ram will not run at advertised speeds | Linus Tech Tips | Page 1

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 7:52 PM

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i have this corsair 1x16 2666mhz ram stick but if i try and set it to run at 2666 my pc bluescreens. (i tried it in G1 and pc blue screened like 3 seconds after boot with varying messages. still blue screened in G2 but it took far longer to bsod than g1 and i had many apps randomly crash) my board is mag b660m mortar wifi, which should be able to do ram up to 3200mhz. does anyone know how i can fix this

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nzxt cam shows this

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cpu-z does not show anything for some reason (in any of the slots)

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task manager shows this.

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https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Vengeance-2666MHz-Desktop-Memory/dp/B019HVO62A this is the stick in question

Corsair LPX 16GB DDR4 DRAM 2666MHz C16 Memory Kit CMK16GX4M1A2666C1...

Vengeance LPX memory is designed for high-performance overclocking. The heatspreader is made of pure aluminum for faster heat dissipation, and the eight-layer PCB helps manage heat and provides superior overclocking headroom. Each IC is individually screened for performance potential. The DDR4 fo...

dense zealot Dec 4, 2022, 8:35 PM

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sounds like you have a bad piece of ram, it should be able to run at the advertised speed without any other tinkering from you besides turning on xmp profile

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 8:36 PM

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ive had it for probably a year now lol, ill just deal with 2400 then

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might of gone bad in the time ive had it

patent saddle Dec 4, 2022, 8:37 PM

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Where did you buy it?

dense zealot Dec 4, 2022, 8:37 PM

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if you don't want to go through an RMA process and get it replaced, you can try to increase the ram voltage in bios to get it to run at 2666, something like +0.05V should help, if it doesn't, add another 0.05V

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 8:38 PM

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alright

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im pretty sure the ram is running at 1v rn

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so that might be too low

dense zealot Dec 4, 2022, 8:39 PM

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There's probably options that say static and offset voltage, you want to tune the offset to +0.05V

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 8:40 PM

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alright

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:20 PM

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What CPU is this being used with?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:42 PM

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i5-12600k

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:44 PM

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Ohhh. Hehe. Remove your CPU cooler and see if your CPU is bent downwards.

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I bet you it has the Rocket Lake bend and you are losing contact on some memory pins

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:44 PM

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what

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:45 PM

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You don't know about the Rocket Lake bend?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:45 PM

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no

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:45 PM

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The Great Depression of LGA 1700?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:45 PM

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what

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:45 PM

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Oh boy.

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One sec.

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I'll post you a crash course

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysb25vsNBQI

YouTube

Gamers Nexus

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Intel's CPU socket for the Alder Lake (12th Gen) CPUs applies higher pressure on one side, causing reduced pressure between the cooler coldplate and CPU. We're replacing the stock Intel ILM (on the socket) with a Thermal Grizzly Contact Frame. Testing includes analysis ...

▶ Play video

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYvloBk0J54

YouTube

Gamers Nexus

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▶ Play video

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TL;DR: Intel's LGA 1700 is a rectangular CPU and the ILM exerts nearly all of the loading force on the MIDDLE of the longside of the CPU.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:48 PM

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I really don't feel like removing my cooler for a problem that sounds ridiculous

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:48 PM

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As a result, the mounting pressure can result in a BEND of the CPU in the socket.

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The bend can also result in inadequate or no contact between pins and the CPU.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:48 PM

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It looks fine to me

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:48 PM

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Are you certain that the CPU is flat? It's not going to be dramatic like a taco.

tardy lily Dec 4, 2022, 9:48 PM

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I think I seen something about needing to go into the BIOS of your motherboard and enable XMP or something like that. I did it and it worked.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:49 PM

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I have xmp enabled

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:49 PM

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tardy lily I think I seen something about needing to go into the BIOS of your motherboard a...

When he does it blue screens.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:49 PM

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formal grove When he does it blue screens.

no

tardy lily Dec 4, 2022, 9:49 PM

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Oh sorry I don't know what to do then.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:49 PM

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when I raise my ram to 2666 I blue screen

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also notably I had a random crash earlier (while just having xmp on and nothing else)

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not a bluescreen but everything locked up and I had to restart

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:50 PM

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I am still leaning toward it being a socket mount issue.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:50 PM

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seems unlikely to me

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wouldn't it depend more on the cooler

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:51 PM

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No. Because the cooler just sits on top of the CPU. The ILM is what is forcing the CPU into the socket and exerts all of the contact pressue.

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Pressue.

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PRESSURE. Ugh that was annoying.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:51 PM

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what is a ilm

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like the little lever thing?

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:51 PM

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The loading mechanism. The silver rectangle around the CPU.

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Just watch the GN videos and then come back.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:52 PM

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so is the ilm the problem

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I don't want to watch a 24 minute video on this

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:52 PM

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That's okay. Steve bookmarks the video. One sec.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:52 PM

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what

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:53 PM

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Second video, 21:30 mark

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Watch that

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:53 PM

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ok

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:53 PM

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And then you just need to watch the first 10 minutes of the first video

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That will give you all of the relevant information

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:55 PM

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I don't understand this

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what is thermal grizzly

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:55 PM

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It is basically a CPU accessory company geared toward aftermarket and exotic cooling solutions.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:55 PM

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ok

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:55 PM

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It is helmed by one of the best overclockers in the world.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:56 PM

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so what is the problem here exactly

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something about memory pins and bending??

