Added 8GB RAM to current computer, but windows/programs are slower to respond

JackS06

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Jun 30, 2010
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Hi, I built a computer 5 years ago with a M4A785TD-M EVO mobo and 2x2GB of GSKILLs RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

Couple days ago I decided to add 8GB more membory and installed these guys:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

The machine runs on Windows 7 Professrional 64bit, POSTed, and recognized 12 GB of RAM. I checked in CPUz and it also appeared to recognize it.

However, disappointedly and surprisingly after this install, whenever I'd click on a program to open or hit my keyboard, the programs respond really slow to open, close, etc. Even Firefox has slowed down to open and close at least 10 times. Windows also takes so much longer to start up once I log in.

I did some preliminary homework and correct me if I'm wrong, but does it have something to do with the RAM latency and frequency? The slower pair that I have installed are "slowing down" the faster pair?

Short of returning the new pair that I bought, is there any way I can resolve this such that the computer responds much faster?

Slots 1 and 2 have the 2GB modules and this is what the CPUz looks like:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpdnpNOUxWelh2WTQ&authuser=0

Slots 3 and 4 have the 4GB modules and this is what the CPUz looks like:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpeDlRbkJVZ2hwbVk&authuser=0

I did try and open up my BIOS to see what options I can change, but this is where I was into uncharted territory.

Question1:
Should my DRAM Timing Mode be set to DCT 0 or DCT 1 or both?

Question 2:
What should I leave as Auto and what should I change manually? When I first opened up the screen, Memory Clock Mode was Auto, DRAM Timing Mode was Auto, and Memory OverVoltage was Auto.

Question 2A
This is what the BIOS screens looks like of the possible parameters I can chage:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpSFZXX1p0Z1dLUUU&authuser=0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpS1JINUVqRUkwSWs&authuser=0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpakZubjN5aUhoNTQ&authuser=0

I'm unsure based on my 4 sticks that I have, what the DCTs I should have enabled (I'm guessing both? and what the TCL, TRCD, TRP, etc I should manually enter in and which ones I should leave as auto?

I tried the following: TCL 9, TRCD 10, TRP 9, tRTP auto, and TRAS 28 for both DCTs, with overvoltage set at 1.5V, and Memclock value at 667mHZ and is seems to improve a little, but still slower than before I installed the 2 4GB sticks. Could you guys please help confirm that I'm not using the wrong settings?

Please ignore the screenshot in the BIOS numbers as when I took the pictures, I was messing around with the values, these are not the values I have now, I've defaulted them all back to AUTO, afraid I would fry my RAM or something.

Thanks all in advance. I've tried to do a little research, so hopefully what I'm saying makes sense.
 
Solution
Looking at all of it, it appears that you have the same speed modules, both sets are capable of XMP-1600, but the standard when you 'auto' them is to set them usually to 1333 mhz (which is what it appears to be based on your cpu-z).

Remember, your values on the ram sticks are the max of what they are capable of, and have been tested at. They will run SLOWER than that with no problem, but to reach their optimum (best) speed you have to tell your bios what to do.

Since both sets are 1600mhz capable, and cas9, they will run at the same speed easily enough, but you need to enable that speed in the bios. Check your memory settings (or read the manual! lol. RTFM!) for 'XMP' - and enable that. It should 'read' the XMP settings and you'll...
Hello... You have different speed modules now... and your BIOs will want to run them at the slowest setting together for compatability.
1) read your MB manual/PDF for the proper memory slots to "pair up" the same memory types into.
2) TRY using the faster 8gb sticks ONLY and see if your computer OS works better this way... " Save and Exit " Bios...
3) ADD the 4GB sticks into the other slots... and see if your computer OS is working slow agian.
 

JackS06

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Jun 30, 2010
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Ah I see.
This is what I found from the manual:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpNXR0dWxDT3RVM2c&authuser=0
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-rt0rbo21DpUUJrLWxTQzNMNDQ&authuser=0

With my 2x2GB setup I had my sticks in the A2 and B2 positions (next to each other). When I added my new sticks they are stuck in A1 and B1.
Are you suggesting that my 2GB modules should be A2 and A1, and my new 4GB modules be in B2 and B1?

Then default my settings back to auto and see if I can get away w/o having to tweak the RAM manually?
 
