3200Mhz DDR4 incompatibility issue with Core i9-9900K running on Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Ultra MB

[JohhnyFuego20]

Intel Engineers:

Good morning. Where to begin? I built a powerhouse rig for gaming (Fortnite, CoD Warzone, etc), video editing, and software development. My specs are the following:

Motherboard: Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Ultra (1.0)
Processor: Intel Core i9-9900K
Processor Cooling: Thermaltake UX100 Cooler Fan (avg. CPU temp oscillates between 37 and 43 °C)
RAM: Adata XPG 32 GB (2x16GB) 3200Mhz Dual Channel DDR4 (Part no. AX4U3200316G16A-DT60)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 OC 6GB DDR5
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 80+ 850 Watts Modular PSU
Drives: Two NVMe PCIe x4 M.2 (Adata  XPG Spectrix S40G 512 GB for Games; Adata XPG Gammix 256 GB for OS); Team Group T-Force Delta 250 GB SATA III SSD, and Seagate Barracuda 5400 4 TB HDD.
OS: Win 10 Pro (build 19041.450 en_US).
Case: Aerocool Klaw

Up until recently, whenever the PC would be rebooted sometimes it would not POST, and once it did it, would say that the BIOS had been reset because of HW incompatibility. This would happen independently of whether the RAM had been set to use the XMP profile or not. At the Windows level, hardware monitoring software such as HWiNFO64, CPU-Z, and even Gigabyte's System Information Viewer would not even show any information on the memory, it was blank. See images in attached zip file.

After doing some research, I narrowed the issue down to the RAM and processor compatibilities: Per another user's post (@AshleyB) with a similar question, the response was "The Intel® Core™ i9-9900K Processor is recommended to be used with a RAM of DDR4-2666 MHz (see specifications), in reference to the voltage the 8th and 9th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor Families Datasheet refer to DDR4 I/O Voltage of 1.2V (page 19 sections 2.1)"

That said, I dug deeper and found the "Intel® XMP-Ready: Extreme Memory Profiles for Intel® Core™ Processors" paper (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/xmp-for-core-processors.html) and I found several distinct dual-channel DDR4 modules that are compatible with the Intel Core i9-9900K processor at speeds of 3200Mhz with voltage of 1.35. Obviously, to get these speeds, these memory modules have to use the XMP profile.

My questions, thus, become:

1. why is this particular memory module (AData XPG part number "AX4U3200316G16A-DT60") not listed in the forementioned XMP document when other similar products from the same, and from other manufacturer, are indeed listed? What underlying issue does this specific DDR4 module have according to Intel? Here is the spec sheet for this particular RAM module: https://www.adata.com/upload/downloadfile/Datasheet-XPG%20SPECTRIX%20D60G%20DDR4%20Memory%20Module_20200107.pdf 

2. The memory has compatibility of 1333Mhz (2666Mhz for dual channel) with Cas Latency/Timings of 19-19-19-43 and voltage of 1.2v, which comply with Intel's processor specs (again, many compliant memory modules with these same specs are listed in the XMP document), but once in a while the rig will not post and will reset BIOS (I've also had to clear the CMOS a couple of times already).  Why does this keep happening? The memory modules are installed in the correct memory banks per the Motherboard's specifications for dual-channel DDR4 installation.

3. If needed, what are the necessary processor overclocking parameters I should set to avoid these issues? I don't trust overclocking so I would rather not go this route because I would have to purchase a watercooling solution, which I also distrust, but if it's a necessary evil, then so be it (overclocking a CPU is like driving a Lamborghini at 8000+ rpms wherever you go; one day the engine will give out).

I have reached out to Gigabyte support and they basically said to contact the memory manufacturer (Adata in this case), which I also did, but they've been mum on the matter; so here I am reaching to you guys. 

I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Software Engineering, so we can get as technical as needed to resolve this issue because I am trying to avoid two things: 1. BSOD (which has not happened yet), and 2. Buying new RAM (I dropped more than 150 USD on these memory modules and with the way the global economy is going, we don't have the luxury of "splurging on wants").

Thank you for your time.

Johnny P.

[AlHill]

The specs are 2666Mhz, and overclocking is at your risk.

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/186605/intel-core-i9-9900k-processor-16m-cache-up-to-5-00-ghz.html

There is information in this post regarding memory speeds, and what is validated.

https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/Does-cmp-work-on-I9-9900/m-p/1189566#M44886

[JohhnyFuego20]

OK, Doc.

But the main problem is why if the memory is running at 2666 Mhz (19-19-19-43) would there be "hardware errors" and cause the system to not POST and reset BIOS? Why is this memory module "AX4U3200316G16A-DT60" not certified by Intel.

Food for thought...

Johnny

[AlHill]

Bad memory?

Why not certified?  Logistics, cost, practicality.

[n_scott_pearson · Accepted solution]

Let me expand upon Al's response.

First of all, Intel warrants that memory up to a certain speed will work without issue for the warranted lifetime of the processor. Intel does not warrant operation with faster memory - or memory that runs at a different voltage level (which I think might be your issue) - as they simply do not officially test it. Why? Because (a) doing so might imply support where there is none and (b) whether a particular speed will work is dependent upon a number of external factors outside of their control (most specifically the implementation of the motherboard, both from the standpoint of the BIOS implementation (including any Memory Reference Code modifications the vendor makes) and the quality of the memory bus implementation on the board (and especially its susceptibility to noise).

Secondly, the Intel compatibility testing labs do not procure memory and other components for testing or certification (and I use that word loosely); that would be a huge money pit and simply not in Intel's interest. They only test with the memory that they receive samples from the vendor. It's simple; no samples, no testing. Secondly, considering (b) above, compatibility is problematic. Saying that memory works with a processor might be true with some boards but not with others. No, it is really up to the board vendors to do this kind of testing and establish their own claims for capabilities and coverage.

...S

[JohhnyFuego20]

Scott:

Thank you for your response, it makes sense; so I guess that sites like PC Parts Picker, Pangoly, and even Tom's Hardware have "compatibility guides" based solely on specs that are "numerically compatible" and not those that are actually tested--and that was probably my mistake! relying on third parties and not checking the QVL thoroughly before making a purchasing decision  

That said, I will not overclock my CPU to "maximize" the RAM's potential a few hundred extra cycles. I am, however, concerned about that not booting, not POSTing, and BIOS resetting on the MB intermittently every few days. 

Al did put a link to another post, https://community.intel.com/t5/Processors/Does-cmp-work-on-I9-9900/m-p/1189566#M44886 and you left a comment that caught my attention, namely this:

"I would also point out that most high clock rate DIMMs recommend that you use only one DIMM per memory channel. When you use two DIMMs in one memory channel, you are raising the likelihood of an issue at higher frequencies."

These DIMMS have a JEDEC #10 and #11 value of 1333 Mhz, 19-19-19-43, and 1.20 V, that said, I have attached an image of the current setup I have of these two 16GB DIMMS as they sit in their respective RAM slots in the MB. Can you please tell me if my setup, based on your comment above, is correct? or would you recommend Setup 1 or 2 based on the image? Your comments will be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

Johnny

[Esteban_D_Intel]

Hello JohhnyFuego20,

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

We hope that you found the information provided in this thread useful.

In this case, as the design of the DIMM slot and recommended configuration is provided by the motherboard manufacturer, I would strongly recommend checking with them for further assistance and also for the best setup for max performance in your device.

If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer being monitored  

Esteban D.  

Intel Technical Support Technician