How Can I Enable XMP and Run Two Different DDR4 Kits at the Right Speed?
Asked by
MellowPine47
I'm using a Gigabyte A520M K V2 motherboard with two 8GB DDR4 memory sticks. One module is rated at 3600 MT/s (PC28800), while the other is rated at 3200 MT/s (PC25600). Both are 288-pin DIMMs. My goal is to run both at 3200 MT/s, but I can't find an XMP option in either Easy Mode or the Advanced Tweaker settings. I'm also unsure whether the two sticks are actually operating at different speeds or whether the system is reporting their rated specifications. Is there a way to configure the faster stick to match the slower one, and what BIOS setting should I use?
Answers
On this platform, the overclocking profile may not be labeled XMP. Check the BIOS memory or Tweaker section for a setting such as XMP, DOCP, or a similarly named memory-profile option. If the board detects a profile from the modules, you can usually select it and then manually set the memory speed to 3200 MT/s if needed.
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Mixed memory kits can work, but they aren’t guaranteed to run their advertised speeds together. Since the sticks have different rated speeds—and may use different timings or memory chips—the safest approach is to leave both at the slower module’s settings, then test stability. A matched 2-stick kit is the better choice if you want reliable XMP operation.
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Two memory sticks installed together normally run at a common speed, not independently at two different speeds. The system will generally use the slower module’s settings, so check where you’re seeing the 3200 and 2133 figures—one may be the module’s rated speed while the other is its current speed. A utility such as CPU-Z can show the actual memory clock; remember that DDR memory’s effective speed is roughly twice the displayed clock.
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You can often manually lower the 3600-rated stick to 3200, but that doesn’t make the modules a matched kit. Set the frequency, timings, and voltage based on the slower module’s specifications, and run a memory stability test afterward. If the BIOS profile still doesn’t appear, updating the motherboard BIOS or using identical modules may resolve it.
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