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:56 PM

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Watch the first 10 minutes of the first video.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 9:56 PM

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ok

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I don't get it, how could such a big oversight be possible on literally every board

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why do I need an aftermarket thing to fix a problem that I shouldn't really have in the first place

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 9:59 PM

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Because Intel insists its not their fault.

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Which is ridiculous, I know, but Intel.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:00 PM

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why have I never heard of this before

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would make sense if PCPartPicker told me about this or something

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:00 PM

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Because this is something that has only really blown up in the enthusiast area.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:00 PM

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so what do I do to fix it

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:01 PM

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Well, for starters we don't know that it is the socket (but it is a strong possibility) but the first thing I would do is check that you can run an identical stick of memory.

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If not, then there are some solutions that can be done. You won't need to spend $30 on a frame.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:01 PM

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so how do the pins or something not being right correlate to my ram not being at max speed

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:02 PM

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Because the memory controller is built into the CPU.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:02 PM

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but why would it work fine at 2400 and not 2666

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:02 PM

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Well, let

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Let's be clear. You are running ONE stick of memory, right?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:03 PM

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Yeah

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:03 PM

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Okay. So cut that in half. 2666 is the dual-channel transfer rate. You have one stick so one channel.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:04 PM

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now I'm confused

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:04 PM

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I know. It can be confusing.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:04 PM

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so my ram is only at 1333?

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:05 PM

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But memory configuration is more than just speed. You have other settings called timings which affect how the memory performs. You know how a car works, right?

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In terms of the engine.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:05 PM

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somewhat

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:06 PM

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So you know how the valves have to open and close at specific times in order for the engine to work properly?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:06 PM

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yeah

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:06 PM

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Well there is a similar principle with RAM. The timings tell the computer what rates and how often the computer can access the information on the memory.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:07 PM

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okay

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:07 PM

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So those timings affect how the ram performs when all other specifications are met.

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BUT if you have a CPU with a bad socket contact, the conditions are now different than the specifications.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:09 PM

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uh huh

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:09 PM

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So just like a car may be fine at idle but start having problems running when you touch the accelerator, running the memory at base spec speed may show no issue but overclocking the memory to the XMP profile may show issues.

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You see what I mean?

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Also, think of memory channels as banks of cylinders.

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Running one stick is like having a V8 but only having fuel being supplied to one side of the engine.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:10 PM

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okay

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:10 PM

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So instead of having full-speed you have half.

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Make sense?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:10 PM

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wdym by overclocking to the xmp profile

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:11 PM

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Well, the base spec memory speed for DDR4 is JEDEC DDR4-2400MHz or 2133 depending on the CPU model.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:11 PM

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base?

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like the standard or

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:11 PM

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Default.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:12 PM

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oh

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:12 PM

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There are JEDEC-3200MHz memory modules available, BUT they have extremely sloppy timings usually. Most modules you buy will have XMP profiles to enable better timings.

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I know. It's a lot to learn.

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But here is what it boils down to.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:13 PM

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what is jedec

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:13 PM

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Usually this is a "The RAM stick is broken" problem.

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JEDEC is the technology consortium that manages the DDR memory specification and its revisions.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:14 PM

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ah

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:14 PM

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Now like I said this could be a RAM stick is broken problem, and in most circumstances that would be true.

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But the unique quirk of the LGA 1700 platform means this could also be an mounting issue because the CPU is being pushed down on the middle while the pins in the socket are pushing back up from all sides, creating uneven pressure on the socket.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:15 PM

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that crash just happened again

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:16 PM

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Think of a popsicle stick. Where is it easier to break, it the middle of the long side or the short side?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:16 PM

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where everything freezes and I have to reboot

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so what can I do to fix this like rn

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also why did this only happen recently, I've never had this before enabling xmp

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:17 PM

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Well you can run your ram at the sloppy default speeds until you get another similar stick to test with.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:17 PM

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formal grove Well you can run your ram at the sloppy default speeds until you get another sim...

so I disable xmp?

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:17 PM

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last sierra also why did this only happen recently, I've never had this before enabling xmp

Because running XMP enables an overclock with less-forgiving timings.

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Yes.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:17 PM

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ok

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there's like 2 pcs I can go steal ram from like rn but I'm not gonna do that

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I'll just leave xmp off

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:18 PM

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Why don't you take that stick and see how it works in those others?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:18 PM

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wait so why is it at 2133 without xmp

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:18 PM

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Because it may not have the 2400MHz Jedec profile, just 2133.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:18 PM

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hm

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:18 PM

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formal grove Why don't you take that stick and see how it works in those others?

I'll do that later

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I'll just keep xmp off for now

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:19 PM

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Do you have Windows install media?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:19 PM

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like a USB?

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:19 PM

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Yes

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:19 PM

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no

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:19 PM

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Can you make one?

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:19 PM

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why

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:20 PM

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Because I was going to recommend that you run the Windows Memory diagnostic on another computer with that memory

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:20 PM

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okay

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I'll worry about that later

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:20 PM

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Alright. Well, those are what you can look at. Hopefully it is just a memory is bad issue.

last sierra Dec 4, 2022, 10:21 PM

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alright

formal grove Dec 4, 2022, 10:21 PM

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If it is a socket issue, then you can TRY to open the ILM and re-center all the pieces before locking it back down. That may give you a different mount and improve things.

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Otherwise, things may get a little more...... FUN.

#ram will not run at advertised speeds