RAM Dilemma

[[GSV]Trig]

So, I'm currently running a B450M board (Steel Legend) with a Ryzen 1600AF.

I've got 4 sticks of the Crucial Ballistix Sport LT BLS2K8G4D32AESBK 3200 MHz stuff, the board picks it up as 2400Mhz RAM, and won't let me XMP to 3200Mhz with all 4 sticks..

So, do I run just 2 sticks and bump it to 3200Mhz, do I stick with 32Gb on 2400Mhz, or do I sell both kits and get something a bit faster..


I am looking at downsizing to an iTX board (x570 Probably) which will only give me 2 slots and chucking a better CPU in there so would like the RAM suggestions to take that into mind.

I only really play WZ, browse the interwebs and watch Youtube video, GPU is a 3060Ti and monitor 2560*1440*165Hz

[ik9000]

So, I'm currently running a B450M board (Steel Legend) with a Ryzen 1600AF.

I've got 4 sticks of the Crucial Ballistix Sport LT BLS2K8G4D32AESBK 3200 MHz stuff, the board picks it up as 2400Mhz RAM, and won't let me XMP to 3200Mhz with all 4 sticks..

So, do I run just 2 sticks and bump it to 3200Mhz, do I stick with 32Gb on 2400Mhz, or do I sell both kits and get something a bit faster..


I am looking at downsizing to an iTX board (x570 Probably) which will only give me 2 slots and chucking a better CPU in there so would like the RAM suggestions to take that into mind.

I only really play WZ, browse the interwebs and watch Youtube video, GPU is a 3060Ti and monitor 2560*1440*165Hz

I would say c) sell your motherboard and buy a better one. AS Rock have awful RAM configurations, even on x570, they gimp the speeds once all 4 slots are populated. No other manufacturer does this. It led to a lot of confusion when x570 first got announced as AS Rock specs got leaked and people were saying that would be all x570 would do. I've heard of other gripes with AS rock boards too - like their bios doing weird things to prevent win7 install even though it's possible (with some custom drivers) on x570 with the other 3 big players. I wouldn't touch ASRock tbh.

[DanceswithUnix]

Even with two sticks that is strictly a memory overclock on a 2600 which AMD say tops out at 2933MHz, so I suspect you just need a 3000 series or better for that ram to work full speed.

You could try running all the sticks at 2666MHz, or 2933?

Edit:

AS Rock have awful RAM configurations, even on x570, they gimp the speeds once all 4 slots are populated.

That's odd, I use their boards quite happily for cheap servers as it is only them and ASUS that support ECC ram. I prefer ASUS of the two, but quite happily recommend Asrock. But then I don't do Windows 7.

[ik9000]

I'd missed that. Will a 1600AF work on x570?

[DanceswithUnix]

I'd missed that. Will a 1600AF work on x570?

Not officially I think, though my B550 board booted a 2200G with little complaint despite no support (but no ability to set the XMP ram speed for example, so use was clearly patchy).

That's partly what made me think a CPU upgrade might be a good first step even in the current board.

[[GSV]Trig]

This board will be going when I downsize, I'm thinking Aorus x570 iTX board and a 5xxx CPU.

Or I could just keep what I have and wait for AM5...

[MrJim]

So, I'm currently running a B450M board (Steel Legend) with a Ryzen 1600AF.

I've got 4 sticks of the Crucial Ballistix Sport LT BLS2K8G4D32AESBK 3200 MHz stuff, the board picks it up as 2400Mhz RAM, and won't let me XMP to 3200Mhz with all 4 sticks..

So, do I run just 2 sticks and bump it to 3200Mhz, do I stick with 32Gb on 2400Mhz, or do I sell both kits and get something a bit faster..


I am looking at downsizing to an iTX board (x570 Probably) which will only give me 2 slots and chucking a better CPU in there so would like the RAM suggestions to take that into mind.

