Pre-/Post-revision RAM

[Bumrush]

Hey all, first post.

I've seen numerous references within the forums about "cold reboot" issues causing BSODs and other instability issues, and I can say with a degree of certainty that I'm currently a victim of these issues (as they've been described to this point).

One step I'm taking in my attempt to rid myself of these hassles is to purchase 4x2GB Trident DDR3-2000, as this model is confirmed compatible with my mobo (GA-P55-UD4P). I'm anticipating that the new RAM will arrive tomorrow and I'd like to take proactive measures to ensure that the shipment I receive is the newer, post-revision kit that allegedly solves these issues.

Is there any way for me to visually confirm that my new RAM is post-revision, like a serial # or some other marking on the kit itself? I'd prefer to spare myself the burden of self-diagnosing my RAM if there's a simple way to determine the version and, if confirmed as older, pre-revision RAM, just send it in for RMA right away.

Also, while I have no reason to doubt the claims of the G-Skill staff regarding the "cold reboot" issues, I have yet to see any mention of this made in the support forum of my current RAM manufacturer. This tells me either A) the current manufacturer is clueless and this is why I'm suffering from these issues, or B) the issue is just a figment of our imagination. What's the deal?

Thanks!

[GSKILL TECH]

The serial numbers are surely different, but they are different for each model of memory. I'm not sure what your original memory is, but if you purchased it recently, then it should not have a problem as we have already recalled all "problem" kits.

What do you mean by "current RAM manufacturer"? Regarding the cold boot issue, it was simply a problem with a batch of chips from a specific manufacturer. G.Skill was not the only company affected, but it was just a speed bump. These problems can happen, and that is the main reason why we offer lifetime warranty. RAM can do weird things, especially something like this, but as always we will make sure all affected users get new replacements.

Thank you
GSKILL TECH

[Bumrush]

Thanks for the prompt reply!

The RAM model I just purchased is: F3-16000CL9D-4GBTD. Again, if there's any way I can quickly visually ID the revision, let me know as it would be a huge favor that would give me peace of mind. It's comforting to know that you've already recalled all the problem kits; let's pray that Newegg didn't slip an old rogue kit into my order.

To elaborate, I originally purchased 4x2GB DDR3-1600 budget RAM from OCZ back in Nov '09 and have experienced nothing but headaches ever since. Both kits have already been RMA'd and still problems persist, not unlike the "cold reboot" issue that has been referred to numerous times on this board. Sometimes individual sticks pass testing, other times they do not, sometimes all the sticks collectively pass, other times they do not, and I get all-too-frequent BSODs and reboots. It got to the point that I've essentially given up working with OCZ to replace the RAM, as the time/cost has already exceeded my tolerance.

(However, if OCZ is also a manufacturer that was affected by the bad RAM chips, perhaps they've ironed out their problems and current replacement kits don't suffer from this issue any longer. Can you offer any insight on whether OCZ was affected? Regardless, I intend to hold onto those OCZ kits purely for emergency purposes.)

[GSKILL TECH]

There should be no cold boot issues with the Trident series, so you should be fine.

I understand now, so basically you had the "cold boot issue" with OCZ. So apparently they are affected too, I'm not sure if they ironed it out yet or what their insight is on this, but most likley they have done the same in locating this problem and revised all new batches. So if you send those in for new replacements in the future, that should solve the problem.

Thank you
GSKILL TECH