Burning motherboards and unsupported memory = stress and confusion

[Nozyspy]

Hey everyone, i could really do with some advice on my new build.

So i bought a 12700k and Maximus Z690 Hero (so i could get the Asus cashback) only to read this morning that these motherboards were having trouble with a couple of the chips burning or even setting directly on fire, for an as yet unknown reason.

https://wccftech.com/asus-rog-maximus-z690-hero-motherboards-might-have-a-serious-defect-several-rep...

Added to this is the fact that i have been waiting for ages for some DDR5 memory to come in stock anywhere before i can even start the build. Yesterday i was browsing Overclockers UK and happened to see some Corsair Dominator Platinum 5200mhz CL40 and 5600mhz CL36 on sale. I jumped on the 5600mhz thinking 'finally!' only to realise when i double checked this morning that the Hero doesn't have this speed on the memory QVL anyway!

ARGH!

Can someone first of all why neither this Corsair 5600mhz CL36 memory nor the 5200mhz CL40 is supported by this mobo? Is this some kind of hard compatibility problem or is support likely to be added via a bios update at a later date? The Hero supports other manufacturers high speed memory, but not Corsair's, it only supports the 5200mhz CL38 Dominator kit from Corsair (other than the Vengeance kits), which is unavailable EVERYWHERE.

Secondly, should i just cancel my cashback claim and return the mobo and processor now, to avoid any headaches with burning motherboards, and just plump for a ridiculously priced Extreme and 12700k bundle to get the cashback on that? (For some reason Asus made the Formula white and the Apex is for overclockers)

I have always bought Asus motherboards for my previous builds and i am loath to consider going with a different brand as Asus has so far been rock solid.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

[xeromist]

Listing on the QVL simply means it has been tested and validated to run at the rated speed. If something *isn't* on the QVL that doesn't imply anything. It could be that something was tested and failed or it could just mean that Corsair didn't send Asus a kit to test. Or it could be Asus tested and it failed with that particular sample CPU but your CPU's memory controller might be stronger and everything works. The QVL is simply a guideline rather than a hard compatible/incompatible list. Given the current situation with DDR5 I would buy what I could and just make sure to purchase from a retailer that accepts returns if it doesn't work.

It's also worth mentioning that you might get a 5600 kit that won't run at 5600 but you can bump it down to 5200 and it runs stable. So even kits that were tested and didn't make it on the QVL might still work just fine with some tweaking.

As to the burnt board issue: Noted below, there is an SMD sometimes upside down. Check the links for details.

Now, where I get concerned is that your parts are completely untested. Any one of them could be completely DOA or otherwise defective and you wouldn't know it while you wait for memory. If you go beyond your retailer's return window then you will be left with only the manufacturer as a recourse. Perhaps it is different in the UK but a lot of shops here are 30 days. So I would keep an eye on that if it applies to you.

[vcore]

Anyone know which boards are affected? Is it strictly the Hero?

And which model boards have the same chips as the Hero for the front and back of motherboard ?

[Jimbo93]

If I think about motherboards and visibly burned chips, circuits... they just don't go together. Not in my 30+ year experience as a periodic builder. Nope, these boards were physically damaged, either in packaging/shipping or assembly/installation.

[Nozyspy]

xeromist wrote:
Listing on the QVL simply means it has been tested and validated to run at the rated speed. If something *isn't* on the QVL that doesn't imply anything. It could be that something was tested and failed or it could just mean that Corsair didn't send Asus a kit to test. Or it could be Asus tested and it failed with that particular sample CPU but your CPU's memory controller might be stronger and everything works. The QVL is simply a guideline rather than a hard compatible/incompatible list. Given the current situation with DDR5 I would buy what I could and just make sure to purchase from a retailer that accepts returns if it doesn't work.

It's also worth mentioning that you might get a 5600 kit that won't run at 5600 but you can bump it down to 5200 and it runs stable. So even kits that were tested and didn't make it on the QVL might still work just fine with some tweaking.

One other question regarding this; if i was to buy TWO kits of the Corsair Dominator 5600mhz CL 36 Memory would i be able to populate all four slots and have the work at the rated speed? Having looked at the QVL lists on some other motherboard manufacturers websites, they seem to imply that you cannot use more than two sticks of certain kinds of memory? Forgive me if this is a stupid question, while i have built my own computer a couple of times before some of the technical aspects are still a bit confusing to me.

[Silent_Scone]

Nozyspy wrote:
One other question regarding this; if i was to buy TWO kits of the Corsair Dominator 5600mhz CL 36 Memory would i be able to populate all four slots and have the work at the rated speed? Having looked at the QVL lists on some other motherboard manufacturers websites, they seem to imply that you cannot use more than two sticks of certain kinds of memory? Forgive me if this is a stupid question, while i have built my own computer a couple of times before some of the technical aspects are still a bit confusing to me.

Rule of thumb if one needs to ask then it's best not to. Anything above 5400 with 4 DIMMs is tough, mixing kits will only instigate problems.

[Webghost]

Hi,

on reddit there are some discussions going on, so far it seems, that all boards that had this issue has a capacitor showing to the left.
I also have a Z690 Hero Maximus - showing to the rigt. No issues with all Bios and two diffrent DRAM5.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/rq2rba/another_z690_hero_burns_up/hq8f6qg/

[Nozyspy]

It looks like the problem has been discovered, credit to the people on reddit for bringing this to light:https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/rjp8tt/asus_rog_z690_hero_motherboard_two_mobos_dead_in/hq8eb...

There's also been a couple of videos about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdoB9p3LXVQ

It seems like my board is fine as the line on the capacitor is the correct way around. Cautious yay!

[xeromist]

It's a common question so don't feel bad. In general it's not recommended to combine kits. Even if the memory chips are golden samples and would otherwise be perfect matches for each other, having 4 modules vs 2 is more stressful for the memory controller on the CPU and can cause issues. Looking at some of the threads here on the z690 sub-forum people are having all kinds of issues with memory compatibility even with 2 sticks. DDR5 is new so it's going to have some teething issues for a while. So if you can, buy from the QVL. If you can't, go with 2 sticks and buy from a retailer that accepts returns/exchanges. If you do have issues, read some of the threads here. Some people have had luck with different slots & various tweaks so it might help.

Now, you might see people talking about combining DDR4 kits and that it worked fine but that was a mature technology. Be careful not to confuse that with this. 🙂

There's a thread pinned to this section that's a bit old but still relevant if you want more reading:
https://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?57038-Don%92t-combine-memory-kits!-The-meat-and-potatoes-o...