Can't figure out how to turn on XMP settings.
Can't figure out how to turn on XMP settings.
Hello My Specs: Mobo: ASUS Maximus XI Extreme CPU: i9-9900k GPU: RTX 2070 PSU: Corsair AX1600i Cooling: Custom Waterloop RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR4 4x8GB 4000Mhz 19-23-23-45 1.35v -> Gskill Trident Z DDR4 4x8Gb 4000MHz 15-16-16-36 1.5v So first thing, I'm an overclocking noob. I let AI Suite handle the CPU overclocking, but recently while tinkering with some settings I noticed my RAM was running at 2133MHz instead of the expected speed. I did some research on RAM and learned about the timings and frequency and how they work. Then I fell into the XMP rabbit hole. I found out my RAM wasn't running at 4000MHz because XMP wasn't enabled in my bios. Easy enough fix I thought, but no. I went to my bios and enabled XMP 2, saved, and rebooted. On the reboot, the mobo flashed a bunch of codes rapidly while the screen remained black, and then it reboots itself. It did that again on the second reboot so I hit both the bios and CMOS reset buttons on the back of the mobo. Reboot again and everything is as it should be, but now I'm back to default settings and my RAM running at 2133MHz. I tried manually adjusting the voltage and timings in the bios to the above specifications and when that didn't work I adjusted them incrementally to see if it would post, but no dice. From there I decide to run a MemTest. I didn't have any USB sticks lying around so I had to opt for Windows Memory Diagnostics Test at the moment. It runs the test and halfway through it said that hardware failure had been detected, it continued to run the test until about 3/4 of the way when it crashed. I get on new egg and order new RAM sticks (Gskill Trident Z DDR4 4x8Gb 4000MHz 15-16-16-36 1.5v). Fast forward to today. They arrive. I install them, boot the computer, things are working fine. I downloaded Karhu RAM Test, let it run for 30 min using 24448mb and 16 threads. I got around 500% coverage and 0 error count. From there I shut down the PC, boot to BIOS, enable XMP 2, and this time in the middle of booting it throws a mobo code of 55 then BSOD's with error code 0x000000e. If I reset the BIOS back to default it works fine. I'm currently running a longer test using the same settings and as of this moment, its been running for 2 hours and 27 min with 2869% coverage and 0 error counts. I'm now at the point where I don't think any more self research is gonna help me, and I need an experts advice. Any ideas? All help is very much appreciated. Cheers!
Hi RedLine, I had a similar issue before and it was because my motherboard wasn't reading the XMP profile correctly. In your BIOS there should be an option to read the XMP settings from your kit and it will hold more than just the main timings. It is usually called SPD or read SPD and you then select which memory stick you want to read. If you can not find this use Thaiphoon Burner to read the SPD of your ram kit. There will be two sets of numbers stored on here, one for stock JEDEC settings and one for XMP. Make sure you are reading the XMP settings. They will be listed under the higher frequency, should be around 2000mhz as ddr (double data rate) technically makes this 4000mhz. Write these down. Reboot without XMP enabled. Now...
Hey RedLine, I had the same trouble before. It happened because my motherboard wasn't reading the XMP settings right. In your BIOS, there should be a way to check the memory kit's settings using an option called "Read SPD." This helps you pick which specific RAM stick you want to look at. If you can't find this option, use Thaiphoon Burner to get those numbers from the RAM itself. The tool will save two sets of data: one for normal factory settings and another for XMP. Just make sure you're reading the XMP part because that's what matters most. These numbers usually show up under the higher speed setting, which should be about 2000mhz when DDR (double data rate) is involved—technically that means 4000mhz total. Write those down carefully. Reboot your computer without XMP turned on first. Then turn XMP back on and type in all the values you found by checking the SPD manually. Also, as a side note, it doesn't always matter, but check your motherboard's QVL (Qualified List) to see if that memory kit works with your setup. It might not support four sticks at once, so you'd need to drop the frequency or increase voltage until they start working. Best of luck and I hope this fixes your issue!