F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop CPU updates happen quickly, RAM lasts only a short time after changes.

CPU updates happen quickly, RAM lasts only a short time after changes.

CPU updates happen quickly, RAM lasts only a short time after changes.

A
Atlas_343
Member
103
01-09-2022, 10:06 AM
#1
I recently assembled a system with a 13900K+4090 processor and 7200Mhz RAM. At first, I encountered a problem where the RAM didn’t hit 7200mhz without adjusting certain settings—this was considered typical at the time since it was a known issue. Later, I received a BIOS error indicating a memory failure, forcing me to drop the speed down to 5600mhz. Through some investigation, I discovered one of the RAM modules had failed. After swapping in fresh modules, I successfully achieved full 7200mhz performance without any adjustments (using stock XMP) and without errors during memory testing. I’m uncertain whether my CPU had been overclocked at that point, though it seemed the first stick struggled to reach speeds others from the same brand could manage. Once I replaced the faulty sticks, everything worked smoothly for a month. I observed elevated CPU temperatures and noticed the motherboard was supplying excessive voltage to the CPU by default. I reduced the voltage slightly and increased clock speeds, but didn’t alter DRAM parameters. A few days later, the RAM again failed. It was puzzling that it happened twice, especially since only the second slot appeared dead initially, while the fourth stick in dual-channel remained untouched. After swapping new modules, I limited BIOS tweaks to just enabling XMP, which helped temporarily. Eventually, I considered adjusting CPU voltages, but ignored it, keeping speeds steady. A couple of days passed, then the RAM died once more. It was strange that two sticks failed and the third slot stayed intact. After replacing the faulty ones, I stopped modifying BIOS settings beyond enabling XMP. For about a month, the system ran without problems. I also noticed CPU temps were high and the motherboard was delivering too much power to the CPU. I lowered the voltage slightly and boosted clock speeds, but kept everything else unchanged. A day later, the RAM again stopped working. It was odd that it happened twice, and I suspected only the second slot had failed at first, while the fourth stick in dual-channel stayed alive. Once new modules arrived, I limited BIOS changes to XMP only, and things stabilized for three months. I attempted a BIOS flash initially (using the latest version) to rule out corruption, but it didn’t resolve the issue. I’m wondering if adjusting CPU clock speeds contributed, though I kept them within normal ranges—just from stock to 5.8GHz per core and 5.7GHz on others with a -3 offset for thermal throttling. Still, this situation is confusing. I understand overclocking might be involved, but I haven’t altered RAM voltages or speeds beyond enabling XMP. I’m open to suggestions, as I’ve tried everything else. My specs include: 13900K, MSI MPG Z790 Edge DDR5 (BIOS v7D91vH6, a newer version is available), 7200MHz 32GB RAM, Zotac Extreme Aero 4090, Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360, Lian-Li 011D Evo, MSI MPG A1000G 1000W PSU, plus Coolermaster Masterfan Halo 120 fans. I own two Samsung 990 EVO 2TB drives and a few 2TB HDDs. Last updated: October 19, 2023.
A
Atlas_343
01-09-2022, 10:06 AM #1

I recently assembled a system with a 13900K+4090 processor and 7200Mhz RAM. At first, I encountered a problem where the RAM didn’t hit 7200mhz without adjusting certain settings—this was considered typical at the time since it was a known issue. Later, I received a BIOS error indicating a memory failure, forcing me to drop the speed down to 5600mhz. Through some investigation, I discovered one of the RAM modules had failed. After swapping in fresh modules, I successfully achieved full 7200mhz performance without any adjustments (using stock XMP) and without errors during memory testing. I’m uncertain whether my CPU had been overclocked at that point, though it seemed the first stick struggled to reach speeds others from the same brand could manage. Once I replaced the faulty sticks, everything worked smoothly for a month. I observed elevated CPU temperatures and noticed the motherboard was supplying excessive voltage to the CPU by default. I reduced the voltage slightly and increased clock speeds, but didn’t alter DRAM parameters. A few days later, the RAM again failed. It was puzzling that it happened twice, especially since only the second slot appeared dead initially, while the fourth stick in dual-channel remained untouched. After swapping new modules, I limited BIOS tweaks to just enabling XMP, which helped temporarily. Eventually, I considered adjusting CPU voltages, but ignored it, keeping speeds steady. A couple of days passed, then the RAM died once more. It was strange that two sticks failed and the third slot stayed intact. After replacing the faulty ones, I stopped modifying BIOS settings beyond enabling XMP. For about a month, the system ran without problems. I also noticed CPU temps were high and the motherboard was delivering too much power to the CPU. I lowered the voltage slightly and boosted clock speeds, but kept everything else unchanged. A day later, the RAM again stopped working. It was odd that it happened twice, and I suspected only the second slot had failed at first, while the fourth stick in dual-channel stayed alive. Once new modules arrived, I limited BIOS changes to XMP only, and things stabilized for three months. I attempted a BIOS flash initially (using the latest version) to rule out corruption, but it didn’t resolve the issue. I’m wondering if adjusting CPU clock speeds contributed, though I kept them within normal ranges—just from stock to 5.8GHz per core and 5.7GHz on others with a -3 offset for thermal throttling. Still, this situation is confusing. I understand overclocking might be involved, but I haven’t altered RAM voltages or speeds beyond enabling XMP. I’m open to suggestions, as I’ve tried everything else. My specs include: 13900K, MSI MPG Z790 Edge DDR5 (BIOS v7D91vH6, a newer version is available), 7200MHz 32GB RAM, Zotac Extreme Aero 4090, Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360, Lian-Li 011D Evo, MSI MPG A1000G 1000W PSU, plus Coolermaster Masterfan Halo 120 fans. I own two Samsung 990 EVO 2TB drives and a few 2TB HDDs. Last updated: October 19, 2023.