Installed new cooler, now RAM problem?

[Goldstar Textures 85]

Hi guys, hopefully someone could lend some advice.

I recently returned my Corsair H100i GTX and replaced it with the Corsair H100i RGB Platinum. I installed the cooler as per the manual, replacing the old backplate and standoff with the newer ones. I tightened the cooler to 'hand tightness', plugged the cords in etc. and upon starting my computer, I received an error 55 code (Motherboard is Asus Maximus Viii Hero) which means no memory installed. I am using "Corsair Vengeance LED CMU16GX4M2C3200C16 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4" RAM. I had it installed in the A2 B2 DIMM slots as recommended. I changed them to the A1 B1 slots and the system posted but only detected 8GB of ram and (on this instance) the LED on the A1 slot wasn't showing.
I swapped them around and got the Error 41 code which is to do with RAM i believe (as it isn't in manual). I also tried using A1/2 and B1/2 and got the 41 code.
I swapped them back and the system posted and booted normally (seems like a specific module in A1 and B1 means it boots but the module in A1 isn't recognised).
I tried each stick of RAM in the B1 slot (as single channel) and both successfully posted and booted windows fine.

I tried resetting to default settings in the BIOs and this gave no effect. I also tried using A2 B2 slots again (worked fine before the cooler was replaced) to no avail. I am currently using 1 stick in B1 and it posted and loaded windows fine.

I have also read the CPU cooler may be too tight, so I tried loosening them slightly and the issue still occurs. The only thing that has changed is the backplate is now metal instead of the rubbery plastic material the old one uses. Could this affect it in any way?

Cheers

[Bob Scott 7,714]

Make sure that new metal backplate or its mounting screws aren't shorting to (touching) the metal motherboard tray.  I had this issue in a recent build, and ultimately had to slip a piece of an old credit card in between the CPU backplate and the tray to keep the backplate from shorting to the tray.

Did you use appropriate static protection while you were replacing the CPU cooler?  Without an anti-static wristband or other grounding solution, a static discharge can do some real damage when mucking about inside your PC.

Regards

 

[G-RFRY 1,705]

If you don't have a anti-static wristband ground yourself to discharge any static I use the metal radiators in my house, central heating system is grounded, but I do have a wrist strap when I'm building a rig.

[ckyliu 1,749]

As the two posters above have identified you have two likely causes:

1) The motherboard is shorting out on the case somewhere (easy fix this tone)

2) Whilst changing your cooler you've put a static electric discharge in to the system and fried either the RAM or the motherboard (to test, see if the suspect stick works in other RAM slots). Static damage cannot really be repaired, you need to replace the component.

I've never used static discharge bands and the like, I just periodically molest some copper plumbing such as a radiator or tap for a bit to ensure I've Earthed myself. I also power the system off and turn off the main switch on the PSU but leave the power cable in for a bit so components in the system can discharge to Earth.

Edited December 14, 2018 by ckyliu

[martin-w 3,234]

Very unlikely to be static discharge. 

I would install the old cooler, or a cheap alternative air cooler, and see if the issue is gone. If so, it's the AIO thats the issue.

Unless permanent damage has been caused of course. 

I would NOT leave it installed if you suspect the cooler back plate may be shorting. Test with another cooler. 

Are you sure you haven't left an extra motherboard standoff UNDER the motherboard tray. This is a common error that causes shorting. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by martin-w

[OneWhoKnocks53 51]

If the backplate or metal cooler standoffs screw directly on to the Mobo, the standoff could have cut or damage a trace on the PCB.  I had this issue with a cooler master aio that had a small Burr on one of the he screw standoffs.  Had to replace the board.