Find the bent pin!

[ant]

Some info,
MB: x58-ud3r

Hello, I recently noticed my computer was not using all the available ram. It was using 4/6. First thing I did was update to the latest bios but that just made things worse. Not only did I forget to record my oc settings, but after the update it took 5-10 minutes to boot because of the constant recovering lost dram message. Since the common cause for this type of issue is bent pins I removed my cpu and looked. I saw nothing. Everything looks fine. I am linking some of the pictures I think are okay hoping one of you will see something I'm not. Sadly, I'm not that good at taking pictures.

I'm still researching the other causes for this issue besides the pin.




Thanks!

[Acebmxer]

Re: Find the bent pin!

If everything was working fine until one day out of the blue it was missing ram and nothing was changed from when it saw all the ram I would suspect one two modules are failing. Try removing all ram try each stick 1 at a time then try adding them in one at a time. Could also be a bad slot.

another thing to try is clear bios and loading optimized defaults and see if it sees all the memory.

I personally did not look at every pic but the 2 i looked i couldn't see them LSD has got the eyes for it as he saw some bent in someone else post that i clearly could not see.

[wazza300]

Re: Find the bent pin!

i couldnt see any from those pics either,you need to test eack stick one by one,start with the first white ram slot from cpu socket,install just one stick and boot up pc it will boot into windows if alls well,then do the same for the other two sticks of ram,then repeat the test on the next white ram slot and so on untill you've tested all the slots and sticks

when it doesnt boot up and might say c1 error on the mb led clock if you have one,swap out the ram for another stick and if it boots up then you have a dead ram stick but if it wont boot up with any of the sticks installed into that specific slot then you have a dead or faulty ram slot or a broken copper trace from cpu socket to the ram slot which will be imprinted in the mb,sometimes an over tightened cpu heatsink will cause this or if any excessive pressure is applied to the mb when installing ram or heatsink for cpu ect,it can damage or break the copper traces inside the mb

another thing to try before doing all that above is to re-flash using current stable bios but makesure keep dmi pool data box is unticked and keep load optimized defaults box ticked before flashing,sometimes a hard crash can cause you to lose some ram when you re-boot

[ant]

Re: Find the bent pin!

I think this has been the issue since day one. I just never noticed =(

I have already tried different combinations and the computer will not boot with any stick in the middle white slot. I found another thread on here with the same issue and for that person it turned out to be the bent pin which I believe was found by LSD.

I'll do as you guys have suggested if no luck I will completely take apart my computer and inspect the motherboard much more carefully.

After looking at the socket I cant even begin to fathom how I would fix a pin. It even takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust when looking at the socket. Maybe I should also go see an optometrist. lol

Thanks again guys!

[wazza300]

Re: Find the bent pin!

you could just have a faulty middle white ram slot,try re-flashing bios but untick keep dmi pool data and load optimized defaults it might fix it

as for cpu pins i wouldnt attempt fixing yourself their so tiny and might break off,gigabyte will repair damaged cpu sockets in rma

[ant]

Re: Find the bent pin!

i just tried reflashing the bios and clearing the dmi data. I then loaded the optimize settings no change..

I find that MITT details odd, how come it says 1 3 5 found but 1 and 4 enabled under the memory stuff?

[wazza300]

Re: Find the bent pin!

was it the newest bios you flashed with? it depends what the fault is i think,maybe it can detect it in the slot but cant read or write to it? idk,i do know that it would boot up any white ram slot so somethings wrong somewhere

[ant]

Re: Find the bent pin!

I'm using the one from these forums, FC1. I have a revision 2.0 board.

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Find the bent pin!

All of those images except one are way to blurry to see the pins properly. The one that is a little bit visible only shows partial a shot of the socket.

Can you take some more images, and this time put your camera in macro mode. I am pretty sure it would have this as those are huge images, it looks like a flower in the settings menu or on dial/switches.

Also, do not zoom in so close, that can also make images blurry. Since your camera takes such huge images you don't need to zoom in super close.

Does this happen also if you use the Intel stock cooler?

What memory are you using, and are you setting your own QPI/Vtt, Uncore, Dram voltage, and memory speeds?

If you are setting those, please give us your full settings in a template from my signature.

If you are not setting those that could cause this as well, it can easily be caused by incorrect voltages or other settings, and if you are using auto that could use incorrect amounts.

I don't clearly see any bent pins, but I can't really see the pins at all in all but one of those images, so not really sure if there is any or not. I do see several one side of the socket that concerns me, but it could just be the blur, can't say for sure without better images.

