Problem with RAM performance on Ryzen 9 5900x system
Problem with RAM performance on Ryzen 9 5900x system
Hello everyone, I’ve upgraded to a 5900x from my 5600x and two 16GB kits of 3600MHz Corsair Vengeance RAM. It’s installed on an Asus TUF B550M board. I’ve noticed problems with the PC starting up at the rated speed; it works fine when I lower it to 3200MHz. The same happened with my 5600x, which had a single 8GB kit at 3600MHz. I transferred the older 32GB kit to another system with the same board but a 3600MHz RAM, and it booted correctly there too. I’m wondering if the motherboard itself might be affecting how much RAM it can support. I’m curious whether there’s a difference between systems even with identical boards—like with processors or graphics cards, where some units perform better and are more stable. Is this something you should consider when choosing a board?
Is the BIOS current? What RAM configuration are we using? A few kits aren't compatible with AMD systems. Using four dimms usually doesn't work on most boards by default—you'll need to adjust settings yourself. For a 32 GB system, choose a 2x16 kit. If you need 64 GB, opt for a 2x32 kit. Avoid four dimms; it won't function properly. Some memory modules are just placeholders, others perform better. Based on what I remember, around 25% of Ryzen 3000 models couldn't exceed 3200 MHz with RAM, and this dropped slightly for the Ryzen 5000 but stayed similar overall.
It might be bios-related, but pairing the CPU with Ryzen and Corsair Vengeance isn't ideal either. Just because the CPU is quicker doesn't guarantee success. Suggest starting at 3200 and avoid major risks. Alternatively, consider overclocking manually or upgrading RAM—preferably with a high-quality module.
Reverse the previous installation to restore full performance; otherwise maintain 3200 unless you run at 3600. The situation likely stems from purchasing two distinct kits, possibly using a generic XMP bin (likely 3600C18 or 3600C16 if you misled yourself). Therefore, it’s probable the ICs were mismatched. If you intend to use four sticks, consider acquiring OEM green PCBs from Samsung or Hynix—those are guaranteed to include the same die for a specific part number. Buying four M378A1G43EB1 chips would provide dual-rank 4Gbit dies and should handle the 3800–4000 range with minor adjustments.
They are C18 kits. Even with the previous configuration, it wasn’t operating at 3600 and it was a 32GB 8x4 3600 C18 kit. Although that one started up using the older 3600 at 3600MHz. I attempted manual tuning in the past with a Ryzen 5 2400 and an 8GBX2 3200MHz TFLOPS kit. It didn’t seem worth the effort at the time. I couldn’t significantly boost the speed, but I was able to adjust the timings. It wasn’t worth it. The system generally worked fine, but every crash made me think about resetting back to the original settings. That’s what I did eventually. I wanted to get the most out of my investment. I purchased a 3600MHz RAM and expected better performance. As you can see, you get what you pay for.