Z690 Extreme - Another memory thread (4th kit, all I want is to run stable in XMP)

[Neur0_Mortis]

G'day all,

Swapped in another new set of RAM today and I'm still getting errors in TestMem64 & TM5 when trying to run XMP. So far, the kits I've had are as follows:

• TridentZ 6400 CL32
  
• TridentZ 6400 CL32 (2nd Kit)
  
• Corsair 6200 CL40
  
• T-Force Delta 6400 (CL40)
  
• all have been 2dimm kits running in A2/B2
  

I realize that the TridentZ kits are not on the QVL for the board, which is what prompted me to try the Corsairs and T-Force. As a result of the memory instability, I get random errors in Windows (text problems drafting emails in Outlook, random app crashes, occasionally missing devices/USB/LAN). I've used Asus boards for the last several years and my 10900kf on a Maximus Hero XII is rock solid, but I'm at my wit's end with this board.

I know I'm not the only one experiencing issues; however, it seems like the Apex and its memory challenges are getting all the limelight. Anybody else with an Extreme experiencing these types of issues?

Note: I just got this board on 3/18 and the 15day return policy to Micro Center is up on Saturday. Strongly considering it.

[bscool]

If you have tried all of that and it is still having issues you can either lower clocks until stable or return. Pretty unlikely any bios update is going to fix it.

I have 2 Apex 1 will run 6400 and 1 7000. I would return it if I paid that much and it cant run XMP and with all that is know with the issues on some MBs.

[Neur0_Mortis]

bscool wrote:
If you have tried all of that and it is still having issues you can either lower clocks until stable or return. Pretty unlikely any bios update is going to fix it.

I have 2 Apex 1 will run 6400 and 1 7000. I would return it if I paid that much and it cant run XMP and with all that is know with the issues on some MBs.

Thinking that'll be my agenda to tackle tomorrow, bit figured i'd see if Asus had any recommendations before resorting to that. Right now, I'm stability testing the current DIMMs (T-Force 64s) at 6200 to see if this is at least something stable enough in the here and now. Shall see how it goes. Just frustrating to lose USB during a conference call (lose both camera and audio since I use an external DAC) and I haven't gamed in a couple weeks now due to the stability challenges (so no stress relief - every night seems like a grind towards stability).

[Silent_Scone]

Hello,



6400 on 4 DIMM boards will require a reasonable IMC. I'd always recommend opting for a ratio one or two bins below the maximum validation regardless if looking for plug and play on all platforms and boards. If no joy contact service for your region or the etailer. Note that whilst most CPUs will do 6000MT, above this can be very much a lottery.

Try Tweak Modes 1 and 2.

Try both XMP 1 & 2.

Try System Agent Voltage values from 0.9 to 1.2v

Try Memory Controller Voltage values from 1.2 to 1.35v

Try VDD/VDDQ values up to 1.4v.

[Neur0_Mortis]

Silent Scone@ROG wrote:
Hello,



6400 on 4 DIMM boards will require a reasonable IMC. I'd always recommend opting for a ratio one or two bins below the maximum validation regardless if looking for plug and play on all platforms and boards. If no joy contact service for your region or the etailer. Note that whilst most CPUs will do 6000MT, above this can be very much a lottery.

Try Tweak Modes 1 and 2.

Try both XMP 1 & 2.

Try System Agent Voltage values from 0.9 to 1.2v

Try Memory Controller Voltage values from 1.2 to 1.35v

Try VDD/VDDQ values up to 1.4v.

Thanks for this. First and foremost, I'm not a memory OCer. Just don't understand all the ins/outs of finetuning the memory voltages, timings, clockspeed, etc. So I've always been of a "set XMP and forget" type mentality. To that end, I started playing with things last night and the MC voltage seems to be where I'm zeroing in. For both the TridentZ & T-Force sticks, the XMP sets the MC voltage at 1.1. After upping this, I still get occasional errors, but they're signficantly less than what I was seeing. So I think the tuning might be on the right track (just need to figure out wtf I'm doing - lol). I'll mess with it more today to see if I can get things to a normalized functionally working setup.

[IgnatiusKrum]

Neur0_Mortis wrote:
G'day all,

Swapped in another new set of RAM today and I'm still getting errors in TestMem64 & TM5 when trying to run XMP. So far, the kits I've had are as follows:

• TridentZ 6400 CL32
  
• TridentZ 6400 CL32 (2nd Kit)
  
• Corsair 6200 CL40
  
• T-Force Delta 6400 (CL40)
  
• all have been 2dimm kits running in A2/B2
  

I realize that the TridentZ kits are not on the QVL for the board, which is what prompted me to try the Corsairs and T-Force. As a result of the memory instability, I get random errors in Windows (text problems drafting emails in Outlook, random app crashes, occasionally missing devices/USB/LAN). I've used Asus boards for the last several years and my 10900kf on a Maximus Hero XII is rock solid, but I'm at my wit's end with this board.

I know I'm not the only one experiencing issues; however, it seems like the Apex and its memory challenges are getting all the limelight. Anybody else with an Extreme experiencing these types of issues?

Note: I just got this board on 3/18 and the 15day return policy to Micro Center is up on Saturday. Strongly considering it.

Running Maximus Z690 Extreme here as well and also a pair of TridentZ 6400 CL32 and just like you it has been an adventure getting XMP working at all. I could not get default XMP I or II to pass the most basic memtest86 iterations. I would get to about iteration 3 and then it would start throwing errors.