I only really play WZ, browse the interwebs and watch Youtube video, GPU is a 3060Ti and monitor 2560*1440*165Hz

Are you running the most up to date BIOS? AMD release AGESA updates that sometimes improve RAM compatibility...

[[GSV]Trig]

Are you running the most up to date BIOS? AMD release AGESA updates that sometimes improve RAM compatibility...

Latest BIOS is 3.6 I think, I'm on 2.9 though due to the CPU.

[Corky34]

Check what voltage is set for the RAM, I've had it before where setting XMP doesn't set that correctly, it should be 1.35v for those sticks.

I would say you could also try playing around with the voltage that relate to the RAM in the BIOS but that's more risky and i don't want to be responsible if something breaks.

[[GSV]Trig]

Yeah XMP bumps the voltage to 1.35 which is right, as are all of the timings, think this board just gets mardy when you try to run 4 sticks on XMP..

[kalniel]

Well it could be the IMC on the CPU that's limiting, not just the board. High speed OCs are often only rated for two sticks rather than four, because it is harder. I'd take a note of the XMP settings and then manually set all four to just a bit slower/looser. 2T and 3000mhz to start with for eg.

[Bambooz]

Neither the Board nor the RAM is the problem here. It's the CPUs memory controller simply not supporting speeds above 2933 will all 4 slots populated (SS/SR), or worst case scenario nothing above 2666 with DS/DR sticks involved.
Drop a Zen 2 CPU into that board (R5 3600 or R7 3700X or something) and it'll run all 4 of those E-Die Ballistix at 3200 CL16 XMP no problem, and if you're lucky with the silicon lottery, even OC to 3600 CL16 with little effort.

Even ASRocks B350 boards can do that if paired with a Zen 2 CPU, but not with an original Zen or Zen+ in disguise (12nm AF). Ran into this very same problem with a friends rig with an ASRock AB350M Pro4.

Latest BIOS is 3.6 I think, I'm on 2.9 though due to the CPU.

If that's because of the stupid yellow warning on ASRocks site, you can safely ignore that. Even the latest 3.90 supports all Ryzen CPUs, including your 1600AF (which is just a slightly downclocked 12nm 2600 in disguise). No one seems to know why they put that warning on all newer BIOS versions of pretty much all boards.

edit: The AB350M Pro4 has that warning as well and everything down to original Zen CPUs (1000 series without AF) still work. The only CPUs they've actually removed support for so far (as in: won't boot anymore) are all the ancient/useless Bristol Ridge ones (Athlon X4 and the A6/A10/A12 APUs)

[[GSV]Trig]

If that's because of the stupid yellow warning on ASRocks site, you can safely ignore that. Even the latest 3.90 supports all Ryzen CPUs, including your 1600AF (which is just a slightly downclocked 12nm 2600 in disguise). No one seems to know why they put that warning on all newer BIOS versions of pretty much all boards.

Yeha, I did kinda play with this a while back so rolled the BIOS back and started actually RTFM but then lost interest in messing with it, however now I'm at the point where the system is stable and want to try and eeek a bit more performance out of it.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Its most likely the CPU. Zen+ officially supports dual RAM sticks at 2933MHZ and 4 RAM sticks at 2666MHZ dual ranked,so actually you are doing well at 2933MHZ IMHO! My Ryzen 5 2600 would run 3200C16 fine with dual RAM sticks but couldn't really go any further - the Ryzen 5 2600X apparently has a slightly better binned IMC. With 4 RAM sticks its even more pressure on the IMC - also remember the Ryzen 5 1600AF is a worse bin than both the Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 2600X.

[[GSV]Trig]

So, in short you guys all agree that I need an updated board and CPU, works for me, just need to run it past the FD, think I'll do that when I'm offshore again lol

[Zak33]

I have some DDR3 you could force into the slots with a mallet......

it won't work in the traditional "PC is working" style.....but it will create a requirment for a new purchase