Help for RAM speed adjustment
Help for RAM speed adjustment
Hello, I’m looking to upgrade my PC’s RAM. It has an MSI Tomahawk Max b450 board, a Ryzen 5 3600 processor, and currently uses two G-Skill Ripjaws V sticks at 3600 MHz. I added the third and fourth sticks at the same speed, but once I tried running a game it would fail to open or crash. Eventually, even Windows stopped working properly. After checking online, I found that the system couldn’t handle four sticks at that speed, so I reduced it to 2166 and it functioned correctly. Now I’m wondering what caused the issue—could it be the motherboard or the processor? If it’s the motherboard, which one supports those speeds? If it’s the processor, would upgrading to a 5600X be a good idea? Thanks for your help.
It mainly involves the CPU's memory controller, though some motherboard designs can handle it too. Most consumer CPUs can't manage four high-speed RAM modules, even new systems often struggle when all slots are packed. Usually it's the CPU's IMC (internal memory controller), but sometimes the motherboard plays a role.
The situation involves mixed memory configurations where identical model numbers don’t guarantee matching RAM modules. If you have photos of each stick’s label, you can identify whether they’re truly compatible, though the large distance between purchases suggests they’re likely different. The Ryzen 3000/5000 memory controller handles multiple DIMMs well; a good board can support DDR4 4000 with four slots. While performance drops compared to two slots, it still functions, albeit less efficiently. If the issue lies with the motherboard, the B450 Tomahawk is more probable culprit than the 3600 chipset, though adjustments may help. Increasing the SOC voltage to 1.15V and fine-tuning the ProcODT setting should stabilize most systems (use tools like Y-Cruncher 2.5B for initial checks, then Y-Cruncher VST or Linpack for confirmation). Changing BIOS versions could also improve compatibility—some versions work better with four DIMMs than others. Mixed memory generally causes problems at speeds above JEDEC standards; the 3600 is especially unreliable beyond that. For a more stable setup, consider placing the first two sticks in slots 1 and 2, and the remaining two in slots 3 and 4, as this arrangement often performs better (though this approach has mostly benefited Intel systems). The 5600X and 3600 share the same controller, but upgrading may not be necessary unless speed gains are essential.
I believe there were discussions before about users trying MSI boards and struggling with 4 sticks even at high speeds. Most ASRock 300 and 400 models worked fine, though some Taichi boards seemed problematic. You’d likely need to connect a trimpot to the RAM control pin to push voltage above 1.4V. Since you’re not targeting over 4000 MHz on four sticks, just tuning the MSI board should suffice. There are newer BIOS updates that could improve performance, but for now, sticking with the latest BIOS seems safer. It’s worth noting that some BIOS changes can affect stability, and certain chips freeze at specific frequencies without proper memory training. For AMD systems, newer updates might help, but for most users, a simple BIOS tweak is enough. There are also reports of issues with memory timing and cycles, so testing different settings can make a difference. Ultimately, if you want top performance, consider models like the Cessna APUs 5500, 5600G, or 5700G, which support 5000 MHz 1:1 operation at higher voltages. These are more expensive but offer better stability and speed compared to older options.
I am confident the RAM sticks I have are identical—they are both G-SKILL Ripjaws V 2.8 GB DDR4-3600 modules.
They aren't necessarily identical due to how RAM makers adjust memory ICs based on available components each day. Since various ICs have unique characteristics, this can lead to incompatibility. G.Skill typically displays an IC code alongside the serial number to identify their devices. If the last four digits differ significantly across kits—such as "821C" versus "810B"—it indicates distinct ICs, explaining the mismatch.