It seems your device is giving you unusual instructions about adding RAM.
It seems your device is giving you unusual instructions about adding RAM.
I bought a GIGABYTE B850M DS3H AMD AM5 LGA 1718 motherboard. During installation, it displayed a small graphic to guide RAM placement in an unusual order. Typically, for a 4-slot RAM slot, I’d place sticks in slots 0 and 2 (01 being closest to the CPU, 0123 all slots). The board instructed me to start with slots 1 and 3. I followed its directions, but it feels strange and incorrect. Is this typical? Should I rearrange the slots?
Yes, it's quite typical. If you need the system to remain operational, the placement follows a standard memory topology. Most modern motherboards use the "Daisy Chain" design, directing traces to the inner slot first before connecting adjacent slots. This arrangement helps maintain signal quality despite shorter wires. However, when only a single stick fits the first slot, the unfinished wire at the end can behave like an antenna, leading to signal problems. Slots 2 and 4 generally offer the best signal integrity, which is crucial for high-frequency DDR5 systems. This preference has been consistent for some time, with most boards favoring these positions starting from the CPU. Older models occasionally deviated, but today's designs prioritize stability and performance.
When? The standard "2/4" or "last of the chain" has been used for at least 15 years due to this reason.
It has been slots 1 and 3 first, even on my ASUS Crosshair V Formula from around 2011. From what I observe, they didn't begin silk-screening the diagram or recommended slots until AMD 400-series boards (like X470, B450). Just noted in the manual.
They choose black so the red slots stay hidden when they're full. I might be getting old, but I don’t remember A1B1 being okay before. It seems the end of each channel is always the same, at least that’s what I recall. On my X58 R3F, fill the red slots first, then add more from back to front if needed—the opposite of erasing. You don’t want to go back and forth like that.