Hi, I have a Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-9 motherboard and 1Gb (2 x 512MB) of Corsair XMS Pro DDR400 RAM. I tried the 2 sticks of RAM in the first 2 slots (i know this RAM works as its worked flawlessly in 2 other computers aswell as the same model motherboard). When it POST's i get continuous long beeps, indicating a RAM problem. If i take out the stick in the second slot the computer POST's fine. If i move both sticks into slots 3 and 4 it will also POST and is currently running stably in that configuration. I am wondering if slot 2 is damaged in some way, although i can't see any physical damage. I would soon like to upgrade to 2Gb but with slot 2 damaged that isn't possible unless i get 2 sticks of 1GB, which is currently out of my budget. Just wondering if there is anything i could do as i don't want to send it back as it took me ages to source this board? Any help or thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you

It is extremely unlikely you have a bad ram slot. Ram slots don't go bad spontaneously. It's remotely possible the slot circuits were damaged by someone removing or installing a module when the AC power was still being supplied to the case/power supply (ATX mboards are always powered some places including the ram slots even when Windows is Shut Down, etc.) - you should always REMOVE the power to your case when you are fiddling with any connection or component inside the case. Or, even less likely, if a ram module has ever been installed backwards in a slot and the computer was booted, the module that was backwards is fried instantly and the ram slot was ruined forever. Use some good lighting, and a magnifying glass if you have one, to carefully examine the ram slot you suspect is bad. If you see nothing different from the other slots, the slot is probably fine. What is more likely is either: - your mboard has certain requirements about what types of ram modules can go in certain slots - e.g. single channel that can be installed in any slot, or dual channel that must be installed in pairs in specific slots - see your mboard manual. - or - one or more of the ram modules is not 100% compatible with the mboard and it will not work properly in combination with certain other modules, which may vary depending on which slot a module is installed in. The ram working in another mboard does not necesarily mean it will work in this one - that only proves the ram works fine in the other mboard. See response 5 in this for more info about ram compatibilty, and places where you can find out what will work in your mboard for sure: http://www.computing.net/hardware/w... You could also see response 2 in this - try cleaning the contacts on the modules, making sure the slots have no mung in them. http://www.computing.net/hardware/w...

Thanks for the reply I will try to have a proper look over the weekend (may be a bit busy though). I know its not a compatibility issue as this RAM worked perfectly in exactly the same model motherboard and in slots 1 & 2 for just over a year (slots 1 and 2 are purple and slots 3 & 4 are orange, i think this indicates where a dual channel setup would go) this one is a direct replacement, i was just stating that i don't think its the RAM itself as it works in other boards I'm not sure if anything has happened to the slot as i have only just received it, put in the RAM in and it doesn't work (but works fine in slots 3 & 4). I think that even though this was stated as being a new board i don't think it is as it has dust on the back panel (may just be a bit old though). Its not a huge problem as i can always use slots 3 & 4, its just I wanted to get another pair of 512Mb modules to make a total of 4 in the board (2GB total), but it seems I may have to spend almost twice the amount to get 2 sticks of 1GB if i want to upgrade, but then i can always sell the 2 x 512MB i already have so in retrospect its ok :) As i said, i will take a look ASAP and if i find any dirt etc i will clean it out. Thanks for your help :)

"...this RAM worked perfectly in exactly the same model motherboard ..." That is very significant, if you're certain it's the same modules. "...i don't think its the RAM itself as it works in other boards..." As I said above, that is not necessarily significant. "...if i find any dirt etc i will clean it out." I've seen several cases where I couldn't see that there was anything visible on the contacts on the ram modules, yet cleaning the contacts cured the problem.