TROUBLESHOOTING
Missing RAM. This can be due to a number of things. Bad power supply to slots, bad slots on the motherboard, bad sticks of RAM. If your RAM/MB is bad, not much you can do outside of RMA. But before you do that, as noted above, check the RAM is seated properly. Also, a super common cause of missing RAM is bad contact between the CPU and the pins in the CPU Socket! Sometimes a pin can be bent out of place in the socket. Check the socket in good light moving the board around. Check any unevenness in the reflections you see to see if it's an out of place contact. A magnifying glass and a pin can easily correct this but you need a steady hand and the confidence not to make things worse. You could take the board to a jewelers, or of course RMA it if you're pretty sure it came with bent pins.
Bad contact can also be caused by the CPU shifting or tipping in the socket due to uneven or excessive pressure from the CPU cooler! Make sure when fitting the cooling solution you tighten only hand tight (never with pliers etc.) and in the recommended gradual crosswise manner. i.e. half a turn on each screw on opposite diagonals, in order.
Other RAM problems often show up as freezes needing hard reset ,
BSODs (there are various codes that can be thrown up…check this out for identifying RAM related ones
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?266589-The-OverClockers-BSOD-code-list) and sometimes as power outs. The computer simply shuts off with no warning. Often, recovering, the computer will throw up an
“overclocking failed” message. This is a typical RAM problem message.
Note! These symptoms are also possible due to a whole spectrum of issues such as driver problems, PSU problems, CPU overclock problems etc. so don’t assume anything troubleshooting…just that RAM problems are common and these symptoms common with them, so we’ll look there first.
Troubleshooting RAM needs to be done with everything else in the
BIOS at default settings. Clear
CMOS and/or load optimized defaults on a BIOS you are sure is a good flash before anything. Maybe even consider updating BIOS to latest if RAM is playing up.
I need to mention
Memtest86+here. It is possible to diagnose RAM problems with this application (not to be confused with the Microsoft offering). If you are scientific about it you can isolate problems with your RAM kit or Motherboard slots, to one or more sticks in your kit ,or one or more slots on your board. This is a good thing to get out of the way first with RAM problems because you can do a whole lot of tweaking in vain if your KIT is bad or Motherboard bad. There is this dude that knocks about here a bit
HiVizMan 😉 who has a fantastic guide in his signature on exactly the steps to take in running the test:
http://rog.asus.com/127362012/overclocking/memtest-user-guide-for-rog-motherboards/ Do this at BIOS defaults and at XMP settings. Maybe problems will only appear at XMP settings letting you know that maybe these are not working.
Don’t forget to look at the manufacturer’s page for your RAM. Sometimes specific kits come with specific tweaks recommended for a certain motherboard, as is the case with some of the G.Skill kits and the RIVE.
OK, so you’ve Memtested and at defaults your RAM has passed with flying colors. But maybe at XMP you get errors etc etc. Anyway, you want to try and get this working. Below are the basic steps for trying to get your KIT to work…..Swearing profusely throughout the process does help!!
Load optimized BIOS defaults, save and exit. Back into BIOS...load XMP leaving everything else on auto. If this will not boot or throws BSODs etc in OS try setting up manually.
Load optimized BIOS defaults, save and exit. Back into BIOS...load XMP and go into DRAM timing control and copy down the values set for the Primary timings (even Second and Third may help) now exit without saving.
Back into BIOS. Set Ai Overclock Tuner to Manual.......set your memory frequency to the XMP rated value (1866 2133 2400 etc.). Go to DRAM timing control and set Rampage tweak mode to 1 or 2 depending on frequency: 1 for 2000 MHz and below 2 for 2000 MHz and above (but you can try either) and enter the primary timings you wrote down before. For example 9-10-9-28-2 and leave the last field on AUTO.
You can try this leaving everything else on AUTO. Exit and save. If this doesn't work try manually setting some voltages:
VDIMM: maybe set this a bit higher than rated…. say 1.55 if kit is 1.5, 1.65 if rated 1.6 etc. Any ram at 1866 and over try 1.65V if 1.5 is not working.
VTT CPU Voltage try 1.25
CPU
VCCSA Voltage try 1.25
If these voltages get you up and running try reducing them, say by 0.01V at a time, until you become unstable and then bump them up 0.02V
It is worth noting that both of these voltages should be more or less within 0.3V of your load Vcore so, if you are aiming at OCing at say 4.8GHz at 1.45V they should at least be 1.15V even if you appear stable at less.
Other tweaks that might help:
CPU clock gen filter: over 2200 try 10uf....over 2400 try 20uf
CPU PLL: recommended is 1.8 but you can try a bit more..try up to 1.9 running DDR2200 and above
DIGI+ section
CPU Load-line calibration - MEDIUM (You do not need to go over this even OCing CPU to high levels)
CPU Current Capability 120%
CPU Power Phase Control - Optimized
VCCSA Load-line Calibration HIGH
VCCSA Current Capability 120% (or a bit more.... up to 140% for 2133 and higher frequency / 64GB)
DRAM AB Current Capability 120%
DRAM AB Power Phase Control – Optimized
DRAM CD Current Capability 120%
DRAM CD Power Phase Control – Optimized
Leave everything else on auto.
If you are filling your slots with an 8 stick kit or running 8GB sticks try plugging in the auxiliary power EZ plug….it’s the floppy power connector. The extra, evenly delivered power might just help.
Don’t mix and match stuff. Don’t set XMP and then set a couple of voltages manually. Best one or the other.
Don’t forget to read the great OCing guides posted in the forum as most of you will be OCing on top of trying to run OCd RAM. Lots of useful info of all sorts and tweaks for RAM there too.
http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?5835-ASUS-Rampage-IV-Extreme-UEFI-Guide-for-Overclocking&co...
If all of this fails then you have problems which fall outside of the majority and will need to get in contact with the dude I mentioned before. HiVizMan is like the Yoda of benching and OCing and taught me all I know!:D