HELP - HWiNFO destroyed my RAM sticks

[boball]

I just built a new PC with 2X16 GB RAM sticks.

The instant I ran HWiNFO,
(for the first time ever)
the RGB lighting on the RAM stopped working.

Reading up on it, I heard that rebooting will turn on the RAM RGB back.

Upon rebooting, my system is not booting anymore.
BIOS screen does not appear.
The BIOS is stuck on the RAM light.

The RAM sticks have been fried by HWiNFO.



HWiNFO
version 7.64

TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB DDR5 Ram 32GB Kit (2x16GB) 7200MHz (PC5-57600) CL34
FF4D532G7200HC34ADC01

Gigabyte Z790 AERO G Motherboard
www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/Z790-AERO-G-rev-10/support#support-memsup

THe RAM sticks are on the Motherboard's supported list.
(link above)

 

[Martin]

It's impossible that HWiNFO would cause such damage.
Try to power off the system, remove the power cord for a minute and then start again.

 

[boball]

It's impossible that HWiNFO would cause such damage.
Try to power off the system, remove the power cord for a minute and then start again.

I left it off for two hours and still same :-(
I even tried each of the two sticks one by one on the 4 different slots on the motherboard --- no use.

 

[Martin]

Do you have some other modules to try?
You might also try to reset CMOS on the mainboard.

 

[boball]

I also did Clear CMOS on the motherboard - shorted the two Clear CMOS pins with a screwdriver. No use.

 

[boball]

I will get some new modules later today and try.

 

[Martin]

Very weird, such permanent damage is not possible.
Have you been running some RGB control software when you started HWiNFO?

 

[boball]

I believe it is something to do with the RGB SPD like you mentioned in this other post.

Memory Modules Issue

Hi everyone. I have a small issue here. I've already sent a new kit back to newegg and just received a brand new kit of 32gb 4x8gb Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3200. When I first installed them, hwinfo64 saw them by their full name, now, and after messing with Corsair iCUE, I only have one that...

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Here you mentioned that different software accessing the RGB software can corrupt the SPD.
Right?

Is this a issue with all RGB sticks?

 

[boball]

Very weird, such permanent damage is not possible.
Have you been running some RGB control software when you started HWiNFO?

Yes
Gigabyte Control Center was controlling the RGB lighting on the RAM sticks to sync up with other RGB components in my PC.

 

[Martin]

Yes, that problem with potential SPD corruption was seen in the past but since most vendors implemented synchronization, it wasn't observed anymore.
RGB software does write to RGB controllers which in turn send the data to the DIMM. HWiNFO doesn't write to DIMMs.

 

[Martin]

Another thing is that Intel systems have a feature called "SPD Write Protect" which is by default enabled in the BIOS. This feature when enabled blocks any attempts to write to SPD.

 

[Martin]

I have also submitted this issue to GIGABYTE for investigation.

 

[boball]

I just got new RAM (same as the old ones) and they are working fine - BIOS loading and into Windows. So definitely the old sticks have gotten damaged/corrupt.

I am now scared of running HWiNFO with the LEDs on, on the new RAM sticks.

I turned off the LEDs (through the Gigabyte Control Center -- couldn't find any RGB settings to disable/enable in the Gigabyte AERO BIOS latest version F9)
and then when I ran HWiNFO and then rebooted , there are no issues rebooting into BIOS and Windows.

But don't want to risk running it with the LEDs on.

What do you recommend? Wait for GIGABYTE or TEAMGROUP to do something?

 

[Martin]

I think the problem is the unlucky (or rather stupid) design of RGB on DIMM + RGB control software + HWiNFO started at the "right" moment.
If you catch the "right" moment, it can result in a collision between them all and it's not just HWiNFO but it could happen with any other tool accessing the DIMMs.
Not running the RGB control software (or running RGB with a fixed pattern without the control software) should avoid the problem.
We will need to analyze this problem with GIGABYTE to first understand what exactly happened and then see how to solve it.

 

[Martin]

We're looking into this with GIGABYTE. They say that there were some issues in the past which were addressed in BIOS and the GIGABYTE Control Center in August.
Which version of BIOS and the GIGABYTE Control Center are you using?

 

[boball]

I built the PC just a week ago. BIOS is the latest AERO G Z790 version F9.
GCC version 23.09.28.01

 

[Martin]

Thanks for the information. We're actively working with GIGABYTE to understand this problem.

 

[Martin]

GIGABYTE/TEAMGROUP is offering to replace your failed modules.
If you would like to proceed with this, please let me know directly via a Private Message or e-mail. First we will need your e-mail to start the process.

 

[boball]

GIGABYTE/TEAMGROUP is offering to replace your failed modules.
If you would like to proceed with this, please let me know directly via a Private Message or e-mail. First we will need your e-mail to start the process.

Messaged! Thanks!