Issue with upgrading to a newer RAM module.
Issue with upgrading to a newer RAM module.
Hello, I upgraded my PC with two 16GB RAM sticks at 3600MHz Corsair LX series. After installation, it still shows error code 55, suggesting no RAM is present. However, when the old sticks are reinstalled, the system recognizes all modules and displays the correct speeds in BIOS and CPU-Z. I've updated the BIOS and changed XMP settings to auto, but it remains stuck at 2400MHz. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. PC specs: Asrock Z170 Extreme4 I5 6600K with GTX 1080.
The specifications indicate your CPU is compatible with DDR4-2133. Speeds above this are overclocked and may not function reliably. A 2400MHz performance seems to be the optimal option for your setup.
I know it might not operate at full performance, but it should still manage to upload using just the 16GB drives even when running at 2400MHz. Without the original RAM it fails to upload and triggers a memory error on the motherboard, but with the proper RAM it works smoothly and all memory is accessible. Shouldn't it automatically reduce its speed after several unsuccessful attempts? My XMP settings are either auto or profile 1, yet they still don’t upload properly.
You're limited to choosing between XMP profile 1 or auto, and even in advanced settings you can adjust RAM speed manually. However, you're still unable to reach speeds like 2133 or 2400. Removing the motherboard battery won't disable XMP, so that approach didn't help.
It can downclock but there is a huge gap between 3600 and 2400. Maybe the manufacturer did not care to test at that lower speed. Also, DDR4 does not really do memory training like DDR5 now do. DDR4 boots or does not. When it fails to boot, BIOS resets to default (maybe with a a "failed overclock" warning). If the default is still no good for the ram, then it won't post. What happens with the old+new mix of RAM sticks is probably that the new ram just won't downclock all the way up to 2400 but it is still able to run at that speed if manually set or if the old ram requires that lower speed. What you can do is boot with the old and new RAM and copy the timings. If your BIOS won't show the actual timings, you can use an utility like CPU-z to get the actual timings. Make sure the settings are set to manual and try removing the old RAM. Boot into BIOS and make sure the settings are still set to manual. This is not guaranteed to work because if your BIOS resets to default when you remove your old RAM, your computer won't probably boot again. But there is a chance that it will keep the settings and then boot with the new RAM alone. Last question, is there a reason you want to remove the old RAM from your system ? Unless you are running out of memory slots, more RAM won't hurt your performance. Good luck !
I plan to try this out, because I've noticed others achieving speeds above 3200Mhz on Skylake with various configurations. My motherboard specs indicate it can handle up to 3800Mhz, which should allow faster performance than 2400Mhz. Having 32GB of RAM is sufficient if I manage to get higher clock speeds from the system.
I didn't locate a setting to turn off under the OC tweaks section, though it might be in another area. The auto description indicates it will adjust the clock speed to match the stick's capabilities, which is confusing since they currently run at 2400Mhz. Even after removing the old RAM in this setup, I still encounter error 55 and think reseating it could help.