Take images this time of the entire socket at once in macro mode, not zoomed in so much, and I think they will come out much better.

[ant]

Re: Find the bent pin!

Okay, I'll try taking some more pictures.

At first I was setting my own voltages for everything to maintain an OC. I didn't notice the missing ram until I turned off the page file and ran out of memory. Sadly, I lost them when I updated the bios. Since then I have been using auto settings. I have tried some of the recommended settings found here for similar issues with no success.

I have not tried out the stock cooler. Will do so when its light out.

Regarding the ram, I have Corsair XMS 3x2GB 1600 with 7-8-7-20 timings

Thanks

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Find the bent pin!

Yes please do if you don't mind. And be careful while you have the CPU out!!!

If we don't find any bent pins, then it could either be your settings or use of auto, or the cooler mounting pressure or backplate causing a short (That's why I asked if it also happens with stock cooler).

Have you tested the ram one stick at a time with Memtest86+? If not please do, and test each one in the same slot.

You can also test each stick one by one to ensure each works quickly, but putting each in one at a time in any white slot and boot. If they all work in any slot one at a time, then we at least know they are all 3 bootable anyway.

If you do that test and one stick fails to boot then you know you have a problem stick. If all three fail, try the next slot just in case it's a bad slot. Only use the white slots, one stick should boot in any white slot (Unless voltages are off or faulty stick)

But you should have no problem just using the first white slot from the CPU for this test, just a quick and simple test to do before doing memtest86+ on each one. When doing Memtest86+, I'd run at least 5 passes on each stick, and see if they all are error free, or have similar errors. If they all have similar errors that could be fine, just wrong settings, but if 2 pass or have way less than the third then you know that is probably a faulty stick.

How long have you owned this memory, just wondering?

I'll be able to help you with full BIOS settings once we are sure your pins and memory itself is ok!

Latest memtest86+ (CD ISO Only)

http://www.memtest.org/download/beta/415b2/mt415.rar

[ant]

Re: Find the bent pin!

I went ahead and ran memtest for at least 5 passes on each stick and got zero errors. I'm now going to try to take some better pictures and the intel stock heat sink.

Regarding the ram, I've owned it for 4 months. I got it when building my i7 rig.

[ant]

Re: Find the bent pin!

So, I removed the motherboard completely from the case and well instantly spotted some bad spots when looking through different angles at the socket. wouldnt surprise me if its full of bent pins =[.

I also tried the intel heat sink same issue. middle slot appears to not be working.

Still I cannot take good pictures! Heres one that shows at least 2 maybe 3 bad spots.

http://216.230.229.131/~paragong/temp/cpu/images/IMG_0627.JPG

I'm wondering if i should try to fix which I doubt i can because I have very shaky hands.

Does anyone know how much does it cost to replace the socket?

[Lsdmeasap]

Re: Find the bent pin!

Sorry for the late reply, haven't been feeling well at all today!

Please take more images, but this time DO NOT zoom in so close. That is most likely why they are turning out so blurry.

They need not be zoomed in, your camera is plenty good enough that a further away image will show the pins more clearly, plus since the images are so large it will look zoomed anyway when we look at the full image.

So take some more, NOT zoomed in, and then some more zoomed in about half of what you were doing before.

Yes, that does look like some bent ones, but those aren't even the ones I thought I might be able to see in your other images. So we need to get some clear images to be sure of any, which I still am not sure of since all the images have been too close and blurry.

You will have to RMA the board to get the socket repaired, if the honor your RMA you will most likely get a refurbished board back instead as that would be quicker and cheaper for them to do that to resolder a new socket on for you.

[kick]

Re: Find the bent pin!

from 775 cpu's

get the cpu approximately centered.
lock it down when you think it is centered.
If you are really worried about a bent pin /vs pads:

Put a small sheet of thin paper,preferably black for contrast over the base of the cpu
secure it with insulating tape or similar at the sides, so the paper doesnt move.
When you think the cpu is centered,lock it down .

Then unlock the cpu and check that holes have penetrated to all the pads and dont miss the edges of the pads.
A more definite method is to cover the cpu base with black insulating tape and lock the cpu down.
Then check if all the pins have broken thru at the right points.
The problem with that tho is cleaning off the insulating tape adhesive.
A quick wipe with methylated spirits or alchohol should do it.
Then again if u do have a "bent pin" it could be very hard to correct ,without getting a double bend in the pin and reducing its height..
the clearances must be very small with a large number of pins and a small contact area.