Question EDITED: No DDR4-3600 for MSI Gaming Plus Max - Prove me wrong

PurpleChange

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Hi, please talk to me like I'm stupid. I'm wanting to upgrade my first ever build. I'm an amateur at best.

Current build (may 2020):
MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max
Ryzen 5 3600
Arctic Freezer 34 eSports Duo CPU Cooler
G.Skill Ripjaws V16 GB (2 X 8) DDR4-3200 CL16 - Part # F4-3200C16D-16GVKB
MSI GTX 1660 Super Ventus XS OC (original gpu) / Gigabyte Aorus Elite RTX 3060 Ti 3x OC (recent upgrade April 2022)
Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD
Crucial MX500 1TB SSD
WD Caviar Blue 1 TB HDD
FSP Hydro GE 650W 80+ Gold
Fractal Design Focus G ATX case
2x 140mm fans (in front)
3x 120mm fans (2x out back & top / 1 in bottom)
Kingwin 5.25" Front Bay USB Hub / Card Reader

My issue: I'm wanting upgrade to a Ryzen 5 5600X or perhaps a Ryzen 7 5800X (that's settled). But I'm also wanting to upgrade to 32GB RAM. I've already decided against my original plan of just adding 2X sticks of my original DDR4-3200 after reading about the possibility of the 2 kits not playing well together (I think that's more than I can handle). So I'm looking for a new 32GB kit, preferably DDR4-3600 CL16 to best suit the Ryzen 5000 series.

Man, I am running into compatibility confusion.

Am I right in understanding that the MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max does NOT support DDR4-3600? MSI's support page lists memory compatibility as:
"For AMD Ryzen Gen3 (R5/R7/R9)
2667/ 2800/ 2933/ 3000/ 3066/ 3200/ 3466/ 4000/ 4133 MHz (by A-XMP OC MODE)
For AMD Other CPU
2667/ 2800/ 2933/ 3000/ 3066/ 3200/ 3466 MHz (by A-XMP OC MODE)"

Also when looking up the QVL on various DDR4-3600 kits, my mobo is NEVER listed. I haven't found a single kit or DDR4-3600 that is listed as compatible.

EDIT: Also, how reliable is this site: pangoly ? It also list NO DDR4-3600 RAM as being compatible with my mobo. EDIT

Again, does my mobo just NOT support DDR4-3600? Or have newer kits just not been tested on these older boards and that's why it's excluded from the QVL?
Do I need to alternatively go with 3466? or 4000?

Or am I missing something obvious (quite likely)?
I'm really hoping to avoid purchasing a new mobo. Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks in advance.

P.S.
I've been advised to try the G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 But as mobo compatibility is not listed, I'm apprehensive without a little more info there. Hopefully you fine folk can elaborate.
 
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PurpleChange

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Worst case you can set to a lower DRAM Frequency with XMP enabled and the system should work fine at what it can support.
Can't I just buy RAM that will work? I'm stupid and I would have no idea how to lower DRAM Frequency or even what it means. Maybe you could explain further.

OR, if you are gskill support can you just recommend some G.Skill DDR4-3600 RAM that will work in this instance? OOB? That would be really helpful.

I'm really trying to avoid ALL "worst case" scenarios.
 
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PurpleChange

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Maybe I need to simplify my questioning:

Can I reasonably and affordably upgrade to 32GB DDR4-3600 CL16 RAM on a MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max WITHOUT fiddling to make it work?

OR

Is there a reasonably priced, in-stock 32 GB DDR4-3600 CL16 kit that I can assuredly drop in a MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max with a R55600X or R73800X, click "enable XMP" in BIOS and be done?

It's really a "yes" or "no" question. I understand there is a LOT I don't understand and am likely missing. Again, I'm STUPID and totally inexperienced other than this first build , with which I had a LOT of help with from this forum in particular. I'm not interested in navigating "worst case" scenarios at all. I would drive myself and all of you crazy.

To make it simple: If I have to fiddle to make it work, I'd rather break the bank and order a newer, more compatible mobo (not likely) OR just scrap the upgrade completely. Or perhaps settle for a DDR4-3200 which is listed as being compatible with my mobo (this is sadly where I feel I'm headed).

It's not worth it. With my luck and experience I'd just end up with $500 worth of bricked components. I'm a drop and play kind of PC builder. I don't fiddle well.

Thanks, and sorry if I come off as a jerk. I'm just frustrated, confused and have been at this for days only to be more confused.

I thought I had built a PC with an upgrade path. That's what I get for thinking. PC's are, it seems, like all else today. Nothing is upgradeable, only replaceable.
 
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PurpleChange

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After further research I'm changing the heading of this thread. Prove me wrong.

I searched dozens of forums under search heading: "MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max DDR4-3600" and cannot find a single instance where this combo worked at speed and without major compatibility issues.

Please, prove me wrong. I want to be wrong.
 

PurpleChange

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Here is a list of memory kits that will work with XMP Profile alone (assuming CPU is natively capable):

https://www.gskill.com/configurator...524715120&chipset=1531979578&model=1531979658

DDR4-3600+ likely requires additional adjustment and BIOS setting that it sounds like you prefer not to get into so we recommend using a DDR4-3200 kit in the G.Skill RAM Configurator above.

:(
There are no DDR4-3200 kits compatible with my mobo per your configurator. "No Products Found!" The best that configurator recommends for my mobo in a 32GB kit (that's in stock anywhere) is DDR4-2666 CL18

However I agree. 3200 seems to be the target for my mobo and cpu: reference

"...it’s essential to note that the B450, just like the older B350, has native support of 2666 MHz RAM with the ability to overclock past 3200 MHz (max overclocked speed for B350) to about 3466 MHz (only for the B450)..."

The only 32GB 3466 MHz kit that I can find available is the Kingston Hyper Fury Black - a single 32GB stick... it's $300

So, yeah. DDR4-3200. Or an almost guaranteed headache.

I cannot find a single compatibility chart/calculator/configurator or especially QVL that lists the MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max compatible with a single DDR4-3600 kit.

Oh well. Maybe I don't really need 32GB RAM. I'll just let Cities: Skylines stutter and choke until the AM5 socket comes out. Spending a wad of cash at the end of a chipset's life cycle seems kinda dumb anyway.
 
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:(
There are no DDR4-3200 kits compatible with my mobo per your configurator. "No Products Found!" The best that configurator recommends for my mobo in a 32GB kit (that's in stock anywhere) is DDR4-2666 CL18

However I agree. 3200 seems to be the target for my mobo and cpu: reference

"...it’s essential to note that the B450, just like the older B350, has native support of 2666 MHz RAM with the ability to overclock past 3200 MHz (max overclocked speed for B350) to about 3466 MHz (only for the B450)..."

The only 32GB 3466 MHz kit that I can find available is the Kingston Hyper Fury Black - a single 32GB stick... it's $300

So, yeah. DDR4-3200. Or an almost guaranteed headache.

I cannot find a single compatibility chart/calculator/configurator or especially QVL that lists the MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max compatible with a single DDR4-3600 kit.

Oh well. Maybe I don't really need 32GB RAM. I'll just let Cities: Skylines stutter and choke until the AM5 socket comes out. Spending a wad of cash at the end of a chipset's life cycle seems kinda dumb anyway.
Looks like 3200 speed is the top.
https://www.crucial.com/compatible-...ing-plus-max?speed(-)DDR4-3200(--)kit-qty(-)2