Memory Problems

[Blaeza]

So I don't keep Ryzen Owners Zen Club off topic, I'm making my own thread.

To reiterate, I've had a problem with my ram since March this year. I had my 5700X oc'd, 32GB (2X16GB) 3200mts Corsair Vengeance oc'd and 6900XT oc'd, thanks to the kind members of this forum. Then I kept getting a weird issue whilst watching YouTube which was that it would simply stop playing video's and give me an error such as status_access_violation.

In an effort to stop this, I installed Win 11, thinking that might solve it. For a few hours it was fine and then the same error's. I then reset everything back to stock speeds and the problem went away. I left it like that until Cinebench '24 was released and noticed how much I was behind a stock 5800X and the bug bit me again to oc and see how much faster TechPowerUp forum members could help me achieve.

I was advised to enable XMP and got a memory error message saying something along the lines of memory overclock failed. Via MSI's memory try it feature, I got a 3200 mts 16 18 18 36 profile to boot and run with no issue. I didn't use memtest or anything like that to error check as I'm impatient. I checked Cinebench and instantly saw an improvement of 30-40 points and was pleased.

Then I downloaded 3dmark and set about trying the new benchmark Solar Ray and had a shock that I was just off the top spot for my components. Into adrenaline and do the only ocing I know how to do myself (I think) and not notice much improvement. Then I noticed another forum member had said about improvements from a driver update so I downloaded the latest drivers and beat 2nd place by 5k! I was over the moon! So I settled down after to watch some Super Metroid speedruns on YouTube and that status_access_violation error happened again. Instantly, I tried lowering the ram speed to 2800 and after falling asleep with YouTube running for about 6 hours, I've come to the conclusion that it must be the ram speeds.

I've had advice on TPU from a forum member to try ocing the ram to 3800 at such timings, but I have no need for that, I just want it to work on YouTube at 3200mts. I have had further advice to do the one stick of ram at a time test, which I'll be doing after completing this post. Now I looked at Zentimings a little while ago and the speed was displayed as DDR4 2555 and then changed to 2800, then 2799 and back to 2800. This never used to happen at all before when I was being instructed as to how to oc the ram.

This is the situation that I'm in. If anybody at all has advice, please feel welcome.

Also be aware I have various mental health issues, so please be patient with me.

 

[tabascosauz]

Send a Zentimings pic? At a speed so low, if TM5 tests stable, I doubt its RAM. How long have you kept your Windows install, and was the Win11 install clean?

 

[damric]

Ok so I'm guessing from the timings the Vengeance is some mediocre-bin Micron E?

Tried more voltage? It might help. It might not. Micron E is all over the place. I had kits that wouldn't go further than 3200CL16 and one I tested today doing 4600CL18.

If it's not the RAM, maybe OS is corrupt.

 

[Blaeza]

Send a Zentimings pic? At a speed so low, if TM5 tests stable, I doubt its RAM. How long have you kept your Windows install, and was the Win11 install clean?

I've yet to test Testmem5 on this config. I installed windows 10 3 years ago nearly and I upgraded to Win 11, not a clean install if that is what you mean.

I have not tested the sticks individually yet as I tried to cheer myself up with my favourite streamer.

Ok so I'm guessing from the timings the Vengeance is some mediocre-bin Micron E?

Tried more voltage? It might help. It might not. Micron E is all over the place. I had kits that wouldn't go further than 3200CL16 and one I tested today doing 4600CL18.

If it's not the RAM, maybe OS is corrupt.

 

[Blaeza]

What are your zentimings when you are OC'ed?

They were at these settings

 

[tabascosauz]

I've yet to test Testmem5 on this config.

Not much to talk about here if you haven't done this

I installed windows 10 3 years ago nearly and I upgraded to Win 11, not a clean install if that is what you mean.

I have not tested the sticks individually yet as I tried to cheer myself up with my favourite streamer.

No need to test the sticks individually, just run some TM5.

When messing with unstable memory / frequent mem OC my Windows installs don't tend to last more than 2 years at most. If the Chrome issue is the only one you're having, I wouldn't pin it on memory just yet until you test.

Obviously Thaiphoon is not authoritative and it depends on binning in which case 3200CL16 sucks, but Micron 16Gb Rev.B is some of their best. Your 3800 timings are some weird mix of very tight and very loose.

