Question Zen 4 builders thread

[Markfw]

I know its early, but as someone pointed out, I better get my ram now before the scalpers are all over it.

To go with a 7950x, what do you think of this ram:

https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr5-sdram/p/N82E16820374369?Item=N82E16820374369

(edited for my best recommendation, 12/5/2023)

 

[lopri]

It takes about a minute to cold boot for me with 4x16GB memory. I might time it with a stop watch some time. 1 minute is long for a boot, for sure. Thank goodness I am done tuning.

 

[CP5670]

Apparently the first boot takes much longer, but does it keep doing that for every subsequent boot? It takes 10-15 seconds to reach Windows on Z490 for me, but my old Z97 used to take less than 5 seconds.

I wonder if that USB problem is board-specific, but yea I would revert back to my old setup if I ran into that. It seemed like 50% of AMD users were having problems with the G2 headset, which works perfectly for me right now on Z490. I was looking at the Asus B650E-E board, which seems pretty well featured and a better deal than the X670E ones.

 

[lopri]

From powered-off state to the Windows desktop, I just timed 1 minute and 10 seconds. This is with 4 DIMMs, though, and it might be shorter with 2 sticks.

I am unaware with a USB problem but then again I do not use a headset, so can't comment on it.

 

[Markfw]

From powered-off state to the Windows desktop, I just timed 1 minute and 10 seconds. This is with 4 DIMMs, though, and it might be shorter with 2 sticks.

I am unaware with a USB problem but then again I do not use a headset, so can't comment on it.

How much effort, to poweroff, remove 2 stick and try it again ! I would love to see that with a real timed set.

 

[lopri]

44 seconds to Windows logo and 54 seconds to the desktop from I switched the system on. With 2 sticks.

You owe me a dinner.

 

[lopri]

For whatever reason this board's DIMM sockets are very stiff. It makes me nervous every time I take the sticks out.

 

[Markfw]

44 seconds to Windows logo and 54 seconds to the desktop from I switched the system on. With 2 sticks.

You owe me a dinner.

so, 15 seconds faster with 2 dimms.... They must be integral to the boot.

 

[CP5670]

That's still very long. I wonder what the Z790 platform is like with this, or DDR4-based ones like X570.

 

[lopri]

B660 DDR4 is quicker for sure. I had not timed it but I did not think much of it (boot times) in comparison to X470.

I wonder why my comments always leave such large empty space below?

 

[igor_kavinski]

For whatever reason this board's DIMM sockets are very stiff. It makes me nervous every time I take the sticks out.

Nah. That's a problem I've encountered with newer boards. You are not alone.

 

[Chaotic42]

Yeah, I recall a tech YouTuber talking about how DDR5 sockets are weird. I'm not a fan of the ones on my board.

 

[CakeMonster]

I wish I could fast forward 12 months just to see what can be fixed about boot times and memory with AGESA revisions. Right now it feels like we're just making guesses about limitations of the platform.

 

[Markfw]

I wish I could fast forward 12 months just to see what can be fixed about boot times and memory with AGESA revisions. Right now it feels like we're just making guesses about limitations of the platform.

It does not bother me, one minute to boot every few months ? Just put it to sleep when you are not using it.

 

[CakeMonster]

That doesn't bother me at all, my annoyances are with tweaking and overclocking, where I will some times have to wait a very long time to figure out if any changes will actually post or not. Also, my very stable settings that have been verified in several official BIOSes will refuse to even post with some beta BIOSes. I'm not complaining, I just don't think we're at Zen3 maturity yet.

 

[CP5670]

I do that too and it's not a big deal, but I recall when Windows 8 used to advertise fast boot times as a key feature. It feels like we have regressed a lot from that.

 

[moinmoin]

I recall when Windows 8 used to advertise fast boot times as a key feature. It feels like we have regressed a lot from that.

To be fair boot time of OSes is still lightning fast (mainly thanks to NVMe etc.). What regressed is the time POST requires for initializing the hardware, especially RAM training AMD introduced on AM4 and appears to have aggravated on AM5.

IMO something's clearly wrong there and it's odd that not more is being talked about that.

 

[Elfear]

It does not bother me, one minute to boot every few months ? Just put it to sleep when you are not using it.

If you use EXPO settings, you lose the Sleep function (at least I do). Is that the same for everyone else?

 

[repoman0]

If you use EXPO settings, you lose the Sleep function (at least I do). Is that the same for everyone else?

Fixed for me as of Agesa 1.0.0.4 on my Asrock board.

 

[CP5670]

To be fair boot time of OSes is still lightning fast (mainly thanks to NVMe etc.). What regressed is the time POST requires for initializing the hardware, especially RAM training AMD introduced on AM4 and appears to have aggravated on AM5.

IMO something's clearly wrong there and it's odd that not more is being talked about that.

I'm looking at the POST time + time spent on the Windows loading screen. Basically until the time when the mouse cursor and desktop show up (but before startup apps load). Both of these things went up a lot over the years.

 

[lopri]

If you use EXPO settings, you lose the Sleep function (at least I do). Is that the same for everyone else?

Something must not be getting alone with memory timings. Or maybe the board is changing something that it is not supposed to. Have you tried entering EXPO values manually? My understanding is that they are not that special anyway. It's mostly primary timings or primary+secondary timings that memory vendors program, and the motherboard does the rest.

 

[Markfw]

Something must not be getting alone with memory timings. Or maybe the board is changing something that it is not supposed to. Have you tried entering EXPO values manually? My understanding is that they are not that special anyway. It's mostly primary timings or primary+secondary timings that memory vendors program, and the motherboard does the rest.

it changes all sorts of memory voltages, all sorts of timings, memory speed and a couple other things. Its WAY easier to use it on EXPO memory than trying to set it yourself. I have an EXP 6600 kit that I paid $400 for (way before the chip was available) and could not get it to run better than 5800 or 5600. The EXPO kit of 6000 CL30, I set it (one click) on 3 different motherboards, and all 3 have worked perfectly ever since.

 

[Thor86]

I'm not certain why boot times are an issue now. My Asus board had a setting to stop training after the initial one. Expo settings and sleep work no problems either.

 

[Markfw]

I'm not certain why boot times are an issue now. My Asus board had a setting to stop training after the initial one. Expo settings and sleep work no problems either.

I have not seen that setting. THAT is the issue, all boards need that in the bios.

 

[moinmoin]

I'm looking at the POST time + time spent on the Windows loading screen. Basically until the time when the mouse cursor and desktop show up (but before startup apps load). Both of these things went up a lot over the years.

I see. I'm not a Windows user so I didn't know Microsoft was slacking in that aspect as well.

 

[Elfear]

@repoman0 @lopri @Thor86 thanks for chiming in. I'll see if a bios update fixes it.