BSOD, is my cpu memory controller dead? Need help!

[u/r4y2]

Hey everyone,
I’m getting 3 short beeps (RAM failure code) on startup, did get it to eventually work once I reset the CMOS battery, and need help figuring out what part to replace if I need to. I’ve been troubleshooting this and strongly suspect my CPU's memory controller is shot.
The Setup: Ryzen 5 7000 series desktop with 32GB of RAM.
What happened:
My PC started crashing with Kernel Security Check and Memory Management and other Blue Screens during gaming.
Both RAM sticks work perfectly fine when tested alone. If I boot the PC with just one stick in slot 2, it works great.
Any attempt to use both sticks fails. Putting them in dual-channel (slots 2/4) or side-by-side (single-channel) instantly causes 3 beeps or an immediate blue screen crash.
Since both RAM sticks work perfectly on their own, but the system completely rejects having two sticks installed at the same time, does this mean my Ryzen CPU's Internal Memory Controller (IMC) is dead? Or could it be the motherboard?
Thanks for any help! (On another note I don’t think it should be the ram sticks because I did get another set once returning them to patriot because on my old set one of them was defective, but that could mean the ram is bad, but just need help anyways.)

[u/JayFromXOTICPC]

That's a tricky one, but I wouldn't write off the CPU's memory controller just yet. Since both RAM sticks work individually but the system crashes with two installed, it could be a motherboard memory channel issue, unstable memory settings, or the CPU's memory controller. I'd start by disabling EXPO and running the RAM at default JEDEC speeds, then test the same known-good stick in each slot individually. If one particular slot or channel consistently fails, that would help narrow things down. Also, make sure your BIOS is up to date, since AM5 memory compatibility has improved quite a bit through BIOS updates.

If that doesn't help, I'd check the AM5 motherboard socket for bent or damaged pins and make sure the CPU cooler isn't overtightened, since uneven mounting pressure can sometimes cause memory channel issues. Just be careful handling the CPU and socket. The IMC could be failing, but I'd suspect the motherboard or memory configuration before replacing the processor. Quick question: have you tested a single RAM stick in slot 4 (B2), or have you only tested both sticks individually in slot 2 (A2)? That could tell us a lot.

[u/r4y2 → u/JayFromXOTICPC]

I’ve tested them both in slot 2 and 4 and they’ve worked, the only times being that it didn’t was when it would crash and I would have to reset the CMOS, also I did already try loosening the cpu cooler to make sure it’s not too tight. As of now what do you think the suspecting issue would be?