AR Fatal1ty 970 Performance- RAM compatibility

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Hello Wardog, 
I absolutely get your point. 

I understand AsRock cannot run all RAM available on the market. As you say there are thousands! 

The problem I have with this is that in the end, if you have a Hardware problem, like I do, you are pretty sure to be in a difficult position because no matter what you do:

- it is almost impossible to find the reason of the defect when ALL tests provide you "OK" results.
- if you have no Voltage pike, all tests are "OK", no overcloak, all drivers, bios, firmwares, updates up to date.
- if you have tested all hardware except, obviously, CPU and MoBo...
- what do you have left?

Going to the MoBo Manufacturer and say: "listen pal, your MoBo doesn't function". And what can be the obvious answer? "you are not using a RAM that we tested, the MoBo is fully OK".

And then guess what? You are *biiip* because there is no way to find any in the market because they are way too old... So no way to prove there's something wrong with the MoBo. That's the frustrating thing. Not that AsRock would be lying, but I'm not even sure myself that the MoBo has a problem unless I change all other hardwares (PSU, CPU and RAM).

And in the end, if it is the MoBo that caused me so much problems, I would have spent for nothing extra 300EUR... + probably an extra 120EUR to replace the MoBo...

But you are right, I shouldn't blame AsRock for providing a limited RAM list and I shouldn't say anything about warranty before I checked with them if the MoBo has something wrong.

I'm just superfrustrated... I spent I don't know how many hours troubleshooting, replacing, testing, formatting, installing, uninstalling, mounting, unmounting that now, except replacing hardwares there is nothing I can do. It is impossible to troubleshoot a MoBo: "check your drivers, check your ram compatibility, replace hardwares, are all updates installed, use this fix, use Memtest, use sfc scannow, check your psu, check your voltage, uncache the BIOS, reinstall windows, untick this box when installing the driver, check your bios, check your chipset temperature, install the drivers from net directly and not from the CD since they are obsolete and so on for a looooong time".

I ordered the Kingston. If there is still a problem I'll send back the MoBo to AsRock.

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dinin70 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Jan 2016 Status: Offline Points: 48	Post Options Post Reply Quote dinin70 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jan 2016 at 8:40pm
	Hello Wardog, I absolutely get your point. I understand AsRock cannot run all RAM available on the market. As you say there are thousands! The problem I have with this is that in the end, if you have a Hardware problem, like I do, you are pretty sure to be in a difficult position because no matter what you do: - it is almost impossible to find the reason of the defect when ALL tests provide you "OK" results. - if you have no Voltage pike, all tests are "OK", no overcloak, all drivers, bios, firmwares, updates up to date. - if you have tested all hardware except, obviously, CPU and MoBo... - what do you have left? Going to the MoBo Manufacturer and say: "listen pal, your MoBo doesn't function". And what can be the obvious answer? "you are not using a RAM that we tested, the MoBo is fully OK". And then guess what? You are biiip because there is no way to find any in the market because they are way too old... So no way to prove there's something wrong with the MoBo. That's the frustrating thing. Not that AsRock would be lying, but I'm not even sure myself that the MoBo has a problem unless I change all other hardwares (PSU, CPU and RAM). And in the end, if it is the MoBo that caused me so much problems, I would have spent for nothing extra 300EUR... + probably an extra 120EUR to replace the MoBo... But you are right, I shouldn't blame AsRock for providing a limited RAM list and I shouldn't say anything about warranty before I checked with them if the MoBo has something wrong. I'm just superfrustrated... I spent I don't know how many hours troubleshooting, replacing, testing, formatting, installing, uninstalling, mounting, unmounting that now, except replacing hardwares there is nothing I can do. It is impossible to troubleshoot a MoBo: "check your drivers, check your ram compatibility, replace hardwares, are all updates installed, use this fix, use Memtest, use sfc scannow, check your psu, check your voltage, uncache the BIOS, reinstall windows, untick this box when installing the driver, check your bios, check your chipset temperature, install the drivers from net directly and not from the CD since they are obsolete and so on for a looooong time". I ordered the Kingston. If there is still a problem I'll send back the MoBo to AsRock.

