Check your motherboard's specifications to confirm compatibility with 3600MHz RAM.
Check your motherboard's specifications to confirm compatibility with 3600MHz RAM.
Board: MSI X370 Gaming Pro Carbon CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz (8GB x 2)
Checked MSI site for fit – listed Corsair 3600 but only single channel available.
I recommend avoiding the 3600 on a first-generation Ryzen processor. Aim for around 3000 or 3200 instead. The 3600 might not function, and honestly, the performance gain over 3000 is minimal. Your current RAM probably isn’t a good investment—upgrading the CPU would be a smarter choice, especially given how cheap 3600s are.
Currently, the Corsair Vengeance ram is available for a steal at $62 instead of its original price of $114. Your current setup is: 4GB x 4 Ballasitx 2400MHz.
You're allowed to try. Probably you're facing problems with the XMP profile. If it works but won't boot, lowering the speed might help. If it doesn't fit at all, it'll cause a major issue...
Could installing more RAM affect whether the system boots into BIOS or another mode?
It starts up at 2133 just like other DDR4 systems. The problem arises when XMP isn't functioning properly, causing all secondary and tertiary timings to be incorrect for achieving the desired high speed. If you skip XMP, try a higher voltage and a 3000 MHz setting, your timings will be too low to run at that frequency. This means you'll have to adjust around 30-40 RAM timings, which can be confusing or even cause the BIOS to fail to recognize other systems. RAM settings are quite tricky. When it works, it's fine; when it doesn't, it's a major issue. As long as XMP works, you should be fine. If it does, you can tweak the speed down. The main concern is that XMP may not apply at all, leaving you stuck at 2133 unless you manually adjust the RAM parameters.