Swapping RAM killed motherboards?

[A***@zimage.com]

Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped Kingston RAM in my motherboard when the
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to remove the static. When he turned on the
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was dead.

I was talking to a co-worker today who does computer hardware. He also experienced the same thing a few
months ago with his ASUS A8N-E when he swapped RAM.

Is this common? How in the world can a RAM swap kill motherboards so easily? Thank you in advance. :)

[Dale Brisket]

Post by A***@zimage.com
Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped Kingston RAM

in my motherboard when the

Post by A***@zimage.com
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to remove the

static. When he turned on the

Post by A***@zimage.com
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was dead.
I was talking to a co-worker today who does computer hardware. He also

experienced the same thing a few

Post by A***@zimage.com
months ago with his ASUS A8N-E when he swapped RAM.
Is this common? How in the world can a RAM swap kill motherboards so

easily? Thank you in advance. :)

Post by A***@zimage.com
--

Never heard of a mobo dying because of a RAM swap. I have had systems
refused to POST because the new RAM was incompatible, but putting the old
RAM back in would revive things. I'm assuming you tried the original memory
again, yes?

[A***@zimage.com]

Post by A***@zimage.com

Post by A***@zimage.com
Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped Kingston RAM

in my motherboard when the

Post by A***@zimage.com
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to remove the

static. When he turned on the

Post by A***@zimage.com
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was

dead.

Post by A***@zimage.com
I was talking to a co-worker today who does computer hardware. He also

experienced the same thing a few

Post by A***@zimage.com
months ago with his ASUS A8N-E when he swapped RAM.
Is this common? How in the world can a RAM swap kill motherboards so

easily? Thank you in advance. :)

Post by A***@zimage.com
--

Never heard of a mobo dying because of a RAM swap. I have had systems
refused to POST because the new RAM was incompatible, but putting the old
RAM back in would revive things. I'm assuming you tried the original memory
again, yes?

Yep, old RAM didn't work either. Also, tried replacing CPU with another
Athlon 64 to double check that CPU was still OK. Same thing. ;(

[Kyle]

I suspect one of 2 things actually happened: damage to mobo from
insertion force on ram sticks or static discharge, there is no other
probable explanation. Was the box powered off yet the PS still turned
"on", as in suspend mode? Do you have a separate PS on/off sw on the
back that was in the "off" position? One other question, do the ram
sticks still work in other systems?
--
Best regards,
Kyle
<***@zimage.com> wrote in message news:***@mminternet.net...
| Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped
Kingston RAM in my motherboard when the
| computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to
remove the static. When he turned on the
| machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard
was dead.
|
| I was talking to a co-worker today who does computer hardware. He
also experienced the same thing a few
| months ago with his ASUS A8N-E when he swapped RAM.
|
| Is this common? How in the world can a RAM swap kill motherboards so
easily? Thank you in advance. :)
| --
| At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the
ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his
hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it." --Surah 27. The Ant,
The Ants, line 18
| /\___/\
| / /\ /\ \ Phillip (Ant) @ http://antfarm.ma.cx (Personal Web
Site)
| | |o o| | Ant's Quality Foraged Links (AQFL):
http://aqfl.net
| \ _ / Please remove ANT if replying by
e-mail.
| ( )

[A***@zimage.com]

Post by Kyle
I suspect one of 2 things actually happened: damage to mobo from
insertion force on ram sticks or static discharge, there is no other
probable explanation. Was the box powered off yet the PS still turned
"on", as in suspend mode? Do you have a separate PS on/off sw on the
back that was in the "off" position? One other question, do the ram
sticks still work in other systems?

Yes, PSU was off (switch in the back that is), but power AC was still connected to my APC UPS to
power strip to the power outlet on the wall. Memory sticks are still working in a temporary
CHEAP ECS K8M800-M2 motherboard while ASUS motherboard is being RMA'ed. The PSU is 500 watts
Seasonic S12 PSU (a few months old). That should be fine, right?

[Roger Hamlett]

Post by A***@zimage.com
Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped
Kingston RAM in my motherboard when the
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to
remove the static. When he turned on the
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was dead.
I was talking to a co-worker today who does computer hardware.
He also experienced the same thing a few
months ago with his ASUS A8N-E when he swapped RAM.
Is this common? How in the world can a RAM swap kill motherboards
so easily? Thank you in advance. :)

The obvious question, is whether the machine was actually 'off'?. The
'on/off' switch on the front of an ATX machine, does _not_ turn off the
whole machine. There is still standby power to the motherboard (this is
normally shown by a green LED on the board). Also if the machine was 'off'
by unplugging it, then this leaves the machine without an earth
connection. The best way to turn a machine off for this, is to use a
'power strip', with a mechanical on/off switch, but leave the machine
plugged in to this (this leaves the earth connected, but removes the power
connection).

Best Wishes

[A***@zimage.com]

Post by Roger Hamlett

Post by A***@zimage.com
Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped
Kingston RAM in my motherboard when the
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to
remove the static. When he turned on the
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was dead.
I was talking to a co-worker today who does computer hardware.
He also experienced the same thing a few
months ago with his ASUS A8N-E when he swapped RAM.
Is this common? How in the world can a RAM swap kill motherboards
so easily? Thank you in advance. :)

The obvious question, is whether the machine was actually 'off'?. The
'on/off' switch on the front of an ATX machine, does _not_ turn off the
whole machine. There is still standby power to the motherboard (this is
normally shown by a green LED on the board). Also if the machine was 'off'
by unplugging it, then this leaves the machine without an earth
connection. The best way to turn a machine off for this, is to use a
'power strip', with a mechanical on/off switch, but leave the machine
plugged in to this (this leaves the earth connected, but removes the power
connection).

I am pretty sure the system was off with the rear switch (PSU) when that event happened. I
believe the AC cable (to an APC UPS -> power strip -> wall power outlet) was still connected as
well.

[sherwindu]

Post by A***@zimage.com
Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped Kingston RAM in my motherboard when the
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to remove the static. When he turned on the
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was dead.

I would check the memory sockets closely on the mother board for broken tabs, etc. I recently broke one of
the clads on a dimm after removing and replacing it. The result was the dimm had only 128MB of the original
256MB working. You could have a similar problem on the MB side.

Sherwin D.

[Roger Hamlett]

Post by A***@zimage.com
Recently, my friend (he builds computers for living), swapped Kingston
RAM in my motherboard when the
computer was off. Of course he was touching the case frames to remove
the static. When he turned on the
machine, the computer would not boot. ASUS K8V SE Deluxe motherboard was dead.

How was the computer switched off?. If only by the front panel switch,
then the motherboard was still in 'standby' mode, and still had power
attached...
Are you sure the memory is compatible?. There can be some types compatible
with the sockets, that don't work (rare now with keyed sockets, but
registered versus unregistered is a common problem of this sort).
Are you sure the memory really has gone fully down in the sockets?.
Unfortunately, on some boards, the force needed to get memory home into
the sockets is so great, that it cannot be fitted with the motherboard in
the case (the motherboard bends...).

Best Wishes