SOLVED Asus ROG Strix X-470-F + G-Skill F4 3200C14-8GVK - Low RAM Timing

[Coram D'Aes]

Hi there

I wonder if someone would take the time to walk me through the settings to get this ddr4 timing a bit over 1866... My system detects 32GB but only uses 16 of them, I have 4 identical sticks of G-Skill F4 3200C14-8GVK on the board and can't figure out what I should do in BIOS or Ryzen Master to get some more usage and speed out those G-Skills. Tried DOCP profiles and have an updated BIOS but it just wont take it. Have read some walkthroughs and your articles about memory overclocking, but it does not seem to be applicable to my settings. As usual I guess one actually has to have a target system to get it working and the combos are many. I know the ram is not any of the recommended by ASUS for full speed but that probably (hopefully) only means there is a tweaked setting configuration one has to find out, instead of DOCP.







Any help much appreciated...

 

[trents]

You ask for help in getting the "timing" over 1866. Do you mean frequency? The timings are the small numbers in the JEDEC timing table: CAS# Latench, RAS# to CAS#, etc.

 

[Coram D'Aes]

Yeah, frequency, sorry.

On a sidenote I just updated BIOS to 4207 and the mobo started indicating RAM Error (yellow LED indicator) and would not boot, so as I type this I am only running on one RAM stick, but will continue getting the rest in place.

 

[Coram D'Aes]

So step by step, this is very promising.... only need the last stick in place...




Seems ASUS actually read about my issues with this RAM...

 

[Coram D'Aes]

3 works, not 4.

Whenever I insert a 4th stick, and regardless of what socket I have populated before, it won't take it.

Filing a support issue with Asus seems to be the only way to go for now.

The original question in this thread is probably no longer relevant.

 

[Johan45]

Are you certain it's a bad RAM slot or could it be one of the sticks?

 

[Coram D'Aes]

I just spent a little time cycling the sticks and it seems that one is not being accepted with current BIOS.

Now I don't know a lot about how these things work, but somehow what worked, albeit poorly, in previous BIOS is not working at all in current BIOS. I guess I have to conclude that one stick has been flawed all the time but I will do some further testing. If the system won't boot with that stick inserted, regardless of it being alone or with any other stick, I can't do a MemTest either.

EDIT, and it won't boot. Tried all sockets just in case.

 

[trents]

I just spent a little time cycling the sticks and it seems that one is not being accepted with current BIOS.

Now I don't know a lot about how these things work, but somehow what worked, albeit poorly, in previous BIOS is not working at all in current BIOS. I guess I have to conclude that one stick has been flawed all the time but I will do some further testing. If the system won't boot with that stick inserted, regardless of it being alone or with any other stick, I can't do a MemTest either.

EDIT, and it won't boot. Tried all sockets just in case.

Not sure if you intend "that one" as a reference to a particular stick of RAM or to any one of them when a fourth one is added in. It can be taken either way.

Did you try each single stick in each slot? Do all the RAM sticks work at full frequency in all the slots when the sticks are installed individually?

 

[Coram D'Aes]

What I did was remove an insert all sticks 1 by 1, 2 by 2, 3 by 3, and 4 by 4 checked if the system would boot in between, looking mostly at the LED's of the motherboard, but I did not wait for Windows to start before shutting down and testing next stick. If it got past POST it would have started and that is as far as I tested it.

I did not cycle all the slots with all the sticks since the DIMM_B2 slot is the one to use for a single stick. (Manual page 1-5).

 

[trents]

But all sticks work at full frequency in DIMM_B2?

 

[Coram D'Aes]

No. One does not boot. Hence I believe it is faulty somehow. When I noticed that I tried the other slots with that stick, just in case, still nothing.

 

[trents]

So clearly you have a bad RAM stick. Did you buy them as a set of four or two sets of two? The reason I ask that is if it was a kit of four sticks you will have to RMA them all together and not be able to run the PC until GSkill ships you a replacement. Maybe a two week turnaround. When you RMA make sure you mark the bad one or record its serial number in the RMA paperwork.

 

[Coram D'Aes]

Already done. It was a two stick set, well two two-stick sets, but I am filing the matter to where I bought it to begin with, expecting instructions...

 

[Johan45]

Have you tried just one set of two in the machine and will it boot to the proper speed of 3200 Cl14? Just curious as it seems you have found it to be the RAM. That's why I mentioned that in my last post. It can be either but saves time in the end to determine if it's RAM or board and it's not that hard to do.

 

[Coram D'Aes]

Did some additional checks as per above.

Modules numbered 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 with 1 as the guilty of misbehaviour.

Socket B1 - B2 - A1 - B2 as per Mobo manual.

Tested combinations (Default is with sticks in the recommended socket as per manual)

1 + B2 = Fail - (Default)
1 + B1 = Fail - (additional test)
1 + A1 = Fail - (additional test)
1 + A2 = Fail - (additional test)

1 + 2 + B2 + A2 = Fail - (Default)
1 + 3 + B2 + A2 = Fail - (Default)
1 + 4 + B2 + A2 = Fail - (Default)

Any combination of 2 + 3 + 4 + A1 + B2 + A1 + A2 = works.
Any combination, honestly I did not try ALL the socket combinations, involving DIMM 1 fails.
All boots with stick 2 or 3 or 4 alone is successful at full speed 3200Mhz @ 1.35v. Even when in non default socket (default for single stick is B2).
All boots with any combination of stick 2-3-4 in any combination of socket is successful.

 

[Johan45]

Sounds like a bad stick, match up the serial numbers with the other from the pair. For return you'll need the set. You can still run the PC with the other set. Is there a reason you need 32 GB of RAM?

 

[Coram D'Aes]

We'll see what they want, if both of the set or if only one stick is enough.

I always max out memory as much as I can afford at the time of purchase, do some photo editing and such. Instead of getting the fastest CPU at a higher cost.