Asus Prime B660 Plus with D4 PCIe Gen 5 support? There are more concerns to address.
Asus Prime B660 Plus with D4 PCIe Gen 5 support? There are more concerns to address.
This situation could become a bit intricate, but I’ll do my best to include as many specifics as needed. From what I understand, the motherboard doesn’t have PCIe x16 Gen 5 support, though the BIOS lists it as an option. Setting the slot to that doesn’t make a difference, and the GPU still shows the 3080Ti as working on PCIe x16 4.0. Regarding the RAM, my system only recognizes the GTZR model instead of the GTRS, which is the Tridentz Royal variant. The main distinction appears to be voltage compatibility—GTRS supports 1.2V while GTZR requires 1.35V. The problem seems to stem from trying to run the GTZR RAM at its rated speed (3600MHz), causing crashes in games like Destiny 2 every few minutes. I’m attempting it at 3200MHz, but there’s no way to achieve its full speed. Additionally, the RGB lighting on the third slot from the left flickers or turns off after a 3DMark check of system info, only returning when I power the PC back on instead of restarting. My BIOS is up to date, and XMP is disabled; I’m currently using the RAM at 3200MHz OC.
It’s common to inherit BIOS settings from premium boards. Manufacturers often reuse BIOS configurations and memory layouts, which can lead to such inconsistencies (like the Z690 Apex with only two DIMM slots but BIOS expecting four). ASUS tends to do this least among the major vendors, though it still occurs. Disregard those settings—they’re likely errors left in. The same memory modules work, just with different heat spreaders; your board should handle them.
For a 3600 CL18 kit, you’ll need at least 1.35V or higher. No chip can run at 1.2V for XMP stability.
If you’re using a non-K 12th or 13th generation CPU, the problem arises because these chips have fixed system voltages, limiting memory speeds to around 3466MT/s unless cooled well. Stronger CPUs can hit 3733MT/s with proper cooling.
Many of these chips can reach 3600 under water cooling, though it seems like you're among those with a CPU whose memory controller isn't very responsive. Actually, the CPUs have fixed voltages, and 3400MT/s in Gear 1 will offer significantly better performance than 3600MT/s in Gear 2 (where 3600MT/s becomes functional). You might need to adjust VCCSA in the BIOS to 1V (the highest setting if it wasn't set that way), and tweak the IVR Transmitter voltage—keep it under 1.45V, though I'm unsure how far that goes on a locked 12th generation chip. It doesn’t seem likely you can force 3600 unless you have precise control over the hardware.
Whether the MB allows it or not, your GPU isn't compatible with PCIe 5. It will always operate at version 4.0. (PCIe 5 is still emerging. There were whispers that the AMD RX 7600 XT was believed to be the first to support it, but I haven't verified that yet)