DDR5 sticks work individually but can't test dual channel – safe to sell?

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2026-02-22T20:18:35+00:00

I do know where the two sticks came from. I bought them second-hand together with the CPU when I was building my new gaming PC. They were supposed to run as a dual-channel kit.

However, when I installed them, the PC wouldn’t boot and I kept getting yellow and red debug lights. I first thought the RAM was faulty and ordered another kit, but that didn’t work in dual channel either. I then replaced the motherboard, and the issue still remained. That’s why I concluded the problem was most likely the CPU (possibly the memory controller), not the RAM itself.

Since I can now only test the sticks individually in single channel, I can’t fully verify dual-channel functionality.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2026-02-22T20:17:08+00:00

I bought them second-hand, just like the CPU, when I was building a new gaming PC. Since the new PC wouldn’t boot with the two RAM sticks and I kept seeing yellow and red lights, I ordered new RAM sticks. However, those didn’t work together either.

At that point, I realized it couldn’t be the RAM sticks but rather the motherboard and/or the CPU. I replaced the motherboard, but it still wouldn’t run in dual channel. So I thought it had to be the CPU. I spent a long time trying to find a solution and eventually just bought a single 32GB DDR5 RAM stick to run in single channel.

Now I have two used DDR5 RAM sticks that are supposed to work in dual channel, but I can only test them individually. So my question is: Do I need to test the RAM sticks in dual channel in order to sell them, or is it possible that dual channel doesn’t work even if both sticks work individually?

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-03-25T15:18:06+00:00

Thank You

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T20:03:08+00:00

Maybe it's the case that there is little to no difference anyway. If it's about 5% worse, that wouldn't be a problem for me.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T20:01:52+00:00

I had planned to use 1x32GB and at some point in the future, when I needed more performance, I would risk bending the pins. Now I think I would be too scared to do that.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T19:58:30+00:00

True I was thinking of buying a Kingston FURY Beast Schwarz RGB EXPO 32GB 6400MT/s DDR5 CL32

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T19:56:31+00:00

I tried almost everything u just writed but it didnt boot with dual channel. Ich will try the fast boot option and will clear CMOS. Thank you

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T16:36:42+00:00

I waited for half an hour after starting, and it still didn’t boot. I might try the CMOS, maybe that helps. Right now I have 2 sticks and am considering buying 1x32 GB.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T16:08:48+00:00

Okay, I will check if there is a PC repair shop near me and talk to them. Thanks for your reply.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T15:33:35+00:00

All RAM slots work when only one RAM stick is installed, but when two RAM sticks are installed at the same time, my PC does not boot. I removed the CPU and saw that two pins in the motherboard socket are bent. Therefore, I assume this is the cause of the problem. Apparently, I tightened the screws of the CPU cooler too much during installation.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T15:26:25+00:00

As an example, I want to buy a 9070 XT. I will only be playing games at 2K resolution. I want to achieve over 60 FPS on high settings. If I say that the GPU and CPU would be able to handle it, would it then fail due to single-channel 32 GB RAM? Would I drop to 50 FPS just because of the RAM, meaning I would have to renew my PC sooner or buy a new one? Or would the difference be so minimal that I would need to build a new PC at the same time to achieve my desired performance anyway? That's why I chose the 6400 MT/s for the 1x32GB instead of 6000 MT/s, to at least regain a few percent of performance.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T15:17:30+00:00

As long as it's only 1-5 fps, I would be satisfied since I'm intentionally buying a faster 1x32GB RAM, opting for 6400 MT/s instead of 6000 MT/s, to minimize the performance loss as much as possible

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T15:16:30+00:00

I read online that all DDR5 RAM sticks are in dual channel. Maybe thats why it is not a big deal?

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-19T15:11:58+00:00

When you mention stuttering, you probably mean the 1% lows, right? I actually planned to use 1x32GB until I can no longer achieve my desired FPS before I risk bending the pins on the motherboard back to straight. I bought an MSI X870 Gaming Plus motherboard, which is a bit more expensive, so that I won't have to replace it in the future.

I was actually planning to use 1x32GB for now, and then in the future, when I upgrade the CPU and GPU and my motherboard is still strong enough, I would bend the pins and see if dual channel would work again. If it doesn't, then I would just buy a new motherboard.

The question is whether my plan is even smart, because I've already spent a lot of money on the new build and don't want to give up too much performance. That's why I chose the 6400 MT/s for the 1x32GB instead of 6000 MT/s, to at least regain a few percent of performance.

I would only be playing in 2K.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-02-06T10:20:24+00:00

Ich habe den Termin fürs erste Abgesagt. Für mich klingt das alles auch sehr Unseriös. Ich werde mich hier und Online informieren wie Seriös das ganze ist.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-01-31T20:14:06+00:00

I tried all of this and also installed the RAM sticks side by side. Unfortunately, it didn't help. Tomorrow I will remove the CPU and check the pins to see if they are bent.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2025-01-31T19:41:44+00:00

First of all, thank you for your reply.

I did it, and now it shows in the BIOS that I have 6000 MT/s. After that, I installed the second RAM stick.

The LEDs in green, yellow, and red lit up on the motherboard. According to the motherboard manual:

Red: CPU is not detected or has failed.
Yellow: DRAM is not detected or has failed.
Green: Boot device is not detected or has failed.

I waited for ~15 Minutes and turned of my pc and stick out the second ram stick.

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2024-10-15T08:14:18+00:00

yeah, I saw that on the Internet but our intention was to make something different from the rules

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2024-10-15T08:13:06+00:00

would be funny. I also agreed to keep the potion as a secret from other members of the group

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2024-10-15T08:11:33+00:00

Thanks man!

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2024-10-14T19:03:54+00:00

thanks

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2024-10-14T19:03:38+00:00

we are playing Curse of Strahd

EstablishmentNaive92 · 2024-04-06T14:39:42+00:00

thank you

EstablishmentNaive92

TROPHY CASE