Rampage VI Extreme & G.Skill TridentZ Memory Issues

[Homewrecker]

I'm running the Asus Rampage VI Extreme with an i9 7940X and 32Gb of G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4 (4 x 8GB) 288-Pin 3600 (PC4 28800) P/N F4-3600C16Q-32GTZR Memory.

I've updated the Bios to the latest version 1002 as well. The board Posts fine and defaults to a 2133Mhz 1.20V memory setting. With everything else left at default settings I change the Ai Overclock Tuner setting to 'XMP'. The memory specs are detected just fine - 3603 at 16-16-16-36, 1.35V.

When I save and restart, the Post hangs with the display code on the board reading "Code AF: Detect Memory". I have to clear the CMOS and it Posts just fine back into the Bios with the original default 2133Mhz 1.20V setting.

I installed all 4 modules as per the instructions in the motherboard manual (DIMM B1, A1, C1, D1 slots). With XMP enabled I manually override the frequency and can't get past 2800Mhz.

The next step up is 2933Mhz. When I try that frequency the board hangs during POST with "Code AF: Detect Memory". I have to clear the CMOS to get it to boot back to default settings.

I then tried each module individually installed in the DIMM C1 slot as per the manual. Each module behaved the same way. I could not get past 2800Mhz and each one made the Motherboard hang during POST if set to 2933Mhz or higher. The same POST code also appears - "Code AF: Detect Memory".

In the past all one would have to do is bump up the DRAM voltage slightly but from everyone that has posted on the ASUS forums they have no issue with this kit running at 1.35V.

I'm tempted to RMA this kit but not really sure it's the memory.
Is there another setting in the BIOS I should change to make this kit work or could this be a bad kit?

Note: This Kit is on the ASUS DRAM qualified vendor list as well.

I seem to recall that when I first booted the board with the original 0702 BIOS I changed the AI Overclock Tuner to 'XMP' and it rebooted into the BIOS just fine with the new speed of 3603Mhz. After I updated to 0802 I think that's when I was starting to have problems I listed above.

I tried to switch to the second BIOS to see if it's still at 0702 and test it but pushing the BIOS switching button does not work. The LED for the #1 BIOS stays lit.
Could this end up being a bad board since the BIOS switch won't even work.

 

[maxfly]

im sure you have but did you try clearing the cmos right after switching the bios?

 

[Homewrecker]

im sure you have but did you try clearing the cmos right after switching the bios?

I've cleared the CMOS so many times I've lost count. I'm going to try something with the Uncore Voltage offset and see if that changes anything.
Increasing the VCCSA did not thing either.

 

[rovian]

Same board, same memory (but 4133mhz variant), and same issue..

To me it's kinda hit or miss.. I could go 3 or 5 reboots without having this memory detection issue, then in the next boot the board would stuck and fail to detect some modules, I contacted Asus but no answer yet, I'm pretty sure it's a BIOS issue that needs fixing, I was using these exact memory modules on a previous Asus board for a year or so with no issues whatsoever.

-Mobo: ASUS ROG RAMPAGE VI EXTREME.

-CPU: i9 7900X (OC'd to 4.9ghz @1.285v)

-GPU: GTX Titan X PASCAL (SLI)

-Ram: 64GB G.Skill Trident Z 4133MHz (OC'd to 4000mhz)

PSU: Corsair AX1500i

 

[Woomack]

I see this thread has couple of days already but maybe this will help someone.
Check if you have memory training options on the bottom of memory timings list ( these options are available on even the cheapest ASUS boards ). There should be 4 options, 1 for each channel. Enable additional training and check if it's working. It will force motherboard to check memory again.
At least on ASUS TUF 2 which is the cheapest X299 board I have no issues with various memory kits on the same Samsung IC. To run past 3866 I have to enable additional training.

 

[rovian]

I see this thread has couple of days already but maybe this will help someone.
Check if you have memory training options on the bottom of memory timings list ( these options are available on even the cheapest ASUS boards ). There should be 4 options, 1 for each channel. Enable additional training and check if it's working. It will force motherboard to check memory again.
At least on ASUS TUF 2 which is the cheapest X299 board I have no issues with various memory kits on the same Samsung IC. To run past 3866 I have to enable additional training.

Thanks, I did what you said, hope it'll be fixed.. gotta test it for few days and see.

 

[rovian]

Quick update:

After testing for the past couple of weeks, I've had two freezes, when it happened the first time I thought I'd wait just to make sure, after like 3 more days after the first freeze, it happened for the 2nd time, the fix Woomack suggested unfortunately didn't work..

I'm certain the issue is from the board itself, I've been using the same hardware on my old Kabylake PC, same GPUs/Memory/SSD/PSU, the only thing that's changed is CPU/Motherboard, I'm quite sure my CPU is fine, since a lot of people are reporting this issue using the Rampage VI board, so the board is 100% the main issue, no tweaking can fix this, only a BIOS update from Asus will fix it.

Running Latest BIOS Version 1004 (2017/12/10)

 

[Woomack]

This platform is not really designed to run so fast in quad channel mode. ASUS in online guides is saying that X299 works up to DDR4-3600 with Skylake-X. Even though there are QVL lists then believe me ... all are fake. Just after premiere they released exactly the same QVL list for all their motherboards, regardless if it was the cheapest or the best overclocking one. They simply couldn't test all that memory on the list, especially with Skylake-X processors.
Next thing is that you have 64GB, not 32GB. Higher density memory is overclocking worse. In dual channel on Kabylake CPU you can set higher memory clock. On X299, 4000+ was tested only with KL-X processors and most manufacturers say it works up to 4400+ but again in dual channel.
On X299 in quad channel up to 2666 is guaranteed and above that all is marked as OC.
The fact that you have to enable additional options only to make memory boot above some frequency means that motherboard/IMC is on the edge of stability. Additional training let to boot above some clock but it doesn't mean it will work 100% stable. There can be some other options, voltages and timings which you have to adjust to keep it stable but it's not a 5 min work.

 

[rovian]

This doesn't make any sense tbh, cause even at stock setting which I believe the memory runs @2133mhz, the exact same issues still happens.

 

[Woomack]

Then maybe you are right and something is wrong with the motherboard or memory kit. You shouldn't need any additional options to run memory stable. I mean all voltages, dividers and other options at auto. I assume that the same is at auto, manual ( and then all at auto ) and XMP settings.
Maybe just ask ASUS as somehow I doubt it's your memory.

 

[rovian]

Thanks Woomack for trying to help, I did contact Asus actually on their official forum here:
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthre...g-with-optimized-defaults&p=693593#post693593

They still didn't respond to me, see how many people are facing the same issue.

 

[Woomack]

I had only ASUS TUF and there were no issues. I was actually surprised it overclocks the same as the highest ROG. Now I'm on ASRock and just moved from Taichi XE to X299E-ITX. No issues on both of them.
ASUS support usually responds in 1-7 days. It's Christmas break so hard to say if they work. Some companies have free till 2nd Jan.