Question Is RAM Compatibility will based more on Motherboard or in CPU? Will my RAM still work if I upgrade my Ryzen 5 2600 to Ryzen 5 5600g?

[bancevicj]

My RAM: G SKill Trident Z Pro 2x8gb 3000 Mhz
I am talking with the QVL Listing of the RAM on a certain motherboard as well.

For example, I see RAMs that are in Asrock B450M QVL List of CPU Ryzen 2000 series (Pinnacle Ridge) BUT NOT IN QVL List of Ryzen 5000 series (Cezanne).

Two Main Concerns:
Will my RAM still work If I upgrade ny Ryzen 5 2600 to Ryzen 5 5600g?

Should I buy a NEW RAM that are in QVL list for Ryzen 5000 series because ASROCK didn't list my RAM on Ryzen 5000 even if they listed in Ryzen 2000?

Why they listed my RAM ON Ryzen 2000 series but not on Ryzen 5000?! Huhuhu

 

[boju]

Qvl is only handful of ram sticks on hand at the time of testing with hardware available at the time. It doesn't account for the thousands of different ram modules out there, at present and future, since the motherboard's release.

5xxx series is equipped with a better memory controller with greater support and compatibility for way more memory module configuration size and speed than previous gen cpus would sometimes have trouble with. So you won't need to buy new ram.

Whats the actual speed your ram is running at now? See memory frequency under memory tab in cpuz. Just checking something.

 

[bancevicj]

Qvl is only handful of ram sticks on hand at the time of testing with hardware available at the time. It doesn't account for the thousands of different ram modules out there, at present and future, since the motherboard's release.

5xxx series is equipped with a better memory controller with greater support and compatibility for way more memory module configuration size and speed than previous gen cpus would sometimes have trouble with. So you won't need to buy new ram.

Whats the actual speed your ram is running at now? See memory frequency under memory tab in cpuz. Just checking something.

My ram is running at dual channel 3000mhz BIOS, In CPUz its 1500mhz.

 

[boju]

That's fine, xmp is running properly. I just wanted to check because sometimes people don't realise xmp is a setting they have to set, that it's not automatic. Cpuz reads single data rate so it's normal to see half the speed which you multiply by 2 for ddr.

 

[DRagor]

Will my RAM still work If I upgrade ny Ryzen 5 2600 to Ryzen 5 5600g?

The answer is maybe. There is quite a bit of reports here on forum from users who did exactly same thing and their PC would not boot with new CPU. Are all those reports caused by DoA CPU? I doubt it, some of them had to be caused by RAM incompatibility with new CPU.
Best course of action is to just try old RAM. Only if it won't work you should consider buying new one.

 

[boju]

If that happens and if by chance it is ram, be hard to know, just pull them out and clear cmos. Then reinstall ram.

People upgrade cpus all the time and shouldn't come down to specific ram that is installed or any coincidences there of. There's more to this story i think, or because Ryzen's memory controller is ott sensitive that clearing cmos and reinstalling ram wasn't done properly when this problem arose.

I wouldn't worry about it all that much, it'll work. Just update bios before hand if haven't done so for newer cpu support which i believe op is on top of.

 

[bancevicj]

The answer is maybe. There is quite a bit of reports here on forum from users who did exactly same thing and their PC would not boot with new CPU. Are all those reports caused by DoA CPU? I doubt it, some of them had to be caused by RAM incompatibility with new CPU.
Best course of action is to just try old RAM. Only if it won't work you should consider buying new one.

What do you mean with DoA CPU?

 

[Karadjgne]

Dead on Arrival. Basically brand new, doesn't work.

For compatibility there needs to be 2 things in sync. That applies to anything, comparing. With ram, it's between the memory controller in the cpu and the ram itself. The ram is made of silicon chiplets and those need to be in sync with the silicon of the cpu.

The only thing the QVL says is the factory tested ram they had with the cpu it had and the ram worked perfectly without changing any of the settings. That's their cpu, their ram. Not yours.

The 5000 series cpus have the broadest range of possible compatibility, further enhanced by Agesa in the bios, so bios can be somewhat important.

It's 3000MHz ram. Of all the ram, that's the least compatible speed. If there were tests on the QVL showing compatibility, you have a very good chance, if there was nothing then doubtful. You'd either have to try bump the speed (OC) to 3200MHz or drop it to 2933MHz, which are the 2 most compatible speeds of any ddr4 for newer Ryzens.

 

[boju]

Yeah, that's why i asked him what speed they were running at currently. Seems to be ok.

 

[geofelt]

Ryzen is tightly tied to ram for compatibility and performance.
Not all ram will be compatible.
Go to the G.Skil web site and access their ram selection app.
Enter your motherboard and prospective 5600x and see if your ram kit appears on the supported list.
My guess is that you will be ok.
And, upgrade your bios before making the processor switch.
You will pick up 5600x support and perhaps ram compatibility updates as well.