 

[Blaeza]

Not much to talk about here if you haven't done this



No need to test the sticks individually, just run some TM5.

When messing with unstable memory / frequent mem OC my Windows installs don't tend to last more than 2 years at most. If the Chrome issue is the only one you're having, I wouldn't pin it on memory just yet until you test.

Obviously Thaiphoon is not authoritative and it depends on binning in which case 3200CL16 sucks, but Micron 16Gb Rev.B is some of their best. Your 3800 timings are some weird mix of very tight and very loose.

I will run memtest when my streamer ends. He's currently keeping me from being a blubbering mess.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Sometime within the last two week I was having a problem with youtube videos in chrome and brave browser. Does this error happen for you with other browsers?
Since then I updated my graphics drivers to 23.9.1 I haven't had an issue playing any video.

 

[Blaeza]

Sometime within the last two week I was having a problem with youtube videos in chrome and brave browser. Does this error happen for you with other browsers?
Since then I updated my graphics drivers to 23.9.1 I haven't had an issue playing any video.

When it happened in march I tried all the browsers I could think of and yeah, all of them were the same. I'm on 23.9.2 now as of yesterday and it happened just after I updated. But I lowered the Ram speed and it stopped.

 

[R0H1T]

Yes & yes, especially brave although on an Nvidia card. I just turn off hardware acceleration on chromium based browsers ~ I've got about a dozen of them from Edge, Chrome, Slimjet, Brave, Avast, Comodo etc. And yet never had this BS with FF or the erstwhile "Opera"

Sometime within the last two week I was having a problem with youtube videos in chrome and brave browser. Does this error happen for you with other browsers?

It happens more if you're enabled some experiments though, on default settings it's generally rare.

 

[A Computer Guy]

When it happened in march I tried all the browsers I could think of and yeah, all of them were the same. I'm on 23.9.2 now as of yesterday and it happened just after I updated. But I lowered the Ram speed and it stopped.

Do you see any WHEA errors in Windows Event viewer when you are OC'ed and experiencing the error in the browser?

 

[Blaeza]

I was getting Whea 18 errors when it was OC'ed, but I thought that was CPU related.

EDIT I've just checked and no whea errors, just 5300 others. If I had money, I'd just send this thing to a shop to make it all good again.

Testmem5 Extreme1 Anta777 is now running. I've retrieved a long forgotten tablet to keep me occupied.

 

[AMF]

the memory speeds changing like thatis a function of gear down mode being enabled in bios . reset bios to optimized defaults twice in a row take mem sticks out power on board then powwer off in stall memory again make sure to disable gear down mode in bios

 

[Blaeza]

the memory speeds changing like thatis a function of gear down mode being enabled in bios

Is that an energy saving feature or something? Never noticed it before.

 

[AMF]

Is that an energy saving feature or something? Never noticed it before.

SOLVED - Gear Down Mode

OK so from reading disabling Gear Down Mode is beneficial, trying to get a CL15 setting on my ram. However every time I have disabled it on reboot my rig will not post requiring a bios reset to get it up and running again. am I missing something?

www.overclockers.com

 

[Blaeza]

SOLVED - Gear Down Mode

OK so from reading disabling Gear Down Mode is beneficial, trying to get a CL15 setting on my ram. However every time I have disabled it on reboot my rig will not post requiring a bios reset to get it up and running again. am I missing something?

www.overclockers.com

Not going to lie, that has just confused me more. Think its time to sell the PC and get an Xbox, this just all goes over my head.

 

[AMF]

Not going to lie, that has just confused me more. Think its time to sell the PC and get an Xbox, this just all goes over my head.

just try my procedure above should correct the speeds changing at least

gear Down mode, lowers ram voltage when the pc is idle or asleep it overrides xmp settings and manual settings. soset xmp then disable gear down mode save and exit after above procedure let me know if it worked i had similar issue when i played around with it

 

[Blaeza]

just try my procedure above should correct the speeds changing at least

gear Down mode, lowers ram voltage when the pc is idle or asleep it overrides xmp settings and manual settings. soset xmp then disable gear down mode save and exit after above procedure let me know if it worked i had similar issue when i played around with it

Its in the middle of a ram test at the moment. I will have a go when its done.

