Bugs with BSOD happening on a new Ryzen 9 9950X3D computer - could it be the RAM?
Bugs with BSOD happening on a new Ryzen 9 9950X3D computer - could it be the RAM?
Hey everyone, I'm having random BSODs show up on my brand new computer and I'm really hoping someone can give me some advice or insights into what might be going wrong right now. As of today, I think it's related to the system Memory but I'd love any suggestions for testing or fixing things.
Here is a breakdown of my setup details and the steps I've already taken:
System Specs:
Motherboard: MSI MPG X870E Carbon Wifi
CPU: Ryzen 9 9950X3D
RAM: Corsair Dominator Titanium 96GB (Model: CMP96GX5M2B6800C40)
Note: The RAM kit is on the Qualified Vendor List and has been tested for AXMP profiles at speeds of 6800 and 7000 MT/s.
My Boot Drive: Corsair MP700 Pro SE 4TB PCIe Gen 5 NVMe
My GPU: Nvidia RTX 3090 Founders Edition
Here is what I'm seeing:
I keep getting BSODs with error codes like SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION, IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, and PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA. When I run the RAM at AXMP Profile 2 (7000 MT/s), I get these errors several times a day. After switching to AXMP Profile 1 (6800 MT/s), the frequency dropped way down (about once every couple days), but the problem is still there.
Here are what I've tried so far:
Memory Testing: I ran MemTest and stress-tested with y-cruncher. Both tests finished without showing any memory errors.
Adjusting Memory Settings: I changed from AXMP Profile 2 to AXMP Profile 1.
BIOS Update: I updated the BIOS to the latest MSI version, ver 7E49v1A3.
Here are some questions for you guys in the community:
Is this an issue with my RAM kit itself, or could something else be causing it (like motherboard settings or CPU compatibility)? Do you think any specific BIOS settings or firmware updates would help make things more stable? I'd also appreciate suggestions on tweaking memory timings, voltages, and other related parameters. Since I'm not super familiar with adjusting these things myself, I would really need some help or insight in this area.
Beyond MemTest and y-cruncher, what other diagnostic tools do you recommend to figure out if the problem is here or somewhere else?
Since I am within the 30-day return window, I want to know if I should be looking for a refund or replacement of the RAM kit, or just trying another one. Any insights, advice on how to test things properly, or similar experiences from others would help me out a lot.
I really don't want to run into more stability problems as soon as I start using the system for heavy tasks. Thanks in advance for any help you can give!
Great job getting your 9950X3D running at 7,000MT/s. I don't know if this is normal or super fast, but the fastest speed listed on CPU World is 5,600MT/s. If you try to go higher and the system gets unstable, you might need to change some settings called EXPO values. Maybe you could just make the CL/CAS a bit slower by one or two clock cycles? You can check that site: https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Zen/AMD-Ryzen 9 9950X3D.html Integrated peripherals / components Memory controller Memory channels (total): 2 Supported memory: DDR5-5600 ECC supported: Yes When I built my 7950X system back in 2023, fast RAM was way too expensive for my pocket, so I bought 2 x 32GB Kingston Fury DIMMs running at 4,800MT/s. Even though prices have gone down, I can't bother changing the RAM anymore. In any case, programs like Adobe Premiere Pro don't care much about speed on AMD systems, so it would be a waste of money for me.
It's probably better to just bump up the latency numbers and switch to 5600 or 6000 speed settings. With AMD chips, it can get a little tricky when you try DDR5 at those high speeds over 6000. Intel is a bit more forgiving in this area.
I saw that too, but I want to point out that this kit shows up on the MSI compatibility list for those 9000 series Ryzen boards if it matters. The AXMP profiles are already pushing them down to 1.4 volts right now. I'm at work so I'll check it out once I get home.
It shows up on the MSI list, but these parts don't have an EXPO feature and they aren't suggested as good choices when you look at the specs on the Corsair or Newegg pages. Check those product websites for more details.
That's fair, thanks for sharing your insight. I thought if something was on the QVL List under Memory by 9XXX that it had already been tested and proven to run smoothly with those settings. After reading the guide from corsair (https://www.corsair.com/ca/en/explorer/d...therboard/), I realized that memory would actually work because the motherboard can still read and apply XMP profiles like timings, voltages, etc. Usually, it just shows up with a different name, like ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile or in my case MSI uses AXMP. But there is one note: "you might find that you simply cannot hit full speed when paired with your AMD CPU; you should be able to get it running, just not at the fastest speeds." Once I go home, I'll adjust things and try setting it up for 6400MHz and 1.4v, see what happens. Maybe in the end I'll have to buy a different kit since this is my first time using DDR5 and I didn't know how picky AMD can be with those speeds.
The only real differences between an EXPO kit and a normal XMP kit come from the numbers written inside the profile when you turn that feature on. If you use an Intel AM5 chip, it gets really unstable at high speeds and needs more power than regular chips, so the settings are adjusted for safety. If you just copy an EXPO profile onto your RAM and run it at a lower speed instead of what it was meant for, it will still work fine because you aren't using the full potential. However, if you bought expensive 7000 MT/s RAM that is only rated to go up to 6400 or even slower speeds like 6200 MT/s, you might be throwing away a lot of money just running it at its maximum. Remember, you also have to check the timings because resetting your BIOS to default settings and jumping straight to 6400 MT/s could cause problems since the original timing for 4800 MT/s is very tight for that speed. A better idea is to enable EXPO first and then slowly lower the clock speed from there. If you find a stable result at that slower speed, you can probably tune down the timings to make it even faster with less lag. For example, if you are running 6200 MT/s, you should be able to run comfortably at CL 32-39-39-102.
Just a quick note here: I set up my RAM on the AXMP 1 Profile (6800MHz at 1.4v) then lowered it to 6600 MHz. So far, everything has been smooth and stable; I haven't seen any BSODs yet. I'll wait one week to see if there are more stability problems, and if not, I plan to return this kit and buy a 6600MHz Dominator Platinum instead. This is the CMP96GX5M2B6600C32 model; it's not technically on the QVL list, but the other version, CMP96GX5M2B6600C32W, is. The only change between them seems to be the DIMM color: black versus white. At that point, if I have issues, I'll probably just return these and find a 6000MHz kit to fix the problem, since going with 6600MHz on this current kit has been stable so far and saves me from returning the more expensive 7000MHz kit. Thanks to everyone for their help and suggestions; I will post another update if things go wrong or need fixing later.