This project is completely out of my league.
This project is completely out of my league.
I swapped in my previous Asus Z10PE-D8 WS board for two Xeon e5-2690 v3 processors, four 8GB DDR4 2133 CL15 ECC units, and a Vega 64 graphics card. I also added a 6950XT. Early troubles were tough—mostly assembling everything, but the BIOS screen only showed "press DEL or F2 to enter BIOS." I managed to restart using a friend’s spare 3600XT and a fresh BIOS on a flash drive. Frequent random restarts and BSODs appeared, sometimes with visual glitches ("WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR"). I suspect the problem lies with the GPU drivers.
On day two, I invested hours in installing new GPU drivers, but each attempt ended in failure or crashes. My SSD became unreliable—Windows detected it inconsistently, and the BIOS only worked sporadically. Eventually, I backed up data and reformatted the SSD (instead of formatting in place due to instability). Windows installation failed repeatedly, and I reached out to Microsoft support, who provided solid guidance. They suggested using chipset/SATA drivers on another flash drive during setup. The system would crash during CDM or major updates. After some trial and error, I installed Windows via boot media, which felt more stable. Drivers for GPU, chipset, and updates came through without issues. Random reboots stopped after about 30 minutes of booting.
I tried updating drivers again, but any changes caused a hard restart. Audio issues persisted—everything sounded distorted, like it was being filtered. I plan to run Memtest86 tomorrow to check RAM and contacted Asus to confirm warranty status (purchased late 2020).
Additional notes: The artifacts disappeared after driver updates. I’m not sure about GPU problems anymore; they seem resolved with the latest fixes. I’ll be back tomorrow and the next day to see how it goes.
Selecting unusual components despite having a Ryzen 7000 is possible. Fast RAM boosters are mainly for enthusiasts, so sticking to only the 3200C16 and 3600C18 options makes sense. These parts often cause problems, so ditching both motherboards and RAM is wise. Avoid buying expensive RAM; consider a more affordable 3600C18 setup to save money and troubles. If you can replace everything, you can go with Ryzen 7000, but if you prefer sticking with the 5000 series, that's acceptable though there are no further upgrade routes.
I acquired my motherboard more than two and a half years ago and didn’t pay attention to it. About two weeks ago, I realized I still had it, so I purchased a 5900X for around $290.
Great suggestion. I’ll give it a shot.
EDIT: Checked my machine without DOCP, set FCLK to auto and RAM at 2666MHz. Then verified stock settings, again with DOCP enabled but FCLK active. (Currently running.) Much more stable—my audio issue is resolved. Still unsure if it’s fully stable, but I’ll share more updates if needed.
Feeling a bit embarrassed for not considering this sooner; I assumed all Ryzen 5000 Vermeer CPUs handled 2000MHz FCLK without issues.
Vermeer imc performs adequately for most CPUs, with around 3800 stable runs, though some may reach 4000 occasionally. Desync FCLK is present but offers limited advantage until you're deep into DDR4 OC (>4600). Keeping VSOC near 1.1-1.15v optimizes performance for Vermeer; increasing it further isn't beneficial unless your setup specifically requires it. Cezzane, on the other hand, provides better scaling, making 5000+ DDR4 1:1 feasible.
I’ll likely set the RAM back to 3800 with a clock frequency of 1900, but keep other settings as per the DOCP profile. If I choose that path, everything should work fine so far—over two hours of uptime recorded. I’ll keep the system running for a bit more, and if no unexpected restarts occur, I’ll think the issue is resolved.
No way... definitely not. The sweet spot is 3600, and no setup can beat it. Probably just what the problem was after all.
These dual CCD chips usually run at lower fCLK compared to single CCDs such as the 5700X. You might see performance capping between 3866 and around 3733 DDR4, where the latter often requires desync FCLK and slower RAM due to the slower clock speed. The optimal performance depends on your CPU's capabilities—some can reach up to 4000, while others may only hit 3866. If you need further assistance, just share a screenshot of the burner and I’ll help adjust it.