Question Want to make RAM XMP more stable, can I get some examples of what RAM timings can be and how far apart they need to be spaced?

[poodude28]

I want to try and make my RAM timings looser so that game crashes I get (very infrequently) stop happening, as I think it is probably due to RAM instability with XMP.

Currently the timings are 16-20-20-38-58 and I just wanted to know for example if I wanted to loosen them, would I go up in 2s, 1s, or how far apart does each set of numbers need to be from eachother? And which number(s) are most important to change? This is at 3200MHz.

 

[Lutfij]

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

so that game crashes I get (very infrequently) stop happening
How did you narrow down the issue to be caused by the ram and not software or hardware or the title that you're playing?

 

[poodude28]

When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

so that game crashes I get (very infrequently) stop happening
How did you narrow down the issue to be caused by the ram and not software or hardware or the title that you're playing?

I'm not trying to troubleshoot, my main question was regarding how far apart RAM timings are supposed to be as a general rule so that I can start loosening them. I can't tell if they are supposed to be even numbers, odd numbers, one number within eachother, or what.

I'm on a 13600k and Z690 UD AX DDR4

I know it's related to RAM because I've been trying to figure this out for ages now and have just noticed things. The dead giveaway for me is if I do 2600MHz and don't even change my timings or anything, PC starts up fine and I don't get no signal, but once I start going beyond that speed even with the RAM timings loosened with the XMP profile, it gets no signal but starts up anyways.

My PSU is a little old now but everything else in my PC is newly replaced. So unless a PSU can cause RAM to give no signal but PC start up anyway beyond 2600MHz, I know for a fact it's my RAM after a lot of personal testing.

 

[kerberos_20]

I'm not trying to troubleshoot, my main question was regarding how far apart RAM timings are supposed to be as a general rule so that I can start loosening them. I can't tell if they are supposed to be even numbers, odd numbers, one number within eachother, or what.

they can be odd or even, and they do work together, changing one timing here affect another timing there

https://people.freebsd.org/~lstewart/articles/cpumemory.pdf

read from page 5 (2.2 dynamic ram) to page 10 (2.2.3 recharging)
then read specsheet for your RAM IC and then you should easily calculate it

 

[Misgar]

When I was having problems overclocking DDR4-3000 RAM in a Ryzen 2600 system, I checked the XMP timings at 3000MT/s in AIDA64 and discovered the SPD (Serial Presence Detect) chip included at least 8 different timings at this speed, but only the CL (CAS) value changed each time.

If I remember correctly, the SPD held XMP CL16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23 at 3000MT/s.

As soon as I relaxed the CL timing from 16 to 18, the system stopped crashing and has worked perfectly ever since. Surprisingly, the system passed 4 hours of MemTest86+ at CL16, but crashed soon after booting into Windows, before I set CL18.

N.B. The specification for the Ryzen 2600 is up to DDR4-2933, but the BIOS only presented me with one XMP option of DDR4-3000 at CL16 with this particular RAM.

None of the other XMP settings held in SPD were visible in the BIOS, It was 3000MT/s at CL16, the slower JEDEC default of DDR4-2133, or apply manual settings.

 

[geofelt]

What is your processor/motherboard?
XMP applies to Intel, ryzen uses docp/expo.

Is you ram from a single supported kit?
If not, your troubles probably start there.
XMP profiles are embedded in the ram itself and represent the settings that the ram maker knows will work properly at advertised speeds.
There may be several profiles.

To test for ram stability
Run memtest86 or memtest86+
They boot from a usb stick and do not use windows.
You can download them here:

MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool

MemTest86 is the original self booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. Supporting both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.

www.memtest86.com

Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool

Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)

www.memtest.org

If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.

Running several more passes will sometimes uncover an issue, but it takes more time.
Probably not worth it unless you really suspect a ram issue.

Lastly, bios updates to address ram issues are common. Are you sufficiently current.