Hey everyone! I'm reaching out because I'm having trouble getting my RAM to run at its advertised speed of 3200MHz. Here are my specs: I have a desktop setup with an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor, ASRock B450M Steel Legend motherboard, and 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM. Currently, Windows shows that my RAM is only running at 2133MHz. I've tried enabling XMP (DOCP) in the BIOS, but whenever I set it to 3200MHz, it doesn't apply the setting and just sticks at 2166MHz, even though I previously ran it at 2666MHz without issues. I've heard that Ryzen 2000 series CPUs can have some struggles with higher RAM speeds, but I've seen others get stable performance at 3000–3200MHz. I'm wondering if my single stick setup is holding me back or if my BIOS version (P2.90) is too outdated. I'm hesitant to update the BIOS unless I know it will help and not create other issues. Has anyone with a similar setup managed to get 3200MHz reliably? Would switching to a dual-channel setup with 2x8GB or updating the BIOS boost my chances? Any help would be great!
5 Answers
If you’re trying to hit advertised speeds with just one stick, it’s going to be tough. I have 3600MHz RAM that runs as 1800MHz with a single stick. If you go for another stick, make sure it matches the exact specs or your system might crash or revert to a lower speed.
I had a Ryzen 5 2600X with an MSI B450 board, and I ran my RAM above 3200MHz without any problems. I recommend updating your BIOS first — you really have nothing to lose. By the way, which slot is your RAM stick in? Generally, a single stick can still reach higher frequencies depending on where it's placed. When you set XMP to 3200, does your PC reboot multiple times? Also, how are you checking that it's stuck at 2133MHz?
Your RAM might not be on the QVL list for your motherboard and CPU combo, which could explain why XMP isn’t working. It’d be worth checking this out on the manufacturer’s site.
If you can, try different RAM slots or update the BIOS; they’re both simple fixes. If you want a harder, manual way, you could attempt to overclock the RAM to something close to 3200MHz while ensuring it's stable. I had to fine-tune mine at 3122MHz, but hey, not every CPU is equally good at handling RAM speeds due to something called the silicon lottery. Also, consider investing in a 2x8GB kit; you’ll get better performance in dual-channel, which is crucial.
Make sure you’re using the slot your motherboard recommends for a single stick. Updating the BIOS should definitely be on your to-do list. That said, running with a single stick might impact your performance more than just the speed difference between 3200 MT/s and 2666 MT/s.
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