Question XMP/EXPO profile causing file explorer to freeze and crash

[General_Cool]

Recently got a new PC after the old one went kaput. I purchased this RAM knowing I'd have to enable the overclock profile included to get the full performance. I booted Windows 11 without the profile enabled for a few days just fine. Went to enable it today and booted into Windows 11 just fine again, but as soon as I went to open any folder on file explorer, whether from the left side drop down menu, from my desktop, taskbar shortcut, etc., file explorer would instantly freeze and crash after a few seconds. I disabled the overclock profile and file explorer works fine again. After looking at the Amazon listing again it says Intel XMP compatible, but nothing about AMD EXPO compatibility.

Should I return the RAM and get one that explicitly says AMD EXPO compatible or is something else causing this? This Windows 11 install is on my M.2 SSD which I pulled from my old PC which was an Intel DDR4 system.

CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X
MB: Gigabyte X870 Eagle WIFI7
RAM: 4x16 Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6400 MHz CL32
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4080 SUPER Windforce V2
PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 P5

 

[Lutfij]

What BIOS version are you on for your motherboard?

Should I return the RAM and get one that explicitly says AMD EXPO compatible or is something else causing this?
That ram kit has X.M.P baked into it, if I were you and was investing on an AMD AM5 platform, I'd have looked into ram that had AMD's E.X.P.O advertised on it.

This Windows 11 install is on my M.2 SSD which I pulled from my old PC which was an Intel DDR4 system.
You should reinstall your OS and see if things get better after enabling X.M.P in BIOS(after the BIOS has been updated to the latest) and if stability doesn't return, you should swap the ram out for something with AMD E.X.P.O on it.

 

[Bob.B]

Recently got a new PC after the old one went kaput. I purchased this RAM knowing I'd have to enable the overclock profile included to get the full performance. I booted Windows 11 without the profile enabled for a few days just fine. Went to enable it today and booted into Windows 11 just fine again, but as soon as I went to open any folder on file explorer, whether from the left side drop down menu, from my desktop, taskbar shortcut, etc., file explorer would instantly freeze and crash after a few seconds. I disabled the overclock profile and file explorer works fine again. After looking at the Amazon listing again it says Intel XMP compatible, but nothing about AMD EXPO compatibility.

Should I return the RAM and get one that explicitly says AMD EXPO compatible or is something else causing this? This Windows 11 install is on my M.2 SSD which I pulled from my old PC which was an Intel DDR4 system.

CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X
MB: Gigabyte X870 Eagle WIFI7
RAM: 4x16 Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6400 MHz CL32
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4080 SUPER Windforce V2
PSU: EVGA Supernova 850 P5

If you do end up returning it you might want to shop for a 2x32GB kit.

 

[Misgar]

RAM: 4x16 Corsair Vengeance DDR5 6400 MHz CL32

Some thoughts:

1). Corsair Vengeance is known to cause problems with AM5 Ryzens.
2). Four sticks of RAM will not clock as fast as two sticks in most PCs due to extra loading on IMC.
3). In some systems, you may have to clock down below 4800MT/s with 4 sticks for stability.
4). Even with two sticks, you might not achieve 6400MT/s on a Ryzen with Vengeance.

Pull two sticks and set XMP to 5600MT/s. Check stability with a stress test. I'd probably use AIDA64.
Increase XMP to 5800MT/s. Test stability again.
Continue raising XMP in 200MT/s increments (100MHz true DDR clock rate) until the system fails.
This will give a rough idea of how fast your CPU's IMCs will clock with a 2x32GB kit.
No point wasting money on a fast kit if your CPU cannot cope.

Best bet as @Bob.B said is to ditch the 4x16GB and go for 2x32GB.

I'd also advise buying a different brand (not Corsair). I'm running 2x32GB Kingston Fury on my 7950X but I do have 4x16GB Vengeance on my AM4 3800X which is less fussy.

Alternatively, if you're happy with the stock 4800MT/s speed AND the system is stable when running stress tests, you could stick with the Vengeance.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

No, no, no. Stop! As @Lutfij was getting to, you have an OS from a different machine. It's very possible it's not a ram issue. It's also very possible it's entirely an OS issue.

