Installed new RAM, PC stability questionable...

[CalamariWangcaster]

First post, hopefully I put this in the right place!

So, Hi. I have enough knowledge to put a computer together but I'd say, that'd be the extent on the subject...

Which is why I am here.

 

So, I'm looking for advice to do with ram... I'll put this first, get it out of the way.

 

Windows 10 Pro 64-bit

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core Processor
MAG B550M MORTAR WIFI (MS-7C94) (AM4)
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

64gb Corsair (4x16) ddr4 3200mhz Vengeance LPX Ram CMK32GX4M2E3200C16

3 hdd
1 ssd

 

I built the pc a few years ago and there's been steady upgrades along the way. Honestly, it surprises me to this day how smooth everything has run so far, up until the most recent upgrade of these 2 extra ram sticks.

 

Since I installed them, the performance has been less stable than before. I tried to get the exact same as the 2 sticks I already had installed, I thought I did but after looking in the bios, there is actually slight differences.

 

And when I say instability, it isn't really huge issues because at this point it's just an unexpected restart for seemingly no reason every few days.

It is worrying though. Not knowing why or if it might be damaging the life expectancy of anything in the build.

 

When it restarted as soon as I installed them, I checked some stuff in the bios and noticed they were running at different mhz. So I figured getting them both to at least be running at the same speed would be a good first course of action (changed them to 2800mhz). Since then, it's just been a random crash every so often. I haven't changed anything since then.

 

I took a screen shot of the RAM info in Speccy. If anyone wants any other info, I'll add it.

 

 

Any advice or info would be very appreciated!

[An0maly_76]

You'd be better off with Crucial Ballistix. They are designed to work better with Ryzen. I run the CL16 DDR4-3200 in my 5900X and it screams. Still thinking about OC'ing the RAM a bit to see if I can get a bit more performance.

 

Those RAM speeds don't look right though. Do you have EDOC / XMP enabled?

Edited May 29, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[CalamariWangcaster]

Not sure what EDOC is. I think XMP is enabled. I got another picture from BIOS.

 

Yeah, I was thinking of selling all 4 and using the money to get 2 sticks of 32g or something. She never had a problem running 2 sticks. I originally bought the 2 I had cause it was the cheapest option... I upgraded the motherboard to switch to Ryzen and realised pretty late that the ram I had wasn't guna cut it.

[An0maly_76]

I'm not sure if 2 sticks makes a difference over 4, I just know that Crucial Ballistix is engineered to get the best out of a Ryzen. Yeah, there's some B-die out there that might be better, but it's a lot more expensive too. I'm all about bang for the buck. $115-$128 for a 2x16 Ballistix CL16 DDR4-3200 kit is hands down the best bang for the buck in RAM for a Ryzen.

[CalamariWangcaster]

Yeah, after looking through youtube on the "2 or 4 sticks" debate I'm starting to think it could just be a matter of switching brands of ram. I had a look and it doesn't look like it would be too hard to get 4 sticks of Ballistix for me. Go 'Straya!

 

Will be a bit of a bitch selling and swapping over, not having a computer for the interim, though.

[aDoomGuy]

You are running 4 sticks, are they from the same kit or are they two kits of two sticks? If they're two kits you may not be able to run them at XMP so you can try to tinker with the memory timings and loosen them some or just drop memory speed a bit.

 

Remeber that when you buy a single kit the sticks are tested to work with eachother at the rated speed but once you got two different kits the kits aren't tested to run with each other.

 

EDIT: Also worth mentioning that 4 sticks is harder for the memory controller to operate when overclocked (XMP is overclocking).

[CalamariWangcaster]

Alright! So, I just thought I'd try changing the ram slots around and after not being able to even get the computer to show me a picture on the monitor a few times and a mild amount of freak out, I think I figured out why they're acting so strange together...

 

They're identical on the barcode, apart from one difference...

Two say:   "16-18-18-36 1.35V ver 5.32"

Other two: "16-20-20-38 1.35V ver 3.43"

 

Doy.

 

Yeah. Two different kits. I have resolved to sell and try to get a matching kit.

Thanks for the advice.

[Mark Kaine]

im pretty sure you have the slots wrong...