Thankfully I seem to have hit a magical place by using XMP I and manually setting DRAM Frequency to 6000Mhz. I left all other timings and voltages alone and have spent the past 3 days letting her run through various memory / IMC / cache / CPU stability tests.

How I've tested stability thus far:
1. Ran memtest86 with all tests enabled for ~8 hours with no errors.
2. Ran 20K% Karhu w/no cache with zero errors.
3. Cold boot and ran 10K% Karhu w/cache with zero errors.
4. I'm through 10 iterations of y-cruncher now going for 20 before I move on.

I'm mostly just your average XMP user and rarely do any amount of overclocking beyond that. I'm fairly happy with this result and if I can validate 24/7 stability then I'll probably stick with until / unless ASUS updates the BIOS with enhanced memory support and updates the QVL. I might try to go for normal XMP I or II in that case.

I do have a backup DDR5 kit from the QVL on the way just to have an emergency backup set of RAM. 🙂


Good luck! Don't blow anything up!

[Neur0_Mortis]

IgnatiusKrum wrote:
Running Maximus Z690 Extreme here as well and also a pair of TridentZ 6400 CL32 and just like you it has been an adventure getting XMP working at all. I could not get default XMP I or II to pass the most basic memtest86 iterations. I would get to about iteration 3 and then it would start throwing errors.

Thankfully I seem to have hit a magical place by using XMP I and manually setting DRAM Frequency to 6000Mhz. I left all other timings and voltages alone and have spent the past 3 days letting her run through various memory / IMC / cache / CPU stability tests.

How I've tested stability thus far:
1. Ran memtest86 with all tests enabled for ~8 hours with no errors.
2. Ran 20K% Karhu w/no cache with zero errors.
3. Cold boot and ran 10K% Karhu w/cache with zero errors.
4. I'm through 10 iterations of y-cruncher now going for 20 before I move on.

I'm mostly just your average XMP user and rarely do any amount of overclocking beyond that. I'm fairly happy with this result and if I can validate 24/7 stability then I'll probably stick with until / unless ASUS updates the BIOS with enhanced memory support and updates the QVL. I might try to go for normal XMP I or II in that case.

I do have a backup DDR5 kit from the QVL on the way just to have an emergency backup set of RAM. 🙂


Good luck! Don't blow anything up!

Thanks for that! So far, after significantly modifying the voltages I've been able to get stable passes in TM5 w/ Extreme@anta777 and OCCT at 6200. Next up is memtest64 and then I'll round out with Karhu. I just question how low the MC1.1 voltage is and why, in addition to what Asus QVL'd the T-Force 6400 at from a settings perspective. Because at stock, it seems highly problematic.

[nyxagamemnon]

Seems like you guys have better luck than me running 2 6000 C36 (Samsung) kits best I can get out of it is 5200 with 4 sticks. I was able to boot 5400 but it wasn't stable. The issue is there's so many variables you have to keep tweaking waiting for it to train and try again it's insane vs DDR4. For example on 1304 my SA was .95V and the Mem Controller was 1.275. Nope issues issues chain issues. Increased volts = same thing all I had to do was drop the SA to .9 and problems went away lower volts...... There's no like standard way to tweak things it's like you have to spend days over days testing every combination of minor volt adjustments just to get something going. DDR4 was infinitely better in this regard and the training waiting for it to loop loop loop loop.......... sometimes taking forever thinking you failed to only have it work...

[Neur0_Mortis]

nyxagamemnon wrote:
Seems like you guys have better luck than me running 2 6000 C36 (Samsung) kits best I can get out of it is 5200 with 4 sticks. I was able to boot 5400 but it wasn't stable. The issue is there's so many variables you have to keep tweaking waiting for it to train and try again it's insane vs DDR4. For example on 1304 my SA was .95V and the Mem Controller was 1.275. Nope issues issues chain issues. Increased volts = same thing all I had to do was drop the SA to .9 and problems went away lower volts...... There's no like standard way to tweak things it's like you have to spend days over days testing every combination of minor volt adjustments just to get something going. DDR4 was infinitely better in this regard and the training waiting for it to loop loop loop loop.......... sometimes taking forever thinking you failed to only have it work...

Nah. My stability was an illusion. I've gone through 6 different RAM kits and this board has a TON of problems retaining any semblance of stability. Between my first Formula board dying (and it had its own RAM issues prior to that) and then the number of issues i've had with this board, I'm jumping ship. Just secured an eVGA classified. I've always been a huge fan of Asus and they have been my #1 go to for quite some time, but I can't say I'll look to them for these types of early adoption items. I love to tinker and overclock, but at the end of the day I also need dependability. If they can't give me compatibility with items on their QVL @ their stock rated speeds/timings and are corrupting my OS, it's not worth it (and questionably misleading in regards to what their boards actually support).

TL;DR - Dumpin' the Z690 Extreme and not looking back.

[Undertoker]

I’ve had the same memory issue with my G-skill trident z5*
It’s rated for 6000 and will run it for some time, but just isn’t stable, only down clocking it to 5800 gives me a stable system, this memory WAS on the QVL, so I thought I was safe buying it, but I’ll never buy a G-skill memory kit again now.

I was initially running a hero board - what a crock of crap it was
I binned it in the end , it was awful, I’m now on an extreme board and the difference is night and day*