[SOLVED] Ram stuck at 2400

[Tigerwarrior1]

Hello!

So let me start by saying that the kit I'm using is a set of 4x8 ram sticks (32 gb total). But I was only given 3 sticks (It was a gift🤷‍♂️). So for a while I ran with 12gbs of ram at 2400, even though the desired speed is 3000. Then I learned that ryzen really has a taste in high speeds and that using only 2 sticks in a2/b2 slots would probably make it happen. So my first question is, is it even possible for me to overclock this ram with only 2 of the 8 sticks from its kit?

Well if it is possible, then we can move on. Anyways, I've tried overclocking with DOCP profiles and putting in times manually with the Ryzen DRAM calculator presets. Nothing seems to budge. As soon as I press F10 and try booting, it gives me 3 beeps and reboots 3 times until it brings me back to the bios with another failed attempt.

Maybe it's the timings I have wrong or the 6 sticks of missing ram... Idk.

Ram-(Hyperx Predator specs 4x4 3000mhz)
Mobo-(Asus TUF b450m)
CPU-R5 1600 OC @ 4.0 Ghz 1.33v
GPU-GTX 1070 OC @ +160clock +200mhz
PSU-550w Corsair

 

[anotherdrew]

Yes, you have more chance of hitting higher speeds with 2 sticks vs 3 (or 4). Stock speed with 2 sticks is 2600, with 4 (or 3), it is 2133

So, a bit of a misnomer here. Running that RAM at 3000 is not an overclock of that RAM (it is within spec), but an overclock of the memory controller, which is on the CPU. The memory controller matches the speed of the RAM. Most Ryzen memory controllers overclock quite easily ... not all do. By overclocking your CPU you are potentially making it harder to overclock the memory controller. For testing, I would set the CPU back to stock, then try to run the RAM at higher speeds, and finally overclock the CPU again. You may find that you can't hit the same speeds.

 

[Zizo007]

Can you run CPUZ and see if memory is Hynix?
The one in the compatibility list of your motherboard is 4x8Gb Hynix, there is no 4x4Gb.

Anyways, 4 sticks will always run slower than 2 sticks regardless of compatibility. The compatibility list just has a higher chance of working at XMP speeds.

DRAM calculator never worked for me and I have Samsung B-die, I just lookup what others online were able to get form their overclock.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

Yes, you have more chance of hitting higher speeds with 2 sticks vs 3 (or 4). Stock speed with 2 sticks is 2600, with 4 (or 3), it is 2133

So, a bit of a misnomer here. Running that RAM at 3000 is not an overclock of that RAM (it is within spec), but an overclock of the memory controller, which is on the CPU. The memory controller matches the speed of the RAM. Most Ryzen memory controllers overclock quite easily ... not all do. By overclocking your CPU you are potentially making it harder to overclock the memory controller. For testing, I would set the CPU back to stock, then try to run the RAM at higher speeds, and finally overclock the CPU again. You may find that you can't hit the same speeds.

Sorry, I left out that I tried doing that with stock CPU settings as well. Didn't seem to budge, but thanks for the specification.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

Can you run CPUZ and see if memory is Hynix?
The one in the compatibility list of your motherboard is 4x8Gb Hynix, there is no 4x4Gb.

Anyways, 4 sticks will always run slower than 2 sticks regardless of compatibility. The compatibility list just has a higher chance of working at XMP speeds.

DRAM calculator never worked for me and I have Samsung B-die, I just lookup what others online were able to get form their overclock.

Here's a photo of CPU-Z and Thaiphoon. Also, you're right the kit is actually a 4x8.

CPU-Z
Thaiphoon

 

[Zizo007]

Here's a photo of CPU-Z and Thaiphoon. Also, you're right the kit is actually a 4x8.

CPU-Z
Thaiphoon

Did you try the lowest XMP speed and then go up step by step? I think XMP starts at 2400.

 

[anotherdrew]

2400 is the highest non-XMP speed ... I wonder if you have XMP enabled.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

Did you try the lowest XMP speed and then go up step by step? I think XMP starts at 2400.

The link for my ram lists the XMP profiles for 2666 and 3000 but I cannot get them to even boot with XMP enabled.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

2400 is the highest non-XMP speed ... I wonder if you have XMP enabled.

Yeah, I can't get it to boot in XMP. My main goal is to just get it to run at it's advertised speed 3000mhz. I even tried setting the DRAM voltage to 1.4 and the SOC to 1.1, but still no boot.

 

[anotherdrew]

Yeah, I can't get it to boot in XMP. My main goal is to just get it to run at it's advertised speed 3000mhz. I even tried setting the DRAM voltage to 1.4 and the SOC to 1.1, but still no boot.

You are running the newest BIOS? Some of the BIOS updates have increased memory compatibility. If so, then it sounds like you are stuck at 2400. That sucks. I had a similar issue with a 1st Gen Ryzen ... I could boot at 3000, I could pass hours of memory test, but it would BSOD within 6 hours of Windows sitting idle.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

You are running the newest BIOS? Some of the BIOS updates have increased memory compatibility. If so, then it sounds like you are stuck at 2400. That sucks. I had a similar issue with a 1st Gen Ryzen ... I could boot at 3000, I could pass hours of memory test, but it would BSOD within 6 hours of Windows sitting idle.

I've read that the new Asus bios updates have been rather unreliable but I will give it a try.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

I've read that the new Asus bios updates have been rather unreliable but I will give it a try.