wardog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 15 Jul 2015 Status: Offline Points: 6447	Post Options Post Reply Quote wardog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jan 2016 at 7:05pm
	It is literally IMPOSSIBLE for a motherboard manufacturer to have every stick of memory produced. Then the time to test each new to market stick on a board? No, labor intensive. OP, instead, relieve your fears. If a memory manufacture states their product as certified/compatible run with it. It's far easier for a memory manufacturer to buy what little motherboards there are than for a motherboard manufacturer to buy an ever expanding number of new and forthcoming memory sticks. The memory manufacturers have a vested interest in telling customers, You, that their product is compatible. As I said, if the manufacturer states it compatible, run with it. If there is a problem, they will make it right. G.Skill is outstanding in regards to this. As are the others also. They, memory manufacturers, WANT to sell to you and make you a happy customer. But to lay blame on ASRock is misguided. For the reasons I state above. We do not look to our cars manufacturer, Chevrolet for instance, to dictate what tires can and cannot fit our vehicle. Nor should we expect ASRock to dictate what memory can and cannot be used on their motherboard.

dinin70 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Jan 2016 Status: Offline Points: 48	Post Options Post Reply Quote dinin70 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jan 2016 at 5:45pm
	Hi Xaltar, Thank you for your reply but yet I'm very disappointed about this... I don't understand why AsRock puts so few efforts in indicating the customer what is or is not compatible with their MB. I even wonder if they care in any way... The 970 Fatal1ty 3.0 is a recent MotherBoard, less than 2 years old... And compatible RAM are all more than 5-6 years old... WTH?? I mean... 2 years MoBo with 5-6 years RAM????? It is not a "timing issue". If MoBo was released 2 years ago, why is it compatible with so much obsolete RAM (or simply unfinable in Western Europe)? Why no recent RAM (2 years old) is listed? This means 2 things: - either it is built on a very old architecture (I'm too noob to know anything on this side) and it simply doesn't support recent RAM. - either they didn't even bother checking compatibility with recent RAM And it's not specially AMD problem since as mentionned earlier at least MSI provides a much more "recent" list of compatible RAM for equivalent board. The problem is that I own this MoBo and that I'm suffering several BSOD (even when computer is iddle, messages being: system_service_exception; Kmode_exception_not_handled; IRQL_not_less_or_equal with faulty drivers being tcpip.sys; win32kfull.sys; ntoskernel.exe). Troubleshooted all ways possible... Disabling WiFi card, staying on Ethernet. Disabling Ethernet and staying on WiFi. Putting my old ASUS 5870 (that always worker perfecly on Intel Chipset) instead of my current Sapphire R9 380 (when switching, always usind Display Driver Uninstaller). Made all possible tests I know on Temperature, chkdsk, sfc scan, Memtest86. All drivers up to date, Bios up to date, all firmwares up to date... Reverted from Windows 10 to Windows 7 through a complete formatting. And yet I experience problems while Windows was 100% clean!! I succeeded in having a BSOD while making the very first step: as soon as Windows was launched for the first time --> install MoBo drivers. And PAF!! Crash!! Obviously no Overcloaking, Windows is a paid licence, fully updated. Since I had BSOD even on iddle computer it cannot be Voltage problem. Two things left then: - MoBo is malfunctionning - RAM is not compatible. Before contacting the Technical support I at least wanted to make sure RAM is fine. But since THERE IS NOT A SINGLE RAM from AsRock List findable in the market because they are way too old, what am I supposed to do?? Anyway it is clear, I am never going to buy an AsRock again... I will stay on Gigabyte and MSI... I regret so much having bought this MoBo...

Xaltar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 16 May 2015 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 24713	Post Options Post Reply Quote Xaltar Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jan 2016 at 12:51am
	Your best bet is to check the RAM's compatibility lists. The listings for motherboards typically don't get updated after release unless a new feature is added via BIOS.

dinin70 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 05 Jan 2016 Status: Offline Points: 48	Post Options Post Reply Quote dinin70 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 Jan 2016 at 12:43am
	Dear Members, Happy new year first of all! I am checking the compatible RAM for this board and I'm extremely surprised about the listed RAM... First of all there are very few listed / tested http://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/Fatal1ty%20970%20Performance/?cat=Memory Almost none of them is findable in the market either because they simply never existed in Europe either because they are completely obsolete (released in 2009 - 2010...). Do any of you know if there is an updated list somewhere? Or, can you please tell me if that MoBo is compatible with this RAM: HyperX Fury HX318C10FRK2/8? Kingston says it does but I know it's not always reliable Or this one? Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1600C9. I know the MSI 970 and 990FX MoBos are compatible with this RAM Thank you very much! Edited by dinin70 - 05 Jan 2016 at 12:44am