Mislabled RAM sticks - is this a thing now?

[pow_dunks]

I ordered a 32GB kit of PC3600 DDR4 that was on my motherboard's memory QVL (specifically F4-3600C17D-32GTZKW).  I received a box with that part number on the label, and inside were two sticks of ram with that part number on each of their labels (see images).  When I install them into my system (either slots 1&3 or slots 2&4), they present to the motherboard with a different part number (F4-3600C17-16GTZKW - again, see images), and that *-16GTZKW part number is not on the motherboard's memory QVL, and the board won't POST when I turn on DOCP (it fails to post 3 times and then reverts the DOCP setting in the BIOS and forces a safePOST), so I'm stuck with PC2133 performance.

 

I've seen just a few mentions of this on various forums over the 9-12 months.  Has anyone else experienced this issue?

[Moonzy]

technically each of those sticks are individual 16GTZKW

 

what CPU and motherboard do you have again?

it might just be your CPU being unable to run 3600MHz RAM as that's an OC for both intel and AMD, and not guaranteed to work

[pow_dunks]

31 minutes ago, Moonzy said:

technically each of those sticks are individual 16GTZKW

 

what CPU and motherboard do you have again?

it might just be your CPU being unable to run 3600MHz RAM as that's an OC for both intel and AMD, and not guaranteed to work

CPU is a Ryzen 7 5800X

Board is an Asus B550-F Gaming

 

These should absolutely be able to handle PC3600 memory, there is PC4800 options listed on the board's memory QVL.  The "not guaranteed to work" is true for product numbers that are not on the QVL - the reason the QVL exists is so customers who own a particular board & cpu know what memory the board manufacturer has tested and certified to run at the listed overclocked speed.

 

Additionally, higher bench scores are required for a 2x16 kit vs a 1x16 kit, that's why it's almost universally cheaper to purchase two 16gbx1 kits than one 16gbx2 kit.

[Moonzy]

11 minutes ago, pow_dunks said:

CPU is a Ryzen 7 5800X

Board is an Asus B550-F Gaming

 

These should absolutely be able to handle PC3600 memory, there is PC4800 options listed on the board's memory QVL.  The "not guaranteed to work" is true for product numbers that are not on the QVL - the reason the QVL exists is so customers who own a particular board & cpu know what memory the board manufacturer has tested and certified to run at the listed overclocked speed.

 

Additionally, higher bench scores are required for a 2x16 kit vs a 1x16 kit, that's why it's almost universally cheaper to purchase two 16gbx1 kits than one 16gbx2 kit.

Your CPU officially only supports up to 3200, even if your board or RAM is capable of higher

 

The board is likely to work just fine with the RAM, try enabling XMP but set frequency to 3200, see if that works

[pow_dunks]

On 4/20/2021 at 4:16 PM, Moonzy said:

Your CPU officially only supports up to 3200, even if your board or RAM is capable of higher

 

The board is likely to work just fine with the RAM, try enabling XMP but set frequency to 3200, see if that works

see, here's the problem, you've ignored the entire point of the post by getting pedantic.  I'd be happy w/ PC3200 speed, but I'm capped at 2133 because of the mislabeling.  Also, AMD doesn't have XMP, that's intel proprietary technology.  AMD uses DOCP which refers to the xmp profile, but it's a different technology, so telling someone w/ an AMD board to "turn on XMP" is like telling someone with a misbehaving Android phone that they just need to go update to the latest iOS...

[Guest]

1 minute ago, pow_dunks said:

see, here's the problem, you've ignored the entire point of the post by getting pedantic.  I'd be happy w/ PC3200 speed, but I'm capped at 2133 because of the mislabeling.  Also, AMD doesn't have XMP, that's intel proprietary technology.  AMD uses DOCP which refers to the xmp profile, but it's a different technology, so telling someone w/ an AMD board to "turn on XMP" is like telling someone with a misbehaving Android phone that they just need to go update to the latest iOS...

lol. 

You're in a tech forum where PC stuff is.... well, it's technical. lol.

 

It all matters.

Memory controller capability,

Lack of knowledge about memory ICs.

Buy anything without research.

And DOCP and XMP are not different technologies. lol. WTF did you read that?

Dram Overclocking Profile is just a fancy way to say Extreme Memory Profile. Just a matter of how the bios is worded and nothing more.

[Motleyguts]

On 4/20/2021 at 12:17 PM, pow_dunks said:

I've seen just a few mentions of this on various forums over the 9-12 months.  Has anyone else experienced this issue?

Back in 1998 or 1999, I took my sister to a computer fair in Santa Barbara over by State St., and we ended up buying her some mislabeled RAM. Fortunately for her, not only did it work, but it was double the capacity stated on the label. That's the one and only time I've ever personally encountered mislabeled RAM.

 

Are you able to return or exchange it? I've never had an issue with multiple orders over the years through newegg and amazon.

[Moonzy]

3 hours ago, pow_dunks said:

see, here's the problem, you've ignored the entire point of the post by getting pedantic.  I'd be happy w/ PC3200 speed, but I'm capped at 2133 because of the mislabeling.  Also, AMD doesn't have XMP, that's intel proprietary technology.  AMD uses DOCP which refers to the xmp profile, but it's a different technology, so telling someone w/ an AMD board to "turn on XMP" is like telling someone with a misbehaving Android phone that they just need to go update to the latest iOS...

Did you try what I said, though?

 

XMP is just docp worded differently in the bios

Plug a stick in an Intel board and it'll say XMP, plug it into an AMD board and it'll say docp

I think some AMD board says XMP too

 

Dram is dram, there's no special sauce for AMD or Intel CPU, not that I know of

 

I simply told you that running above 3200 is not guaranteed by you CPU, even though your board and RAM supports it. And it's limited by the slowest link in the chain

You may have just lost the silicon lottery and stuck with a cpu that's only capable of 3200, don't take it out on me

It's also entirely possible you got a faulty CPU or something else, then you may get it exchanged

 

Go get the RAM exchanged if you're that unhappy about it and thinks your CPU is capable of higher frequency, because it may as well fix it

[shaz2sxy]

The "kit" part number is F4-3600C17D-32GTZKW

It has 2x16gb sticks so each stick will be 162GTZKW

 

it is not mislabelled.

 

More likely a bios issue.  Have you checked for a bios update? also try to set the speeds manually in the BIOS