Quick Update: So towards the end of trying to update my BIOS my computer shut down and won’t post anymore, and will only give me 1 long beep, 2 short beeps every time I try to turn it on. And according to Asus, that’s a memory problem. I’ve tried every combination and I don’t have an extra pair of memory to test. So I’m pretty sure I just killed my ram

 

[Zizo007]

Quick Update: So towards the end of trying to update my BIOS my computer shut down and won’t post anymore, and will only give me 1 long beep, 2 short beeps every time I try to turn it on. And according to Asus, that’s a memory problem. I’ve tried every combination and I don’t have an extra pair of memory to test. So I’m pretty sure I just killed my ram

You didn't kill it. Did the update go to 100%?

 

[Darkbreeze]

First, make sure you have ONLY one stick of memory installed, and that it is installed in the second slot over from the CPU. For now anyhow.

Then, try doing a hard reset of the BIOS to to see if you can trigger a reset of the hardware tables and potentially also the BIOS ROM itself. If you CAN get it to power on and POST, then shut down, install the other stick in the fourth slot over from the CPU socket so that you have memory installed in the A2 and B2 slots (2nd and 4th slots over from the CPU. I think those are both the gray slots on that board), and then power back on again.


BIOS Hard Reset procedure

Power off the unit, switch the PSU off and unplug the PSU cord from either the wall or the power supply.

Remove the motherboard CMOS battery for five minutes. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the graphics card to access the CMOS battery.

During that five minutes, press the power button on the case for 30 seconds. After the five minutes is up, reinstall the CMOS battery making sure to insert it with the correct side up just as it came out.

If you had to remove the graphics card you can now reinstall it, but remember to reconnect your power cables if there were any attached to it as well as your display cable.

Now, plug the power supply cable back in, switch the PSU back on and power up the system. It should display the POST screen and the options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup. Enter the bios setup program and reconfigure the boot settings for either the Windows boot manager or for legacy systems, the drive your OS is installed on if necessary.

Save settings and exit. If the system will POST and boot then you can move forward from there including going back into the bios and configuring any other custom settings you may need to configure such as Memory XMP profile settings, custom fan profile settings or other specific settings you may have previously had configured that were wiped out by resetting the CMOS.

In some cases it may be necessary when you go into the BIOS after a reset, to load the Optimal default or Default values and then save settings, to actually get the hardware tables to reset in the boot manager.

It is probably also worth mentioning that for anything that might require an attempt to DO a hard reset in the first place, it is a GOOD IDEA to try a different type of display as many systems will not work properly for some reason with displayport configurations. It is worth trying HDMI if you are having no display or lack of visual ability to enter the BIOS, or no signal messages.

 

[Darkbreeze]

How were you updating? Were you using EZ flash to update, from IN the BIOS, or were you trying to update from within Windows using the ASUS desktop utility?

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

You didn't kill it. Did the update go to 100%?

At a glimpse the loading bar was at about 90%, then it shut off and gave me the beep codes

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

How were you updating? Were you using EZ flash to update, from IN the BIOS, or were you trying to update from within Windows using the ASUS desktop utility?

I was using EZ flash 3 with a file installed on a USB stick.

 

[Tigerwarrior1]

First, make sure you have ONLY one stick of memory installed, and that it is installed in the second slot over from the CPU. For now anyhow.

Then, try doing a hard reset of the BIOS to to see if you can trigger a reset of the hardware tables and potentially also the BIOS ROM itself. If you CAN get it to power on and POST, then shut down, install the other stick in the fourth slot over from the CPU socket so that you have memory installed in the A2 and B2 slots (2nd and 4th slots over from the CPU. I think those are both the gray slots on that board), and then power back on again.


BIOS Hard Reset procedure

Power off the unit, switch the PSU off and unplug the PSU cord from either the wall or the power supply.

Remove the motherboard CMOS battery for five minutes. In some cases it may be necessary to remove the graphics card to access the CMOS battery.

During that five minutes, press the power button on the case for 30 seconds. After the five minutes is up, reinstall the CMOS battery making sure to insert it with the correct side up just as it came out.

If you had to remove the graphics card you can now reinstall it, but remember to reconnect your power cables if there were any attached to it as well as your display cable.

Now, plug the power supply cable back in, switch the PSU back on and power up the system. It should display the POST screen and the options to enter CMOS/BIOS setup. Enter the bios setup program and reconfigure the boot settings for either the Windows boot manager or for legacy systems, the drive your OS is installed on if necessary.

Save settings and exit. If the system will POST and boot then you can move forward from there including going back into the bios and configuring any other custom settings you may need to configure such as Memory XMP profile settings, custom fan profile settings or other specific settings you may have previously had configured that were wiped out by resetting the CMOS.

In some cases it may be necessary when you go into the BIOS after a reset, to load the Optimal default or Default values and then save settings, to actually get the hardware tables to reset in the boot manager.

It is probably also worth mentioning that for anything that might require an attempt to DO a hard reset in the first place, it is a GOOD IDEA to try a different type of display as many systems will not work properly for some reason with displayport configurations. It is worth trying HDMI if you are having no display or lack of visual ability to enter the BIOS, or no signal messages.

I put in an old ballistix ram kit in to make it post again. And I tested all the hyperx sticks for the A2 slot and only 1 stick would boot with it, which was the 3rd stick that wasn't in the pc during the update. I will give this a try to make it POST with dual channel.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That is, incredibly unusual. I have NEVER heard of RAM being damaged by a BIOS update unless there was already something wrong with the motherboard or unless there was already a problem with the memory.

Sounds to me like either the sticks you are trying to use are not compatible with that board, or you are in need of a new set of sticks. Since this memory was given to you for free, and only three sticks from a four stick kit were given, it's likely there was a problem with them to begin with.

 

[anotherdrew]

I have been building/fixing computers for 25 years and like Darkbreeze, I have never heard of RAM being damaged by a BIOS/firmware update. Did you reset the BIOS (via hardware or set to default inside BIOS)?