x99 Extreme 4 won't post / erratic behavior

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 parsec wrote:

That is strange, but at least they seem to be working. Or as Xaltar said, one DIMM is intermittent in its operation. The other board might have had a problem with the DIMM slot(s), as J Z suggested. Another possibility is bent pins in the CPU socket that were related to the memory controller, which is part of the CPU, were not in the perfect position. Or the first CPU was damaged from your "event", and we've been blaming the memory when it was fine all along.

I hesitate to say this, and forgive me, but any chance your technique for inserting DDR4 memory has improved and you simply had DIMMs not fully in their slots? I always insert memory before the board is in the PC case. I can then easily check that each DIMM is fully in the slot evenly from one side to another. 

I've noticed when a DIMM is fully in its slot, the locking tab(s) on the DIMM slot are not really putting any pressure on the ends of the DIMM. I can move the tabs with my fingers a tiny bit, from side to side.

I also perform a ritual of anointing the gold contact points on the DIMMs with CAIG ProGold contact enhancer. A very, very light coating is applied that is then removed with soft tissues and then blasted with compressed gas in a can. Not that this is a required thing to do, it is well into OCD territory. 

Perhaps we should just be happy everything seems to be working and not question what happened, and not try to explain it?

Similar thoughts have been going through my head.  I've replaced everything with new, so I'm wondering if the RAM was OK all along.  I have this $400 CPU sitting here under warranty as was wondering whether I should even bother RMA'ing it, but I think I will as it could have been the CPU all along for all I know.

He-he.  No worries.  I come from an aviation background.....70-80% of aviation accidents and incidents are due to human error.  The statistics are similar with automobile accidents.  Along those lines, I would bet 70-80% of the questions you field are due to human error, and it is certainly possible that I didn't seat the RAM properly.  When I insert them, I always try to hear/feel the "click," but maybe the clicks weren't enough.

Thanks again for all of the help.  It was much appreciated.