The ram runs at 4000 MHz CL18 on two previous Asus boards.
It won't even boot at 3400 CL 16, and still blue screens at stock 3200 CL16 on my Gigabyte Z390.
Research into this is because other manufacturers motherboards only seem to handle overclocking 8 Gb sticks. Asus Optimem I and II seem to be the only way to fully overclock high density ram, as well as also being much better for overclocking 8 Gb sticks too.
However well your ram clocks on an MSI board, it will likely still do more on an Asus board with just 2 ram slots and Optimem II (currently Z490 ITX and Apex boards).
MSI / Gigabyte / Asrock specify their boards as default to have and work with 4 ram slots / modules. Asus boards with 2 slots specifically optimize having just two slots for vastly better memory overclocking.
You sound like an ASUS fanboi, and Idk where you're getting your info. Specs on my board support up to 4600mhz 4800mhz, and it only has 2 DIMM slots. I just think getting DDR4 at that speed is a waste of money seeing as DDR5 is on the horizon.
I didn't buy DDR4 4000.
I bought 2x16 Gb 3200 MHz micron E Die for £150 and it overclocked to 4000 MHz CL18 on both my Asus Z370 (I accidentally damaged the pins) and Z390 (stuck screw and broken CMOS).
Specs on the Gigabyte board I got said it supports 4400 MHz but doesn't even boot at 3400 MHz.
Do me a favour then to check - download memtest for free and open it, and tell me if it still says you have 2 populated dimms plus 2 empty ones. This is what it shows for my Gigabyte board. If that's the case then the board has not been optimised for 2 ram slots, they simply remove two but the board still has connections and operates as though it has 4 so it doesn't work any better. Asus boards with 2 ram slots fully disable all the hardware for the two extra slots, so all the power delivery and whatever else goes to just those two slots.
The specs that are listed on the board are usually only tested with 8 Gb ram sticks, and there are no power delivery optimizations for just two slots do enable what such Asus boards can pull off with higher density sticks.
Gigabyte is a shit budget brand. Since you keep referencing that, it sounds like you bought a budget MSI board sometime in the past and expect everything in their lineup to be cost cutting like that board. ASUS makes shit too, but they also make quality. MSI is on the same level and has honestly served me 10X better than anything ASUS has ever made. Thing is I understand that just my experience.... not the rule. So I'm not going to waste my time for a fanboi.
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