johnost Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 Is there any problem using RAM rated at a higher frequency than the max. supported frequency of the motherboard? It will run at the MB frequency of course, but should be no problem - right? Intel Core i7-7700K @ 4.6 GHz; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080Ti 11GB GDDR5X; ASRock Z270 K6 Gaming MB, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM; 500GB SSD + 2TB HDD; Windows 10 Pro 64-bit; 34" 21:9 curved 4K Monitor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
il88pp Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 You can use it I think. It should run at default frequency without issue. But if your board does not support your higher XMP frequency you simply won't be able to set it. Here's some very basic info about what XMP Profile is. https://www.pcgamer.com/what-are-xmp-profiles-and-how-do-i-use-them/ there may be a bios update available that allows for higher xmp settings. Be careful about bios updates though. A fault during the update can brick a mainboard leaving it unbootable. --- Thinking about it again, other issue however is, with a mainboard you should really try to use compatible ram. Look on the mainboard developers specs page for the QVL (Qualified Vendors List). That's a list of ram sets that are guaranteed to work correctly. Incorrect ram may not work at all. (I'm not sure if incorrect ram can damage a mainboard.) [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnost Posted August 10, 2020 Author Share Posted August 10, 2020 Thanks for your info and thoughts. Your reference to pcgamer is interesting, but they are discussing overclocking. What I think of doing is "underclocking" some PC-4/3000Mhz RAM in an older motherboard limited to 2130 Mhz clock speed. I don't see why it would not work, but Have not found a clear answer yet. Intel Core i7-7700K @ 4.6 GHz; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080Ti 11GB GDDR5X; ASRock Z270 K6 Gaming MB, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM; 500GB SSD + 2TB HDD; Windows 10 Pro 64-bit; 34" 21:9 curved 4K Monitor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loki Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 RAM rated for higher speeds should run just fine at lower speeds. While the safest option is to buy RAM from the motherboard vendor's QVL, those aren't always updated, meaning the RAM that was tested may no longer be available. Buying from a reputable RAM vendor should be safe. Faulty RAM is unlikely to damage the motherboard, and usually just means the machine won't boot, or won't be stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnost Posted August 20, 2020 Author Share Posted August 20, 2020 Thank you. I tried the combination I mentioned above on a son's computer, and it seems to work OK so far. Intel Core i7-7700K @ 4.6 GHz; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080Ti 11GB GDDR5X; ASRock Z270 K6 Gaming MB, 16GB DDR4-3000 RAM; 500GB SSD + 2TB HDD; Windows 10 Pro 64-bit; 34" 21:9 curved 4K Monitor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
napamule2 Posted August 20, 2020 Share Posted August 20, 2020 Slot Protocol DDR4 Slot Type 288-pin DIMM Maximum Speed 3866 MHz Maximum Capacity 64 GB i7 2600K @ 3.4 Ghz (Turbo-Boost to 3.877 Ghz), Asus P8H67 Pro, Super Talent 8 Gb DDR3/1333 Dual Channel, XFX Radeon R7-360B 2Gb DDR5, Corsair 650 W PSU, Dell 23 in (2048x1152), Windows7 Pro 64 bit, MS Sidewinder Precision 2 Joy, Logitech K-360 wireless KB & Mouse, Targus PAUK10U USB Keypad for Throttle (F1 to F4)/Spoiler/Tailhook/Wing Fold/Pitch Trim/Parking Brake/Snap to 2D Panel/View Change. Installed on 250 Gb (D:). FS9 and FSX Acceleration (locked at 30 FPS). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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