CMR32GX4M4C3466C16 XMP errors on X HERO

[Deepcuts]

Hello,

Just posting this in case others bought the same KIT and had better luck then me.
I had to RMA my CMK32GX4M4B3200C16 because one stick out of four was throwing errors.
Because the retailer did not have the same KIT anymore, they replaced it with CMR32GX4M4C3466C16
I agreed after checking http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/ROG_MAXIMUS_X_FORMULA/MEMORY_QVL_0108.pdf and saw the KIT as qualified.

CMR32GX4M4C3466C16 is a DDR4 Corsair @3466 Mhz 16-18-18-36 (4x8GB)
At JEDEC spec, the KIT runs just fine.
At XMP tho, the system does not even boot most of the time. When it does, Windows will just freeze without any BSOD and the system will restart.
I also tried manually setting up the speed and timings without XMP. Tried Auto, Mode1 and Mode 2. Loaded BIOS defaults and only enabled XMP. Same story.
I have managed to get the system as stable as I can by setting DRAM Voltage to 1.400 instead of 1.350, but even tho I could run AIDA64 Cache & Memory and RealBench successfully for about 1 hour, Windows starts very slow and a MemTest86 run shows errors after only 4 minutes.
At the moment, I am running the KIT @3200Mhz with 15-15-15-35, 1.350V and so far, it seems stable. MemTest86 does not show any errors.
Not holding my breath, but hoping for a future BIOS update that will actually support this memory KIT as stated on QVL link above.

So I guess the question is: does anyone else have this memory KIT and can run it at XMP spec? Or at least a manual setup at XMP spec?
Maybe I have such bad luck to hit two bad kits in a row?


3200Mhz with 15-15-15-35, 1.350V




Thank you.

[Phillyflyer]

Deepcuts wrote:
Hello,

Just posting this in case others bought the same KIT and had better luck then me.
I had to RMA my CMK32GX4M4B3200C16 because one stick out of four was throwing errors.
Because the retailer did not have the same KIT anymore, they replaced it with CMR32GX4M4C3466C16
I agreed after checking http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/mb/LGA1151/ROG_MAXIMUS_X_FORMULA/MEMORY_QVL_0108.pdf and saw the KIT as qualified.

CMR32GX4M4C3466C16 is a DDR4 Corsair @3466 Mhz 16-18-18-36 (4x8GB)
At JEDEC spec, the KIT runs just fine.
At XMP tho, the system does not even boot most of the time. When it does, Windows will just freeze without any BSOD and the system will restart.
I also tried manually setting up the speed and timings without XMP. Tried Auto, Mode1 and Mode 2. Loaded BIOS defaults and only enabled XMP. Same story.
I have managed to get the system as stable as I can by setting DRAM Voltage to 1.400 instead of 1.350, but even tho I could run AIDA64 Cache & Memory and RealBench successfully for about 1 hour, Windows starts very slow and a MemTest86 run shows errors after only 4 minutes.
At the moment, I am running the KIT @3200Mhz with 15-15-15-35, 1.350V and so far, it seems stable. MemTest86 does not show any errors.
Not holding my breath, but hoping for a future BIOS update that will actually support this memory KIT as stated on QVL link above.

So I guess the question is: does anyone else have this memory KIT and can run it at XMP spec? Or at least a manual setup at XMP spec?
Maybe I have such bad luck to hit two bad kits in a row?


3200Mhz with 15-15-15-35, 1.350V


Thank you.

GSkill memory is far better and more compatible memory....ran Corsair Dominator Plats on my last build...had some issues....DDR4 memory is finiky at best of times !

[Raja]

Which UEFI version is your board running?

You can try tuning the SA and IO voltages. Check what the board sets on Auto when you're running DDR4-3200, and also check what happens at DDR4-3466. If it's the same, increase slightly for DDR4-3466. If its higher, then try a small increment (no more than 0.05V higher), if that doesn't work, try the same values as DDR4-3200, and also try voltage levels that fall between the Auto settings at DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3466.

-Raja

[Deepcuts]

UEFI is 1003
At the moment, for manual 3200Mhz, SA, IO and CPU Standby are manually set to 1.000V. DRAM Voltage at manual 1.350.
Manual clocks @ 15-15-15-35/2T
Rock steady. Just finished ~20 hours of non-stop Handbrake encode.

Will try as you suggested and get back with details.

[Raja]

Yep, you'll need to tune the SA and IO voltages as you increase the memory clock. These rails are important for memory stability. Also, if you're running 1.00V for DDR4-3200, it doesn't mean DDR4-3466 will come at anywhere near the same value. Depends on the CPU and the memory kit. Some are better than others.

[Menthol]

Not a cure for not working at rated XMP value but how does the 3466 16-18-18 AIDA64 bandwidth score compare to 3200 15-15-15?
I had a Corsair kit of same speed that never worked at rated speed and timings on Z170, 3200 and 3400 was possible but 3200 was easier to set up
Follow Raja's recommendations and you should find the best settings for speed and stability

[Deepcuts]

3466Mhz With Manual timings 16-18-18-36 and manual DRAM Voltage 1.360. rest left Auto. XMP disabled.


This setup will randomly freeze and reset without BSOD.

