I'm replacing four mismatched 4GB DDR4 sticks—two rated at 2400 MT/s and two at 2133—with a matched 32GB kit. The motherboard manual for my MSI Z170A Gaming Pro Carbon lists memory support up to 3600(OC), along with 3200(OC), 3000(OC), 2800(OC), 2600(OC), 2400, and 2133 MHz. Does buying a 3600-rated kit mean it will run at 3600 only after enabling an overclock or XMP profile, or would it simply run at 2400 by default? Could a 2400-rated kit potentially be overclocked to higher speeds, or is a faster-rated kit the better choice? I'm also curious whether the motherboard's USB-C port should support a powered USB 3 hub through an appropriate data cable or adapter, since the hub works normally from the USB-A port but not through USB-C.
3 Answers
DDR4-2400 is generally the highest standard JEDEC speed for this platform, so anything above that is technically an overclock. A kit advertised as DDR4-3600 usually has standard settings it can fall back to, plus an XMP profile that tells the motherboard how to run it at the higher rated speed. You’ll normally need to enable XMP in the BIOS for that profile to take effect. A random 2400 kit might overclock, but that’s much more dependent on luck and the individual modules, so it’s not something to count on.
Check the motherboard manufacturer’s memory QVL before buying. It lists kits and sometimes BIOS versions that were tested with the board, so those combinations are more likely to work reliably. In practice, most compatible XMP kits will often work, but the QVL gives you the best-supported choices. For this older Z170 system, a matched 2400 or 2666 kit is usually a sensible target; paying extra for 3600 may not provide much benefit if the board or CPU’s memory controller can’t run it reliably.
I’ll look up the QVL and compare the tested kits. I’m not in a rush, so knowing what to check for is useful.
For the USB-C issue, the port and cable both need to support USB data in the right configuration. A simple A-to-A connection or passive double-male adapter is not a proper USB-C host connection and can fail to provide the expected host, power, or signal wiring. Use a normal USB-C-to-USB-A cable designed for connecting a USB-C host to a USB-A hub, or connect the hub to the motherboard’s USB-A port. Also verify that the motherboard’s USB-C port is a full data port rather than a more limited connector, since some older boards expose USB-C through a specific controller or header arrangement.
That helps. I’ll check the BIOS for the XMP option. The board also has a preset Game Boost setting, though I haven’t enabled it.