Question AM5 motherboard with non-QVL RAM ?

[Pimpom]

I'm stuck with a combination of an AM5 motherboard and a RAM kit that's not on the QVL (never mind the circumstances. Long story.)

The components are:
Mobo: MSI Pro B650-VC WiFi II
RAM: G.Skill F5-6000J3636F16Gx2-RM5RW (EXPO turned on)
CPU: Ryzen 7 9700X (will not be overclocked)
GPU: None yet, but will likely be an RTX 5060 Ti
SSD: WD SN770 1TB.
OS: None yet, but will be Windows 11.

I've run several passes of memtest86 at default settings. No errors so far. Will keep on testing.

If memtest86 continues to give it a clean bill of health, what are the chances of the combination becoming problematic later on in actual use for tasks like video editing and playing demanding games?

 

[Lutfij]

G.Skill F5-6000J3636F16Gx2-RM5RW (EXPO turned on)
https://www.gskill.com/product/165/421/1725420318/F5-6000J3636F16GX2-RM5RW
Per the info listed on the ram's product page, you're good to go since it has both AMD's E.X.P.O as well as Intel's X.M.P baked into the kit. Just make sure you're on the latest BIOS version for your motherboard.

As for memtest, if the tests after 10passes comes out without an error and you don't see any instability or lockups when taxed, you're good to go.

Just to add, a QVL is used to certify that the ram kit was tested in the motherboard maker's lab...if we had a QVL with every ram out there in the market to date, the motherboard wouldn't have seen the light of day(be released). Go with the info on the ram kit's site and then move forward.

 

[Misgar]

You'll probably be OK. I'm running a 4K upscale on a 7950X with ancient 4800MT/s DDR5 Kingston Fury (2 x 32GB). There wasn't any affordable 6000MT/s RAM back in 2022 when I built the rig.

I have to limit my GPU to 95% power using MSI Afterburner to ensure stability in Topaz Video AI. The app is more stable than it used to be but still not 100%. Switching from a 3060 to a 4070 hasn't made any difference. I still need to restrict GPU power.

What this means is that even if MemTest86 gives a green light after ten complete passes, there's still no absolute guarantee your video editing will be 100% glitch free. Only time will tell.

There's very little to be gained overclocking RAM in DaVinci or Premiere Pro on AMD CPUs, so it won't matter if you have to drop down from 6000MT/s.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...023-update/#Video_Editing_and_Motion_Graphics

 

[Pimpom]

Thanks. Lutfij and Misgar.
Yes, I understand that there's no 100% guarantee with most things in life, including computers. But it's good to know that the mobo-RAM combo can be expected to run without any problem. It comes as a surprise to see that RAM clock and latency makes so little difference with DaVinci Resolve.

 

[Misgar]

it's good to know that the mobo-RAM combo can be expected to run without any problem

I wouldn't be quite so bold as to claim all combinations of 6000MT/s RAM will be 100% stable on a Ryzen system, but things have improved considerably since I built my rig. I recommend installing Windows at JEDEC 4800MT/s, then enable XMP/EXPO/DOCP after you've got the OS and a few programs installed. Saves re-installing Windows if something gets corrupted at 6000MT/s.

It comes as a surprise to see that RAM clock and latency makes so little difference with DaVinci Resolve.

I think more people are interested in gaming, where higher RAM speeds and tighter latencies can make a big difference, so that's where you see most reporting on sites like Tom's. Video apps especially seem to be less affected by different RAM speeds.

With photo and video work, it's more about multiple CPU and GPU CUDA cores plus large amounts of RAM (both system and GPU). For professionals, a 96-core 192-thread AMD Threadripper and a bunch of 96GB RTX 6000 ADA GPUs should eventually pay their way.

 

[JayGau]

The QVL only means that a particular RAM worked on this board, during a test. It doesn't even mean it will work for you (depending on your CPU and what you do with it). And it certainly doesn't mean that a RAM kit that is not on the list won't work.

I don't even look at the QVL anymore. I just pick the RAM I want and if it doesn't work with the default profile I tweak it at little bit until it's stable (usually only requires to slightly tune the voltage and/or the timing).

 

[geofelt]

If memtest shows NO errors after a couple of full passes, you are ok.