Auto settings for VCCIO and SA give 1.344 and 1.224.
Setup a manual VCCIO at 1.360, SA at 1.350 and DRAM Voltage at 1.400 but the system still freezes randomly and MemTest86 reports errors.
Given that @3200Mhz I can run VCCIO at 1.000, SA at 1.000 and DRAM Voltage at 1.350, I am afraid to bump the voltage any higher.

[Raja]

As I said, you can try a lower voltage, too. Too much is as bad as not enough.

[Deepcuts]

Just a quick follow up.
I have opened a ticket with Corsair and I was advised to increase DRAM Voltage up to a max of 1.480V.
Corsair rep said: "Intel recommends up to 5% from stock, which would be 1.48V at most."
I suck at math but 5% from stock, considering "stock" is 1.350 and not 1.200 JEDEC, should be 1.418 not 1.480.

Any hints if DDR4 is safe at 1.480V?

[aliquis]

Deepcuts wrote:
Just a quick follow up.
I have opened a ticket with Corsair and I was advised to increase DRAM Voltage up to a max of 1.480V.
Corsair rep said: "Intel recommends up to 5% from stock, which would be 1.48V at most."
I suck at math but 5% from stock, considering "stock" is 1.350 and not 1.200 JEDEC, should be 1.418 not 1.480.

Any hints if DDR4 is safe at 1.480V?

POS ASUS did throw 1.5 volt at it without asking from simply changing the frequency to 3200 MHz on the Z370-F Strix so ... That's a problem but yeah I've run that involuntarily for some time because they are trash like that.

I also have a Corsair 3466 MHz CL 16 kit which is on the QVL but with XMP on it very quickly get memory errors so before I tried simply setting frequency to 3200 and 3000 MHz assuming the board would go with 1.2 volt unless I changed that (or at worst the 1.35 volt I guess) but no no.. ASUS put 1.5 volt there.

I haven't run it at that all that long. I did run memtest86 and used the computer for some time maybe a week or so but I still don't like it. I kinda feel that may be enough of a reason to replace the CPU with another one but that's not "right" of course.

I had got another one which I just tried in case it was the CPU controller in mine which was bad but using this second i7 8700K it's still not reliable whatsoever. Also upgraded to the 0607 BIOS but it's not stable anyway.

I don't know when they decide to put things on the QVL and whatever they mean at stock frequency or at the actual listed frequency but clearly it doesn't work. Maybe in some rare scenario with a very good processor?

As for why ASUS think it's acceptable to burn people´s CPUs / memory controllers with 1.5 volt without asking / them setting it themselves I don't know. I don't know if it's worth replacing my CPU with the other one simply for piece of mind or if I shouldn't worry about it and just use the old one. Neither make the RAM work as it should. I do have an MSI Z370 Gaming M5 board which I wouldn't prefer to use but I could try on that to see if it run equally bad there at-least.

I've read some claim the max voltage for XMP DDR4 would be 1.5 volt. I have no idea how damaging it is. Stupid ASUS.

Also I still have no clue what that DTS Audio package is supposed to do and I guess the Strix boards doesn't have DTS Headphone:X support whereas the Prime one do because ..?

I only went ASUS rather than the ASRock boards because of the LLC whine and some audio test showing better results for ASUS and braging about better software packages and they did get BIOS updates very fast I'll give them that but WHY the over-voltage defaults?! And clearly the stuff on the QVL doesn't run smooth for me.

I hoped going Intel and stuff on the QVL would make it smooth sailing but it's not.

As for QVL is "may run with whatever tweaking" good enough?
My whole reason trying 3200 and 3000 MHz was to see if that worked rather than 3466 MHz.
It did work but of course it was at 1.5 volt so .. Maybe 3466 MHz work at 1.5 volt too but that's not what I want to do. And I didn't assume the board would be going with 1.5 volt simply because I changed the frequency.

Deepcuts wrote:
Replaced the KIT with an identical one. Same story.
So, more testing with interesting results.

Tested each stick of RAM, one at a time in A1.
Loaded XMP at 3.466Mhz with 1.350V DDR voltage. Rest Auto.
Each stick in A1 was rock solid. No errors in MemTest86.

Then, I tested two sticks of RAM. Same settings
A1 and B1 rock solid. No errors in MemTest86.
A2 and B2 rock solid. No errors in MemTest86.

Took out the first two sticks and put in the other two.
A1 and B1 rock solid. No errors in MemTest86.
A2 and B2 rock solid. No errors in MemTest86.

Just for fun, with two sticks of RAM in A1 and B1, I setup SA, IO and CPU Standby at 1.000V
Ran AIDA64. Rock solid.
Ran MemTest86. No errors whatsoever.

Setup SA, IO and CPU Stanby back to Auto and inserted all four stick. System did NOT post at all. It kept cutting power and powering up again until it posted in safe mode.
Setup SA, IO and CPU Stanby to 1.000V and same story. No go.

So my conclusion: all four sticks of RAM are OK.
For some reason, Maximus X HERO does not like foursome with my sticks 🙂

/rant
I would like to postulate that the QVL list is a bit BS. Either the dep. who does the testing only tests one or two sticks out of every KIT, or they just pick random/popular KITs and paste in QVL.
/endrant

Opened a ticket with Asus and ordered a Voodoo doll and pins for the people responsible for QVL.

I have a simpler board but my RAM is also more stable with just one DIMM in, but not with two.