Reflow DDR3 Stick Feedback

[maru487]

Has anyone here ever re-flowed a DIMM? I've re-flowed Xboxes, PS3s, video cards but never a DIMM.

By the process of elimination I believe its a bad solder joint on one of my DIMMS.

System:
MSI 68-G43(G3) (with Ver. 5.0 BIOS update for Ivy Bridge Support)
I5-3570K
Patriot Viper Red Dual Channel 2 x 4GB 9-9-9-27 1600MHz
EVGA GTX-570
Cooler Master Extreme 2 Power Plus 625W
Using MSI Genie OC BIOS setting

Elimination:
1. Power Supply - All Voltages excellent
2. Computer Boots up every time with the good 4GB DDR3 stick in any DIMM slot
3. Computer will cycle through start up/shut down every 5 seconds with no post when:

a. bad stick in any slot​

b. good stick and bad stick in any slot variation (tried them all)​

4. I give the BAD stick a gentle twist and it starts working for a day or 2 in any combination of slot positions with or without the good DIMM.
5. Performed several memory tests after twisting and getting the bad stick to work. Mem86+, and some others reported NO errors.

So does anyone else think I've tried it all and it sounds mostly likely to be a bad solder joint on the DIMM?

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[moocow]

Why don't you just RMA the stick?

 

[synthetic_fenix]

I agree with moocow, just RMA the stick of ram, Patriot is like everyone else and has a lifetime warranty on the memory.

 

[maru487]

I was thinking about it but a couple things I wondered:

1. Would I need to send back both sticks since it's dual channel? Or they just need to have the same timing?
2. Since it's intermittent, what if it works when they test it? Will they just send it back? Charge me for sending it in?
3. I only paid $14 per stick and the customer is responsible for paying the shipping to Patriot so not sure it's worth it. And I like to experiment.

 

[synthetic_fenix]

Generally when you put in for an RMA on a stick of memory they can replace one stick, I don't believe they need to full kit, but I have never dealt with Patriot. I know with Corsair and Crucial, they generally wait until they get the ram in, and they send the new matching stick back to you, they don't test first and then determine what they will do.

 

[larrymoencurly]

If the bad DIMM works with a clothes pin over each of its chips, then there probably is a bad solder joint. However I don't know how you can reflow the module unless you remove the heatsinks to prevent the double-stick tape under them from charring.

I only paid $14 per stick and the customer is responsible for paying the shipping to Patriot so not sure it's worth it.

How much is the bad DIMM worth in its present state?

 

[Bobnova]

If the bad DIMM works with a clothes pin over each of its chips, then there probably is a bad solder joint.

I love it, that's a wonderful diagnostic process. It'd be amusing looking too

However I don't know how you can reflow the module unless you remove the heatsinks to prevent the double-stick tape under them from charring.

That'd be the issue alright. The question in my mind is whether it's possible to get the heatsinks/tape off without tearing all the chips of.
Of course if it's dead now and shipping costs more than the thing is worth I suppose it's worth a shot.

That said, if you ship it via USPS Parcel post it'll cost you about $4.