AMD processors show issues when XMP is activated
AMD processors show issues when XMP is activated
I recently assembled two AMD builds using Ryzen 3600 CPUs. Both ran on the B450 chipset—one with an Asrock Pro 4 and the other with a Gigabyte Aorus Elite—and both had 16 GB of RAM (two 8 GB sticks from Corsair Vengeance LPX, 3200 MHz). I followed the manual instructions to install the RAM in the recommended slots and enabled XMP. Unfortunately, both systems are now unstable. I’m concentrating on the Gigabyte build because that’s the only one I own. After clearing the CMOS on the Aorus board, the system stopped crashing during games and has been running smoothly for three days now. The only consistent setting across both systems was XMP for RAM.
I have a few questions:
1. What should I do to fix this issue?
2. I’m planning an upgrade from an i7-4770 to a Ryzen 5000 and am worried about similar problems. Will buying two 16 GB sticks help?
3. How would adding four RAM sticks instead of two affect stability?
4. When using dual-channel with four sticks, how does it work?
It will function identically. Dual-channel depends on the internal buses the system employs rather than the quantity of RAM sticks you possess.
It seems like the issue was resolved by replacing the RAM modules. The problem disappeared after installing a new pair of RAM sticks.
It's good to hear! For the upgrade I was discussing, I was thinking about a Ryzen 5000, and maybe I'll switch to a Ryzen 7 5700X. I'm curious if they'll face the same problems as the current generation Ryzen chips. The idea is to tweak things like timings, frequency, and voltages... What changed since those early days when RAM just fit into the slot without issues? Or should I skip XMP settings altogether because I don't want to pay for a different speed than what I got? I also don't like forcing the system to run at whatever frequency it's actually using.
Yeah, Ryzen is quite particular about memory, can't even source a Samsung D-Die kit I have to start up though... Back in the day, RAM was built and tuned for the available platforms, which is why most memory came out before Ryzen existed, so there weren't any optimizations made for it. Still, newer memory options like the G.Skill Flare kits have been fine-tuned for Ryzen. If you're looking into memory dies, Hyix CJR/DJR, Micron E-Die and Samsung B-Die usually work best with Ryzen, both for compatibility and overclocking.
I hope I hadn't missed this earlier when recommending and purchasing AMD systems for my friend and brother... I should have considered Intel instead. I often question whether the Ryzen 5000 would face similar problems...