Hey folks, I'm having trouble with my RAM not running at its advertised speed of 3200MHz. Currently, my setup is stuck at 2133MHz by default. I'm using a single stick of 16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 RAM in my AMD Ryzen 5 2600 desktop with an ASRock B450M Steel Legend motherboard. I've tried enabling XMP (or DOCP) in the BIOS, but my system doesn't apply the 3200MHz setting, instead, it only shows 2166MHz. I've heard that Ryzen 2000 series can struggle with higher RAM speeds, but I know people have managed to get this CPU running with stable speeds between 3000 and 3200MHz. I'm wondering if my single stick setup is limiting my speeds or if my outdated BIOS version (P2.90) is the issue. I'm hesitant to update my BIOS as I'm unsure if it'll solve the problem or cause new ones. Has anyone been successful in getting 3200MHz with a similar setup? Would switching to a 2x8GB configuration or updating the BIOS improve my chances? Any advice would be appreciated!
6 Answers
What are your end goals with the RAM speeds? If you're gaming or doing intensive tasks, it might be worth it to tinker a little more. XMP should work even with one stick, but you might need to manually tweak some settings in the BIOS if it doesn't apply automatically.
Great point! Make sure your single stick is in the recommended RAM slot per your motherboard's manual. Updating the BIOS is a good idea as well; it might help you get that XMP profile working. Just a heads up, though — running in single channel could be slowing you down more than the difference between 2666MHz and 3200MHz, so consider trying a dual-channel setup if you can.
Updating your BIOS sounds like a solid first step. You really have nothing to lose there, and BIOS updates often come with compatibility improvements. By the way, which slot are you using for your RAM? That can also impact your speeds.
Definitely try different RAM slots and updating the BIOS first. If that doesn’t work, think about manually overclocking your RAM. Just remember, running with one stick is limiting; having 2 sticks could really boost your performance. You could also look into getting a RAM kit that’s guaranteed to work well with your setup.
Double-check if your RAM is on the QVL list for your motherboard and CPU. If it's not, that could explain the issue you're having with the XMP settings. Validating compatibility can sometimes save you a lot of headaches!
One stick won't reach advertised speeds with XMP. I have 3600MHz RAM that runs at 1800MHz with a single stick. If you go for another, make sure it's the same model as the first to avoid crashing or defaulting to lower speeds.
Thanks for the heads up! I’ll definitely keep that in mind if I get another stick.
Yeah, I've been thinking about upgrading to dual channel if that helps improve performance!