Z170 Pro4 RAM Issue with latest BIOS (3.20)
Printed From: ASRock.com
Category: Technical Support
Forum Name: Intel Motherboards
Forum Description: Question about ASRock Intel Motherboards
URL: https://forum.asrock.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2259
Printed Date: 17 Jul 2025 at 3:34am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Z170 Pro4 RAM Issue with latest BIOS (3.20)
Posted By: geoto
Subject: Z170 Pro4 RAM Issue with latest BIOS (3.20)
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 8:19am
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Hello there, I just registered in order to inform ASRock, that their newest BIOS (3.20) for this motherboard - ASRock Z170 Pro4 doesn't set the correct RAM frequency, when the XMP profile is chosen. I have a Kingston Hyper X Fury RAM kit - 2x8GB @ 2400Mhz The following happens: I set the XMP profile and save it. When I restart the computer - all of the timings and clocks of the RAM are correctly updated, BUT the memory frequency stays the same - 2133Mhz instead of 2400Mhz (XMP). I really hope that this will be fixed in the next BIOS update. It's really annoying. |
Replies:
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 10:26am
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Thanks for the information. What is telling you that the memory is running at 2133 instead of 2400? What is the full model number of the memory you are using? You can always set the memory speed to 2400 manually yourself. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Xaltar
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 1:34pm
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Try and set the RAM speed manually to 2400 as Parsec mentioned and see if that works for you. Also make sure that the RAM doesn't have more than one XMP profile, if it does you may have the wrong one selected. ------------- 
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Posted By: geoto
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 6:48pm
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@parsec - BIOS is telling me that the RAM is running @2133Mhz, but all of the clocks and timings are correctly updated (I think). Also, CPU-Z says the same thing. RAM S/N - HX424C15FBK2/16 Here's three screenshots. XMP Off, XMP On and XMP On + forced DRAM frequency to 2400Mhz. http://s28.postimg.org/4l901al0t/xmpoff.png" rel="nofollow - http://s28.postimg.org/4l901al0t/xmpoff.png http://s28.postimg.org/fara7am7h/xmpon.png" rel="nofollow - http://s28.postimg.org/fara7am7h/xmpon.png
http://s28.postimg.org/9lb1mzg19/xmpforcedfrequency.png" rel="nofollow - http://s28.postimg.org/9lb1mzg19/xmpforcedfrequency.png I noticed that when I turned XMP on AND forced DRAM to 2400Mhz, the CR, the tRFC and FSB:DRAM changed, compared to "XMP" @2133Mhz. Is that normal? So yeah, I know I can manually change the frequency - but is that safe? The XMP profile was working correctly in the old BIOS, so it's kind of disappointing. I hope they fix this in the next update. If ASRock staff reads this forum anyways. Thanks. |
Posted By: greddy
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2016 at 11:06pm
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3.20 is suck i've 2666 and be forced to go down to 2133 If i set to 2666 can't boot to window. Now i go back to 3.10
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Posted By: geoto
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2016 at 12:33am
| Actually I have faster boot times with 3.20 and overall seems better. But that XMP bug is just plain stupid. |
Posted By: damasterjj
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2016 at 11:58am
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I have same issue, This is probably why windows won't boot if I have any overclock with dddr-3200... I downgraded to 3.10 but bios still freezes randomly |
Posted By: geoto
Date Posted: 19 Mar 2016 at 8:26pm
| I have no issues with this BIOS (3.20), apart from the fact that it doesn't set the correct DRAM frequency, when the XMP profile is chosen. |
Posted By: greddy
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2016 at 1:23pm
| Like i said before. This model doesn't compatible with HYPER X FURY model |
Posted By: ASRock_TSD
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2016 at 3:35pm
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Dear customers, Greetings, this is ASRock Technical Support Department. Regarding the memory issue, please kindly use the link to apply a support request to us: http://event.asrock.com/tsd.asp We will help you to for further check. Thank you for your patience. If any, please feel free to contact us! Kindest Regards, ASRock TSD |
Posted By: greddy
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2016 at 10:25am
| All problem Solved with BIOS V.3.20A |
Posted By: parsec
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2016 at 11:59am
