New Z370 system unstable memory and AURA issues

[Carbonicdk]

On my Z370-E I have a 32GB kit: F4-3600c16q-32gtzr
I however can't get them to run stable at their rated 3600mhz frequency. So far I've tried enabling XMP (no CPU overclocking to get the memory running first) and lowering the frequency to 3400mhz. The memory is working fine at these speeds in Z170 systems including the Maximus Ranger VIII.
Any ideas about what to tweak? Should I increase the voltage over the XMP 1.32??


As for the onboard RGB in the IO shroud, Aura cannot see it. Is this a Fall Creators issue?

[Menthol]

I have a X Hero Wifi (0505) with 8700K and 32GB Gskill 4X8 Gb kit 3600cl16, I set XMP vdimm 1.38v and VCCIO and VCVSA set at 1.22 in the bios and memory is HCI memtest stable

If your memory kit is the 16GB modules they may be a bit more picky than 8GB modules

[AntonioL]

No problem either with the Z370-F STRIX with latest bios and a Trident 3600MHz 16-16-16-36 RAM kit of 2x8 GB. I just selected XMP, and lowered vccio and vssa. I have checked with Memtest Passmark, RAM works fine.

[Carbonicdk]

The kit I have is a 4x8GB kit and on Gskill's website https://www.gskill.com/en/product/f4-3600c16q-32gtzr they say it's on the QVL list for the motherboard.

I updated to BIOS 5428 today which had the notes "Sync all core. Sufficient processor cooling is required for better performance." and this bios havn't helped for anything but a better sync all core overclock.
I would like to try BIOS 0428 which was released the same day with the notes "ROG STRIX Z370-E GAMING BIOS 0428. Improve memory stability at DDR4 4000MHz and DDR4 3866MHz" but that bios is not flashable for some odd reason.
Why you release 2 bioses on the same day fixing different things I don't know and what a confusing naming scheme.

Tried some more setting combinations:
XMP 1.38v 16-16-16-16-36 SA+IO: 1.22v = couldn't boot
XMP 1.37 16-16-16-16-36 SA+IO: 1.2v = couldn't boot
XMP 1.36 16-16-16-16-36 SA+IO 1.22v = crashed right away in Windows with BSOD "critical process died"
XMP 1.37 16-16-16-16-36 SA+IO 1.237v = crashed right away in Windows with BSOD "0xc000021a"
XMP 1.35 16-16-16-16-36 SA+IO 1.25v = couldn't boot

[Raja]

Those two builds are identical barring the MCE option being enabled by default on 5428. If you disable MCE, you've got the same thing as 0428. An upcoming build will have some more memory improvements for some configs. Outside that, you can run looser sub-timings, as most of the time, the issue is that the board-applied XMP timings are too tight for some configs.

[Carbonicdk]

Raja@ASUS wrote:
Those two builds are identical barring the MCE option being enabled by default on 5428. If you disable MCE, you've got the same thing as 0428. An upcoming build will have some more memory improvements for some configs. Outside that, you can run looser sub-timings, as most of the time, the issue is that the board-applied XMP timings are too tight for some configs.

I've just tried:
XMP 1.35v 18-18-18-18-38 SA+IO: auto = couldn't boot
No XMP 1.386v 18-18-18-18-38 SA+IO: 1.22v = couldn't boot
NO XMP 1.36v 19-19-19-19-40 SA: 1.23v IO: 1.22v = couldn't boot

Guess a little later when I got time I'll try:
NO XMP 1.44v 20-20-20-20-44 SA+IO: 1.22v just to rule out looser timings and DRAM voltage completely.

[Raja]

Carbonicdk wrote:
I've just tried:
XMP 1.35v 18-18-18-18-38 SA+IO: auto = couldn't boot
No XMP 1.386v 18-18-18-18-38 SA+IO: 1.22v = couldn't boot
NO XMP 1.36v 19-19-19-19-40 SA: 1.23v IO: 1.22v = couldn't boot

Guess a little later when I got time I'll try:
NO XMP 1.44v 20-20-20-20-44 SA+IO: 1.22v just to rule out looser timings and DRAM voltage completely.

The sub-timings are lower down in the DRAM timing menu of UEFI.

[Trihugger]

Raja@ASUS wrote:
Those two builds are identical barring the MCE option being enabled by default on 5428. If you disable MCE, you've got the same thing as 0428. An upcoming build will have some more memory improvements for some configs. Outside that, you can run looser sub-timings, as most of the time, the issue is that the board-applied XMP timings are too tight for some configs.

Can you give this poor individual with a small brain an example of which subtimings to adjust? By how much? Should I put my CPU settings back to stock when I'm doing this to "more" easily get something that works? Should I adjust more than a single subtiming at the same time?

There's a lot of stuff on the internet about adjusting subtimings but I'm not really sure what to trust since there's conflicting information (or what I think is conflicting information) and am really at a loss (as I imagine is the OP) as to where to start with subtimings. Thank you Raja.

[Carbonicdk]

Uhhh, subtimings, a new kind of hell for this novice memory overclocker ^^
Many thanks though, hope I manage to find out which subtimings to make worse so it works. Guess I've been spoiled by boards where the memory initialization usually configures it right but guess that's how you pay for investing in a platform (the z370) which was probably released too early.

[Carbonicdk]

So, I tried testing the memory individually and in pairs. All memory sticks boots + work fine individually and in pairs at 3600mhz in all 4 memory slots. It's only when you insert 4 memory modules that my Z370-E is unable to boot the system.

[Carbonicdk]

So, just to end this thread with a conclusion.
After having tried everything, including horrible subtimings and Raja@ASUS testing the memory compatibility at Asus the issue was down to 3 things:
- Bad memory controller on my CPU
- Memory issue
- Motherboard issue

Now having changed my motherboard to a Gigabyte motherboard and everything magically working out of the box at much higher subtimings than the Asus board my conclusion is that my Z370-E was to blame.
Thus my sad tale comes to an end.