Question Z790 wont boot in xmp

[Boxxerz]

Gigabyte z790 auros elite ax
https://www.microcenter.com/product...aorus-elite-ax-intel-lga-1700-atx-motherboard
Gskill trident z5
https://www.microcenter.com/product...top-memory-kit-f5-6000j3636f16gx2-tz5rk-black

I7-13700k
Asus tuff rtx 4070ti oc

I can get my pc to boot up and run with default bios, but the ram is rated for 6000, and the default mobo bios runs is at 4800.

If I turn on xpm(the only option is profile1) the pc will no longer boot and the yellow dram led comes on, forcing me to use the reset cmos button.

This is my first build is a very long time and I did lots of Google ing to find the best mobo/ram for a higher end gamming set up. This board and ram were both in top 5 lists of multiple sites/reviews however I now feel like I should have just gotta cheaper ram or even ddr4 because I can't get anything on even on a basic lvl with xpm.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It's XMP, not XPM.

According to G.Skill, that memory kit is not compatible with your motherboard. Just because it's the right type of memory and within the supported speed range, doesn't mean all memory kits will work with all motherboards. At default settings, sure, they'll pretty much all work. At higher frequencies and custom timings, sometimes they will, sometimes they won't. This is why it's always good to check compatibility BEFORE you buy.

The link below shows your kit is not among the 6000MT/s kits sold by G.Skill with 36-36-36-96 timings that are compatible with the Z790 Aorus Elite AX.

RAM Configurator - G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Find compatible memory kits for your motherboard. Just select the motherboard from the dropdown list and click on Search for a list of compatible G.SKILL memory kits.

www.gskill.com

,

That being said, it's POSSIBLE you can still get them to work. Might even be something simple.

Which slots, EXACTLY, do you have them installed in? Starting at the slot closest to the CPU, 1, 2, 3, 4, with 4 being the one closest to the edge of the motherboard, WHICH slots are they installed in? Yes, it matters.

 

[Boxxerz]

Well, when I was building the pc with microcenters build a pc thing the ram didn't show up there as compatible, but the giy at the store assured me they would be good.

I looked up the mobo on gigabyte site and went through the list of compatible rams and the exacte model number was on there.. I never thought to check gskill site to see if they also said it was compatible.

https://imgur.com/a/b8dAFIo

View: https://imgur.com/a/b8dAFIo

 

[Boxxerz]

I have 2 kits, 4 sticks, all dims used
$300 spen on the 2x 32gb sets, should I try and exchange them for other ram, or will I ended up with more of the same problems?

I've seen alot of ppl are having issues with ddr5

 

[Darkbreeze]

So you're trying to use two different kits together, that are the same kit model? That's likely your problem. Please read both of these. Read the individual post and then at the memory guide link please read the second section titled "Mixed memory (Or the odd man out)"

https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/amd-ram-compatibility.3210050/#post-19785792

How To - Troubleshooting problems with PC memory (RAM) and XMP profile configurations

In the beginning, there was......BIOS Before you go ANY further, go to the manufacturer product page for your specific motherboard model AND revision. Revision is an important aspect because for any given motherboard there may be more than one version of that model which will be identified...

forums.tomshardware.com

Then, after reading those, answer the following two questions.

First, what is your currently installed motherboard BIOS version?


Second, did you keep the two DIMMs from each kit that came together, together, and put one set in the A2 and B2 slots and the other two in the A1 and B1 slots? That is still no guarantee they will play nice with the two DIMMs from the other kit but it tends to work BETTER than not doing that.

Also, once you've identified which two DIMMs belong in each of those kits, make a small mark or something on the label of each DIMM from one of the kits so you don't get them mixed up again. A tiny felt pen dot on either two that belong together is a good method. If you are not sure which two belong together you can look at the production date information on the label on each of them. Two should be the same, two should be different, but the same as each other.

 

[Boxxerz]

First, what is your currently installed motherboard BIOS version?

Second, did you keep the two DIMMs from each kit that came together, together, and put one set in the A2 and B2 slots and the other two in the A1 and B1 slots?

That is still no guarantee they will play nice with the two DIMMs from the other kit but it tends to work BETTER than not doing that.

Also, once you've identified which two DIMMs belong in each of those kits, make a small mark or something on the label of each DIMM from one of the kits so you don't get them mixed up again. A tiny felt pen dot on either two that belong together is a good method. If you are not sure which two belong together you can look at the production date information on the label on each of them. Two should be the same, two should be different, but the same as each other.

-MB: z790 aorus elite ax
-Bios: F2

-Nope, I don't think I have ever in my life done that. (Although I will 100% remeber too from now on) I just got 2 of the same kits and made sure they had the same product version.

-I tried going back I to bios and turning XMP on, then lowering the ram timming from 6000 to 5600 and everything is working smooth. That's good enough for me, I'll take that as a win.

Thanks for all the helpful info, but I'll just take the win and run 5600 speeds and not mess with it anymore

 

[Darkbreeze]

Ok, but if I had spent 300 dollars on a memory kit, I sure as hell would want to see it running at it's full speed.

At the VERY least, I would update the BIOS to version F5 and then reset the CMOS. AMD tends to improve memory support with just about every BIOS update even if it's not specifically outlined in the update notes as they've have compatibility issues with basically every platform release since the first Ryzen platform. It's gotten better with each consecutive generation but there are still some to work out especially since this is an entirely new architecture. Even Intel has to do this from Gen to Gen.

I would certainly not settle for 5600 and you MIGHT even need to give the DRAM voltage setting a small bump since you are running four DIMMs, in order to achieve 6000MT/s since the listed 1.35v for those kits are assuming only TWO DIMMs are installed. Adding another two DIMMs increases the stress on the memory controller and in many cases it is necessary to add a small bump in DRAM voltage to overcome this and stabilize the configuration. It's not particularly complicated so if you wish to do so I would certainly be willing to assist you.