RAM Is dead or Is just a software error?

Question

This is my spec for clarity reason:

•CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

•Mainboard: Gigabyte B450 Gaming X

•RAM: 2× G.Skill Aegis DDR4 3200Mhz

Now, I never have problem with this sticks and they worked in dual with no problem until I guess the last week.

The oldest one, the one I have since the middle 2020 stop working, the other one is from late 2022. I have tryed everything: boot with single stick, BIOS reset, the battery removal from the mainboard. Nothing. The PC boot perfectly fine with the other stick, but with this one, the old one, no signal.

So i just tought it was plain dead, I have check every channel with both and is just the first stick that don't work.

Now i guess the old stick just broke for cosmic reason, but Cpu-Z see it, it give me all the spec, but the PC itself don't see that stick nor resource manager nor the BIOS itself.

The issue is, the good RAM Is working in dual but if i watch Cpu-Z, but the broken one is in single.

So, the RAM stick just broke, i'm cursed or i need to bake the RAM and hope? Should i just trash the old one and buy another stick?

Answer 1

Your tests are quite conclusive - if the computer boots fine when only on the new stick, but not at all when it's only on the old stick, then this stick is dead. The fact that CPU-Z can still see it is not helpful for booting.

My advice is to bin the old stick and get a new one. For dual mode, the stick to buy should be absolutely identical.