Throw More RAM in, Or Time for a New CPU?

[RedMogg]

Built The Boy a rig for Christmas last year with the following spec:
2600X
Asrock B450M Steel Legend
2×8Gb Corsair 3000mhz Low profile
Sabrent Rocket 1Tb NVME
WD 2Tb SSD (games drive)
Sapphire RX 590 Pulse
Superflower 550W PSU (custom sleeved cables)
Jonsbo C3 Plus
3x DIY-Next ARGB Fans

1440p 144hz screen.

After recently upgrading my rig to 64Gb Ballistix 3600mhz (4×16Gb), I put the older 4×8Gb Ballistix 3200mhz into his rig. Set XMP to 3200mhz and was really unstable. It's fine with just the two sticks at 3200mhz (16Gb), and I haven't yet tried the 4 sticks at a lower clock speed (2933mhz, for example).

Am I flogging a dead donkey, trying to avoid upgrading his CPU, or is it worth spending the extra on a 2700X or 3600?

I've just purchased a Powercolor 5700XT Red Devil which will improve his frame rates at 1440p, but we've realised the case airflow is appalling. I'm going to replace the RGB fans for Arctic Cooling F12, which should help in the short term, then replace the case for something with better thermals (thinking Corsair 275R Airflow) in the new year.

 

[Quartz]

Is the BIOS up to date? If it is, try increasing the RAM voltage a smidge.

 

[Armageus]

I'm going to replace the RGB fans for Arctic Cooling F12

Arctic P12 are the ones to get rather than F12

 

[RedMogg]

Arctic P12 are the ones to get rather than F12

I have four of both the P12 (black) & F12 (white) coming. I intend to use the P12s on my 240mm rad. I'll put the other two in the front of The Boy's rig, with an F12 exhausting out the back.

 

[Shaolin Chicken]

A 5600x may be worth an upgrade after a bios for your board has been released (possibly January, depending on board manuafacturer).

 

[RedMogg]

Is the BIOS up to date? If it is, try increasing the RAM voltage a smidge.

Cheers - will try tonight.
There's no reason 4 sticks shouldn't work, is there?

 

[RedMogg]

A 5600x may be worth an upgrade after a bios for your board has been released (possibly January, depending on board manuafacturer).

We're in no hurry, so I'll see what the market's like next year, be it 2700X, 3600X or 5000 series. I have a 3700x in my rig, so there's always the potential for a bait & switch...

 

[turbot1984]

Cheers - will try tonight.
There's no reason 4 sticks shouldn't work, is there?

No should work in theory, but I have the same problem! 2x 8GB Corsair LPX 3600.. XMP works fine. 4x 'ditto' crashes. So I turned off XMP, manually put in 3700, volts to 1.40, works fine

 

[Quartz]

Cheers - will try tonight.
There's no reason 4 sticks shouldn't work, is there?

If you look at the QVL pages for your motherboard you'll see that 4 sticks can be much more problematic than 2.

 

[RedMogg]

If you look at the QVL pages for your motherboard you'll see that 4 sticks can be much more problematic than 2.

I had read the same - I'm limited to a single afternoon each week to take his pc apart and test the extra ram (The Boy's autistic, so his PC is an escape).

Got a new GPU on the way which I'd need to test (remove old drivers & 590, install 5700XT & drivers, test/benchmark, then do the same in reverse so the new GPU can go under the Xmas tree), so I'll have a little play tomorrow.

Appreciate everyone's involvement, thank you.

 

[GregI]

3,200 is on the edge of what a 2600x memory controller will handle for single rank 2 sticks. Your 4 sticks at 3,200 would be close to a miracle.

Your suggestion of running lower speeds in the OP is a good idea. I will say if you only have access once a week, make sure you stability test properly (even the 2x8GB config you tried). Most 2600x will be fine with 3,200 until they actually have to do intensive stuff. Last thing you want is to have your son's computer unstable for a week until you can look at it again.