RAM Compatibility Woes: Troubleshooting My NUC 12 Pro
I recently experienced a frustrating and puzzling issue with my NUC 12 Pro1 and Proxmox. The system would crash randomly after several hours to a few days of running.
There is a large forum thread with similar issues at proxmox forum2, and I followed all the recommendations there. Still, despite upgrading BIOS, CPU microcode, and installing the latest kernels, my system kept crashing randomly. One of the recommendations was to check the memory with a memtest, which I did one stick at a time, and both passed. I was running out of options and felt hopeless.
After much searching, I found an Intel forum post3 about RAM compatibility. It turns out that non-validated RAM in dual-channel configurations can cause instability. Unfortunately, my GSKill memory was not on the list of compatible memory, even if all the specs matched. Sure enough, running memtest with both memory modules installed crashed in the middle of the test after a few hours.
Feeling frustrated and defeated, I decided to take the plunge and purchased a new pair of Corsair 32GB DIMMs on the compatible memory list. After installing them, I’m happy to report that my system has been running without a single issue for the past two weeks.
This experience has taught me an important lesson: always check for compatibility before purchasing RAM, especially for a dual-channel configuration. It’s essential to take the time to do research and ensure that all components are compatible to avoid frustrating issues down the road. In my case, the cost of a new pair of DIMMs was worth the peace of mind with a stable system.