Zen 4 slow boot: Restore memory context, is it safe to power down?
Zen 4 slow boot: Restore memory context, is it safe to power down?
Key parts include 7800X3D Asus B650E-F GAMING WIFI - bios 2613 Corsair Vengeance CMK64GX5M2B6000Z30 6000C30 2x32GB EXPO. Since setting it up, booting has been notably slow. I never measured the time, but the delay from pressing power button to POST was substantial. Other operating systems would launch at Windows desktop before this stage. Task manager showed the last one took about 57 seconds. My Zen 3 laptop beside me finished in just 3 seconds. Whether turning off or on EXPO made no difference. It even occurs during warm restarts. I found some advice suggesting Memory Context Restore might help, though reports say it can cause instability and conflicts with another setting Power Down. I’m unsure about the current consensus. I haven’t located a clear guide, only endless forum discussions that seem unproductive. Perhaps I should start my own thread now. There’s a newer BIOS since installation, but the change notes only say “improves performance,” which isn’t very helpful. I might try it later. While I’m here, are there other adjustments I could make? I’m mostly using stock settings except for EXPO.
Bypassing memory training can lead to some issues, but with the latest BIOS updates the risk is minimal. Since the 1.0.0.7b AGESA update, MCR has performed quite well and I've used it on all AM5 boards I've assembled. Regarding Power Down interactions, I haven't seen any problems, so keep it enabled automatically. The Buildzoid timing can boost performance slightly, but if your main aim is faster boot times, MCR remains the top choice. You might also tweak the memory training parameters to speed up startup, though this carries a higher instability risk compared to MCR.
Thanks, I'll give it a shot later when I can run some stress tests. I noticed many mentions about toggling on/off based on MCR settings—could this be an older restriction? I suspect it might have been a limitation before. I bought Zen 4 late in the cycle, so maybe things were different then. I came across a video, but it doesn’t look ideal for reviewing memory configurations. I was wondering if there are typical adjustments people make. Usually I only overclock for enjoyment, favoring stability for everyday tasks. Things like undervolting or curve tweaks seem minimal impact. I’m not very familiar with Zen 4 yet.
He posted a Patreon update covering the topic as well, though the video is straightforward to use. It’s not a huge amount, around 1000 points in R23 when optimizing the curve. The biggest problem with MCR is reduced instability after startup and the difficulty rebooting. When you try to power on, the system stays stuck on the DRAM LED. If this happens, turn off the PSU for a few minutes and it should start up again. Don’t stress about running a stress test when enabling MCR—just monitor for this issue.
I finally updated the BIOS for my motherboard and activated MCR. As discussed, it appears connected to Power Down—when I enable MCR, the BIOS automatically sets PD to Enabled too. I can still make manual adjustments afterward. After setting it, I ran a 3-minute Aida64 memory test and a 4-minute Prime95 blend. It’s not much testing, but just to ensure stability. Then I launched Wuthering Waves; during a boss flight, the screen displayed a slideshow with updates every few seconds. I’ve been playing since launch without any performance issues before. After about 10 seconds, the game returned to normal timing. The mouse functioned, but keyboard control was completely lost. I tried using another USB keyboard, which wasn’t recognized. The power button still initiated a clean shutdown, and everything seemed fine after reboot. Could this be linked to MCR/PD or just an isolated issue? I checked Event Viewer briefly, but didn’t find anything relevant. MCR cut the typical POST time from 57 seconds to around 9 seconds. Edit: wuwa is known for various issues, though I haven’t seen any yet. I’ve run over 20 minutes of Aida64 and Prime95 blends without errors. Probably just a random glitch unless it recurs.