Your old OS has all the drivers from the previous system. Transferring it to a new build is like inviting issues to occur. They will not be helping your new build to function correctly.

First things first, reinstall the OS fresh. When you've done that, then we can troubleshoot.

Then, install all the latest system drivers, including chipset.

Then run memstest86+ on your ram, off of a bootable USB.

Then we can rule out a lot of stuff, before you send the DIMMs back, and get new DIMMS that also may not work because of your old OS.

 

[Misgar]

Your old OS has all the drivers from the previous system. Transferring it to a new build is like inviting issues to occur. They will not be helping your new build to function correctly.

Agreed, but I've lost track of the times I've slung an old SATA Windows SSD from one system into another PC with a different motherboard/CPU and survived to tell the tale. AMD to Intel, Intel to AMD, Windows 10 just shrugs its metaphorical shoulders, finds new hardware and loads new drivers. A quick check in Device Manager, load any missing drivers and the PC is up and running with a bunch of apps already installed.

I know it's not "correct" practice and it only takes me 15 minutes to install a fresh copy of Windows, but then I need another 2 to 4 hours to tweak settings and load my favourite apps. For a "quick and dirty" motherboard confidence check, I consider reinstalling Windows a waste of time. Alternatively, I don't always have enough spare SSDs for fresh installations of Windows, when testing a bunch of second-hand motherboards.

I disabled the overclock profile and file explorer works fine again.

To my mind, if stability is restored with XMP disabled, this points to a memory overclock stability issue, not an OS problem. Four sticks of Vengeance RAM at DDR5-6400 on a Ryzen is just asking for trouble.

In this thread, @Darkbreeze states:
"Vengeance memory kits do not work well with Ryzen platforms. That is simply a fact."
https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/ryzen-cpu-x-corsair-ram-instability-issue.3798762/

All I'm saying is that expecting an AMD Ryzen 9600X to run at DDR5-6400 "out of the box" with all 4 DIMM slots filled, might not be possible without a few tweaks.

No doubt we'll be informed of the fix when it's been determined.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

I know it's not "correct" practice

Yeah, it's the exception rather than the rule (and it's not a rule either ).For me, it's for the sake of completeness, and not leaving something to chance, like further issues down the line.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

"Vengeance memory kits do not work well with Ryzen platforms. That is simply a fact."

My Vengeance ram have run perfectly since I got them. Put them in, turn it on, select DOCP, and away they go. Never a single issue. I wonder is moreso down to the mem chips and manufacturer. My Vengeance RGB Pro are SK Hynix. Maybe different mem ic's respond differently.

Although, with that said, I'm meticulous to borderline OCD about having my drivers and bios up to date all all times. I don't like dealing with uncertainties.

In this case, I could be the exception rather than the rule. LOL I've not seen many horror stories about that issue myself. Maybe it's a thing.

 

[Misgar]

My Vengeance ram have run perfectly since I got them.

I've not had any problems running 4 x 16GB DDR-3000 Corsair Vengeance in my 3800X, but 3000MT/s hardly counts as a fast memory overclock. Back in 2018, I wasn't inclined to pay extra for faster RAM. You get marginal gains overclocking RAM in AMD systems with some video editing programs.

When I built the 7950X in 2022, I installed 2 x 32GB Kingston Fury DIMMs, thinking two modules should be more stable than four. They're only rated at 4800MT/s, but I wouldn't benefit much from anything faster.

The general consensus seems to be that running 4 DIMMs instead of 2 DIMMs (especially DDR5) can lead to lower memory overclock speeds. The OP has 4 DIMMs and might be trying to run them at DDR5-6400 on a Ryzen.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

The general consensus seems to be that running 4 DIMMs instead of 2 DIMMs (especially DDR5) can lead to lower memory overclock speeds. The OP has 4 DIMMs and might be trying to run them at DDR5-6400 on a Ryzen.

Oh, without a doubt. It can lead to lower speeds, and also puts more pressure on the SOC and IMC. I will always go with a 2 x kit. Never 4. That's just my personal taste though.