Hello... Yes and NO... Put your fasttest and largest memory in the very first/paired memory adress slots... I'm not a AMD guy and I always suggest the wrong ones and get corrected, you either match the letter or # the Documentation is not Clear and can be confusing ... Thus put them in their proper Dual channel slots for the fastest performance.
IS dual channel A1 and B1 Slots it appears to be saying... then Boot the 8gb there first

As a simple test...
1) MB defaults
2) Try the fastest/largest ram pair in the MB First!!! in the proper slots... " Save and Exit " Bios...
3) Test windows performance.
4) check MB memory speed settings.
5) ADD the 4GB sticks into the other slots...
6) Test windows performance.
7) check MB memory speed settings.
 

Rookie_MIB

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Looking at all of it, it appears that you have the same speed modules, both sets are capable of XMP-1600, but the standard when you 'auto' them is to set them usually to 1333 mhz (which is what it appears to be based on your cpu-z).

Remember, your values on the ram sticks are the max of what they are capable of, and have been tested at. They will run SLOWER than that with no problem, but to reach their optimum (best) speed you have to tell your bios what to do.

Since both sets are 1600mhz capable, and cas9, they will run at the same speed easily enough, but you need to enable that speed in the bios. Check your memory settings (or read the manual! lol. RTFM!) for 'XMP' - and enable that. It should 'read' the XMP settings and you'll be at 'best' speed. Nothing will get 'fried' by doing that.

If you don't have 'XMP' setting (since it's AMD), you can manually set your MHZ to 1600mhz. One thing you might be getting wrong is that if you set the RAM to 800mhz (based on the BIOS screenshots), the modules run at half that speed which means they're running at 400mhz ACTUAL speed.

Worst case, if you make a mistake on the frequency settings - you won't fry anything as long as you're not dinking with the voltage - you'll just have to clear/reset your cmos.

**edit**

On the placement for the ram chips, Fill A1&B1 with same size/speed, fill A2&B2 with same size/speed. Think of it this way, to enable dual channel properly you must have a module for each channel. Channel A is one channel, Channel B is the other. The numbers 1 and 2 reflect the -slots- per channel.

So - A/B1, then A/B2
 
Solution

JackS06

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AH OK I'll try messing around with the paring of the modules, I have a feeling they weren't paired correctly when I installed it. When I went into the BIOS though, the maximum was 800 mHZ that I could set it to. I did not see a 1600 mHZ option, but maybe when I switch the configurations around it won't be an issue. I"ll report back thanks.
 

JackS06

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OK that makes sense. I'll diagnose my new RAM first and then add the old RAM back like you suggested, but this time I'll make sure the fast ones are in the correctly paired slots.
 

Rookie_MIB

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That's what I'm -not- certain on, some bios will show full rate (1333/1600/2133 etc)... whole point, in the CPU-z it should tell him the actual rate with a little less confusion.
 

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
What CPU? Try the sticks with the 4GBs in slots 1-3, the sGB in slots 2-4 - manually set the freq to 1333 initially or 1600 if you have a FX CPU, the timings to 9-9-9-27, DRAM voltage to 1.6 and CPU/NB voltage to 1.3, Command Rate/Timing to 2N (or 2T if it uses the T designation)
 

JackS06

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Jun 30, 2010
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OK so I ended up putting my new 4GB sticks in A1,B1 slots (1st and 3rd slot away from the CPU) and my old 2GB sticks in the A2,B2 slots, defaulted my BIOS settings to auto and it booted up like a dream. now it's back to its old self again, and in fact the extra 8GB def helped to even speed things up.

I guess when I first built it 5 years ago, I never really thought anything about having the 2GBs in A1,B1 since it booted and all this time I've been using them w/o any issues. But I guess when I installed the new 4GB modules, it does make it difference having the old sticks on one channel and the new one on another channel. In retrospect I read about this when I first built my computer, but didn't really think anything of it when I had it set up the way I did b/c it wasn't broke and there was no point fixing it.

Anyway it's night and day now running CoD Advanced Warfare, before with 4GB maps would barely load and stutter like crazy. Now smoother than a baby's butt.

Thanks guys for all your suggestions and help, you can close this thread now. Hopefully my troubles will help some poor soul if they make the same mistake I did.