I'm experiencing issues with my RAM when I set it to run at 6400 MHz. My setup includes an AMD 9900X3D CPU, Corsair 2x16 GB 6400 Dominator Platinum DDR5 RAM, an Asus TUF X870 motherboard, an EVGA 1300 G+ Supernova Gold PSU, and an MSI Liquid X 4090 GPU. While Windows operates smoothly with DOCP enabled at 6400, my games frequently crash. When I switch to DOCP 6000, everything runs fine. Additionally, I sometimes find my PC unresponsive with the DRAM error light on, requiring a restart. I ran Memtest86 and got a PASS with 6000 MHz but failed with 6400 MHz. I bought the memory second-hand, and the previous owner mentioned upgrading for better performance. Could these errors indicate that 6400 MHz is simply too high for my system, or might it be a compatibility issue with my components? Also, if one stick is malfunctioning, do I need to RMA both?
3 Answers
I faced a similar problem recently with my RAM. Running at 6400 MHz with Expo caused issues, but switching to 6000 MHz solved my problems. With the lower speed and matching timings from another kit, my system passed all tests without errors. I’m not sure if an RMA is needed unless one stick is clearly failing; why not try testing them individually? That might help narrow it down!
It sounds like you should stick to the speed that reliably works, which seems to be 6000 MHz. The 6400 MHz speed is essentially an overclock, and not all RAM can handle the advertised speeds, especially if they were sold due to instability. It may simply be that there's a silicon lottery issue at play. Consider updating your BIOS or tuning your memory manually to improve stability if you're interested!
6400 MHz is great in theory, but remember it's an overclock. The previous owner may have sold it because it wasn't stable at that speed. It's key to determine whether the instability was present from the start or developed over time. Make sure to check your RAM's specs; the higher you push your memory, the less stable it usually is without proper tuning!
Could you share what specific BIOS adjustments you made for that? I'm using the same RAM kit as you, and any tips would be really appreciated!