 

RAM A goes in slots 1+3

RAM B goes in slots 2+4

 

 

you have RAM A 1+2

                 RAM B 3+4

 

if i see this right (not familiar with speccy)

[freeagent]

Corsair has a bad rep with their ram on Ryzen. I’m sure it’s fine, just not with your system..

[Mark Kaine]

7 hours ago, CalamariWangcaster said:

They're identical on the barcode

well the part number isnt identical either, 2E and 2Z.

 

 

This is why people recommend only 2 sticks for Ryzen and it has to be a kit, no different than 4 sticks, having a kit just becomes more important especially with corsair ram.

 

35 minutes ago, freeagent said:

Corsair has a bad rep with their ram on Ryzen. I’m sure it’s fine, just not with your system..

wouldn't he just have to make sure the timings are the same, including subtimings?  ( i mean personally i would just use one kit / 2 sticks, but in theory that should work?)

[freeagent]

1 minute ago, Mark Kaine said:

well the part number isnt identical either, 2E and 2Z.

 

 

This is why people recommend only 2 sticks for Ryzen and it has to be a kit, no different than 4 sticks, having a kit just becomes more important especially with corsair ram.

 

wouldn't he just have to make sure the timings are the same, including subtimings?  ( i mean personally i would just use one kit / 2 sticks, but in theory that should work?)

I have some Corsair DDR2.. one is XMS, the other is Dominator.. same speed, timings, voltage.. in pairs they work fine, but paired up is a no go. This is not new with them

 

I mean, I am running 4 sticks, 2 different kits but same speed and timings. They work fine together in my 5900X system.

[Mark Kaine]

2 minutes ago, freeagent said:

I have some Corsair DDR2.. one is XMS, the other is Dominator.. same speed, timings, voltage.. in pairs they work fine, but paired up is a no go. This is not new with them

 

I mean, I am running 4 sticks, 2 different kits but same speed and timings. They work fine together in my 5900X system.

yeah i guess its still a gamble,  but ive seen plenty of people getting randomly mixed ram to work, so. : p

 

[--SID--]

M2E and M2Z are far from identical. M2Z is Ryzen optimzed, M2E is not. What are the version numbers of both kits?

 

 

[freeagent]

16 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

but ive seen plenty of people getting randomly mixed ram to work, so. : p

It is true. I mean, my Z77 system for example. It was just recently retired. My son used it to play games, it had 2x2GB of Perfect Storm BBSE 2133C9, and 2x4GB of Some Hynix 1600C9 stuff, it ran fine for something like 2 years, no problems at all at 1800 C9.

[Mark Kaine]

31 minutes ago, --SID-- said:

What are the version numbers of both kits?

 

8 hours ago, CalamariWangcaster said:

Two say:   "16-18-18-36 1.35V ver 5.32"

Other two: "16-20-20-38 1.35V ver 3.43"

 

19 minutes ago, freeagent said:

It is true. I mean, my Z77 system for example. It was just recently retired. My son used it to play games, it had 2x2GB of Perfect Storm BBSE 2133C9, and 2x4GB of Some Hynix 1600C9 stuff, it ran fine for something like 2 years, no problems at all at 1800 C9.

Nice, they meet in the middle somewhere  

 

But seriously looking at it again, OP really using the wrong slots, its not dual channel that way, or at least mismatched dual channel? could that make issues too though? 

 

Also didn't see it at first:

8 hours ago, CalamariWangcaster said:

Yeah. Two different kits. I have resolved to sell and try to get a matching kit.

Thanks for the advice.

 Well good luck! ; o

[--SID--]

1 hour ago, Mark Kaine said:

 

 

Nice, they meet in the middle somewhere  

 

But seriously looking at it again, OP really using the wrong slots, its not dual channel that way, or at least mismatched dual channel? could that make issues too though? 

 

Also didn't see it at first:

 Well good luck! ; o

Missed that part. Yeah, mixing Micron (ver 3.43) and Hynix (ver 5.32) is not working well.

 

[CalamariWangcaster]

I completely missed the 2E vs 2Z on the barcode! Yeah, it's all starting to make a lot more sense now.

 

"RAM A goes in slots 1+3

RAM B goes in slots 2+4"

 

I think that's what I have now. I mean, to be honest, whichever they're in now is the only way my computer runs with them, so that's how they're staying.. Least till I get the new ones.

 

Also, thanks to you all for the info in this thread. Much appreciated.