. If you're within the grace period, contact Amazon. They will often send you a replacement product in advance and provide you a label for return. You'll have a grace period with the label, so just wait for your replacement sticks to arrive, do the swap, and ship the other ones back.

If they won't send you a replacement, then you'll have to wait it out, but Amazon RMAs are usually very fast. I doubt you'd be put out more than a couple of days.

 

[sdifox]

Do an exchange through amazon, they will cross ship. So they ship you replacement then you have a month to return the defective one.

I am not certain if it is a prime benefit though.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Thanks for your help everyone. I talked to Amazon and got things worked out.

The new sticks work, but only in single channel configuration. I'm going to remount the cpu and do some troubleshooting with the motherboard.

 

[UsandThem]

Thanks for your help everyone. I talked to Amazon and got things worked out.

The new sticks work, but only in single channel configuration. I'm going to remount the cpu and do some troubleshooting with the motherboard.

Is the RAM you purchased on your motherboard's QVL or certified by G Skill to work properly with your motherboard?

https://www.gskill.com/en/configurator

For example, there are no 8GB DDR4 3200 modules from G Skill that are certified to work with my motherboard. If I wanted to use their memory at those speeds, I'd have to go with their 4GB modules.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Yeah, I checked the compatibility on MSI's website for the Z270 Mortar. Am I missing something here?

My first kit was:

G.SKILL 16GB (2 x 8GB) Ripjaws V Series DDR4 PC4-25600 3200MHz Desktop Memory Model F4-3200C16D-16GVKB

Only one stick worked. With the second stick installed, the system would not boot, and the RAM error LED would flash. The same would happen if I installed the second stick by itself. In some configurations, the CPU error LED would flash concurrently with the RAM error LED.​

My second kit is:

Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15 Desktop Memory Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2B3000C15)

Both sticks work in either DIMMA1 and DIMMA2 (Channel A) as single channel RAM. However, neither of them currently work in DIMMB1 or DIMMB2 (Channel B) when I have the other still installed in DIMMA1 or DIMMA2. I have tried all of the configurations here as well.
​

I tried underclocking the sticks, but no luck there. I haven't touched the voltages or timings, because I'm not well versed on memory tweaking.
Also, there were a few times where the system would only boot if the CPU fan was plugged in.

Will single channel RAM create a significant bottleneck, or is the benefit for gaming almost negligible?

 

[UsandThem]

​

I tried underclocking the sticks, but no luck there. I haven't touched the voltages or timings, because I'm not well versed on memory tweaking.
Also, there were a few times where the system would only boot if the CPU fan was plugged in.

Will single channel RAM create a significant bottleneck, or is the benefit for gaming almost negligible?

You'll lose some performance, but it will vary depending on task/program.

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/1349-ram-how-dual-channel-works-vs-single-channel/Page-3

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/748291-ram-single-vs-dual-channel/

Are you running the latest BIOS version? MSI released three separate updates this year, and they list RAM compatibility as one of the fixes.

Outside of that, you could have an issue with your motherboard. The RAM you listed was certified to work properly with your board.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I finally got both sticks to work in dual channel. I remounted the CPU twice and also fidgeted with a few socket pins that weren't perfectly aligned. Whatever I did seemed to work

Thanks for your help.