It does seem as if the 3.20 UEFI/BIOS has a bug with the XMP profile. Given your CPU-Z pics, some of the XMP data looks like it was applied, and some of it wasn't. If you look at the SPD tab of CPU-Z, it should display the XMP profile, and some of the other timing/speed profiles that is included with all memory. For example, this is my G.SKILL Trident Z memory:  In general, as the memory speed increases, there are changes to the CR, tRFC, FSB:DRAM, and other memory settings, that is normal. It becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the same timings and latency as the memory speed increases, so the values of these settings become "looser", they are slower/increase. You can see that in the SPD information for my memory. At 1066MHz (2133 DDR speed) the timings are 16 15 15 35 50. At 1600MHz (3200 DDR speed) the timings are 16 18 18 38 56. There are many other memory settings that also change (usually increased) as the memory speed increases. We can manually set the higher timings to lower values after we increase the memory speed, but the memory may not be able to function or be stable with the lower timings. In the example pictures you posted, we can see in the XMPOn pic, that the timings have increased compared to the XMPOff pic. XMPOff is 14 14 14 32 278 2T, XMPOn is 15 15 15 35 313 1T. The memory speed stayed the same (1066/2133 DDR) in both pictures, which is the problem. We can further changes in the XMPForced picture, that you asked about. Given all three pictures, it looks like either some of the XMP data was applied with XMP enabled, while the speed was not changed. Or it is possible that the Auto value for each setting changed the settings. That is the UEFI/BIOS itself was smart enough to increase the settings for the increased speed... which was not applied by the UEFI/BIOS. Programming bugs/errors can do some strange things.  That's why I want to see what the XMP data is on the CPU-Z SPD tab. I may not be able to tell if the changes in your pictures is the XMP data, or the Auto UEFI settings changing things, but it might provide clues about what is happening. It is safe to manually change the memory speed, and the memory timings and other settings. Safe here means it won't damage anything. But the manual settings may be "wrong" in the sense the memory won't operate with those values. The PC may not POST or boot, or will BSOD in Windows. Those things usually don't damage anything, except for potential corruption of your Windows installation. Memory voltage and associated memory voltages (VCCSA and VCCIO) can cause damage if they are set to high. Those are the only potentially unsafe settings, regarding hardware damage. XMP settings are really a convenience for setting memory timings, which is complicated. All modern memory has SPD data, which tells the UEFI/BIOS what timings to use. SPD data is really the same as XMP data, but XMP data is in a special location, which is looked at when XMP is enabled. That area has the highest performance settings for the memory. The default SPD settings are always easier for the board and memory controller to operate the memory at, and insures that the memory will work on low end mother boards/PCs. It looks like the new 3.20A Beta UEFI fixed the problems. ------------- http://valid.x86.fr/48rujh" rel="nofollow">
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geoto wrote:Posted By: geoto
Date Posted: 27 Mar 2016 at 4:57am
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Where can I download this BETA version of the BIOS, I don't see it on my motherboard's list on the website of ASRock. Thank you! |
Posted By: greddy
Date Posted: 27 Mar 2016 at 4:24pm
| Please contact them through the link from Asrock TSD provided and they will sent the specific BIOS to you. |
Posted By: geoto
Date Posted: 27 Mar 2016 at 8:25pm
| I sent a support ticket 10 days ago, through the same form, no reply. |
Posted By: greddy
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2016 at 5:51pm
| They replied to me around 2 days after i sent a support ticket. |
Posted By: Xaltar
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2016 at 6:08pm
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When your ticket isn't answered inside of a week, send another one. Tech support gets hundreds (if not thousands) of requests, each requiring individual attention so it isn't odd for one to be missed or overlooked. I think a lot of people do not realize that a manufacturer's tech support doesn't only service a handful of clients like a local retailer, they handle requests from thousands of users and resellers the world over. Having worked in tech support myself at various times throughout my life I know how challenging it can be when there is such a large number of requests to go through. Please bare with Tech Support and send them a followup request if they missed your first one, believe me, they do want to help you. I also want to add that the moderators here were all selected from among the community and are not representatives of ASRock or it's policies. Our advice and comments are our own opinion and in no way should be considered an "official" response from ASRock. -------------
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