 

[Space Lynx]

is your ram qvl for your motherboard? if not, then XMP was never promised to work to begin with, and you may just have to accept leaving it off with no ram oc. I always make sure my ram is qvl for my motherboard.

 

[Blaeza]

is your ram qvl for your motherboard? if not, then XMP was never promised to work to begin with, and you may just have to accept leaving it off with no ram oc. I always make sure my ram is qvl for my motherboard.

I wasn't aware of qvl when I bought the parts in 2020. I knew less than I do now. Everything I do is wrong

 

[Space Lynx]

I wasn't aware of qvl when I bought the parts in 2020. I knew less than I do now. Everything I do is wrong

it happens to everyone at some point, don't worry about it. i only started doing qvl when Ryzen came about, in years before Ryzen was a thing, we didn't have to worry about it as much, as most XMP just worked even if it wasn't qvl.

to be completely honest though, ram speeds really don't matter for fps in gaming. i mean you have to buy the best ram kits at like 400 bucks and a equally expensive mobo to gain like 20 fps... simply not worth it.

just leave xmp off for now and ram at its default. I used to waste a lot of time overclocking and i regret it now, best to just enjoy games mate. you got a good system there. games that are harder to run you can always run in windowed mode at 1080p with a black desktop background, that's what I do anyway

 

[Blaeza]

 

[A Computer Guy]

It might be better just to get a new kit and sell off the 2800 kit. You can get a non-Corsair 3200/3600 is pretty cheap these days.
(edit 1)
I looked at your system specs so I didn't realise you are actually underclocking now at DDR4-2800 but your kit is actually DDR4-3200 correct?
(edit 2)
Ok I see now yes it's a 3200 kit

I'm not entirely convinced yet it's a RAM issue. Your mem check passed and your only having issues with video playback. I would think you would be experiencing more randomized issues if it was purely a RAM issue and/or failures in the memtest. Some WHEA errors might be an indication you need more SOC voltage. (sorry I don't recall exactly which ones those were like #18 that you found)

I would re-apply your RAM OC settings but manually adjust your speed down to DDR4-3200 with GearDown (GDM) enabled and also adjust your VSOC voltage to 1.1v and try again.

 

[freeagent]

Don't feel bad. I know its easy to get discouraged. I have some Adata ram that wont let me do 1/3 of what you were able to do with yours. This is on a CPU that can do 2000 FCLK.. so had I just been an average Joe, I could have had that unicorn of a CPU this whole time and not known because of my junky ram.

 

[Blaeza]

It might be better just to get a new kit and sell off the 2800 kit. You can get a non-Corsair 3200/3600 is pretty cheap these days.
(edit 1)
I looked at your system specs so I didn't realise you are actually underclocking now at DDR4-2800 but your kit is actually DDR4-3200 correct?
(edit 2)
Ok I see now yes it's a 3200 kit

I'm not entirely convinced yet it's a RAM issue. Your mem check passed and your only having issues with video playback. I would think you would be experiencing more randomized issues if it was purely a RAM issue and/or failures in the memtest. Some WHEA errors might be an indication you need more SOC voltage. (sorry I don't recall exactly which ones those were like #18 that you found)

I would re-apply your RAM OC settings but manually adjust your speed down to DDR4-3200 with GearDown (GDM) enabled and also adjust your VSOC voltage to 1.1v and try again.

Well, I actually have XMP WORKING now and I did disable geardown mode and it's fine with youtube?!? I've not adjusted vsoc or anything else for that matter.

just try my procedure above should correct the speeds changing at least

gear Down mode, lowers ram voltage when the pc is idle or asleep it overrides xmp settings and manual settings. soset xmp then disable gear down mode save and exit after above procedure let me know if it worked i had similar issue when i played around with it

Thank you for that advice as it worked! And yes your 6950XT IS a one up to my 6900XT, but it says that in the name lol.

Don't feel bad. I know its easy to get discouraged. I have some Adata ram that wont let me do 1/3 of what you were able to do with yours. This is on a CPU that can do 2000 FCLK.. so had I just been an average Joe, I could have had that unicorn of a CPU this whole time and not known because of my junky ram.

I do try very hard not to get down about things. Unfortunately when I get down, I get angry, then sad, then cry, then beat shit out of a brick wall. Yes, I am medicated too. Think I need my meds upgraded, lol.