3200mhz Ram Running At 2400: 4 Probable Solutions

You bought a new 3200MHz ram but later you find that the ram is running at a slower speed. You cross-checked the specification. But it shows you exactly the same results. 

You are confused about what to do next. Don’t worry! This happens to almost everyone. 

So what are the solutions for 3200 MHz ram running at 2400 MHz?

The First solution is to enable the XMP through the setting. Then check the CPU and the Motherboard specification. If those didn’t match the ram specification, you might have to change it. Besides, ensure to use the same brands, frequencies, and latency ram. 

That was only the snippet of what’s to come next. We gave 4 detailed reasons and solutions to this problem. 

Have a look at the whole article!

Why is RAM Speed Important?

In general, the more RAM your system has, the faster your programs will function. You may boost the speed by using faster RAM.That means between 2400mhz vs 3200mhz ram, you’ll get the best performances from the latter. That means, your fast CPU now has a rapid means of communicating with the other parts.

You can see here the more clock speed the better performance while running 3DMark Time Spy.

More RAM allows your CPU to run more efficiently. For example, it takes less time when you work in Adobe Premiere Pro for video rendering. Extra ram gives you the soothing experience of doing multiple tasks simultaneously.

Why is My 3200 MHz Ram Running at 2400 MHz?

You wonder why my ram is running at half speed! Even the ram may be running at 800 MHz though it is 3200MHz. Several reasons cause the 3200 Mhz ram to run at 2400 Mhz. These are given down below.

Reason 1: XMP is Not Enabled

When the manufacturer produces the card, they set the XMP profile at boosted speed. Hence to get the top speed, one has to overclock the XMP.

There are two standards for memory speed. The first one is JEDEC and the second one is XMP. 

JEDEC is for base specification, and XMP is for present overclock. Though XMP has lower latency, at the same frequency, it performs much better than JEDEC.

Technically, XMP is an overclock. Hence, the motherboard will not activate it by default when someone installs the memory. 

Solution: Enable XMP

In the XMP profile, run the ram. Go into the mobo BIOS and then enable DOCP(AMD motherboard) or XMP according to the mobo. It will automatically set the advertised speeds. 

• To enter the bios, you have to restart the computer. Go to the windows menu and click restart.  As soon as restarting starts then, click the “delete “ options. It will take you to the bios.

• After entering bios, go to ‘Advanced Memory Setting’. Click Extreme Memory profile or XMP. Then select Profile 1.

• You can also fix it manually. The Vram voltage should be 1.35v.Enter these timings manually 16,18,18,36,74.
• Next, go to the Save and Exit Options. Double click on Save and Exit setup. Click Yes to save the configuration.
• After that, the computer will restart again. And after the restart, the computer will be running at 3200 MHz instead of 2400 MHz.

Reason 2: CPU is Not Supportive  

CPUs, particularly earlier CPUs, support only a restricted range of RAM bandwidths. Anything over that range might be limited to the maximum speed enabled by your CPU.

To give you a better understanding, we added the specifications of Intel Core i5 8th Generation. 

Table: Specifications of Intel Core i5 8th Generation,

Now if you use 3200 MHz RAM in that CPU, it will work on 2133 MHz. Because that’s the best speed that could take the CPU.

However, CPUs are much more open to various speeds these days, so you don’t have to fear much about your CPU not accepting your selected memory.

Solution: Check CPU Specification

To check CPU specification, follow these processes

• To check the ram speed, first open the Task Manager from the setting. You can press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keyboard shortcut. Then go to the performance tab, click memory, and check the ram speed out there. 

• You can also use the CPU-Z app. Download it from the official CPU-Z website and then install it. Click the memory tab and then look for dram frequency. 

There’s nothing you can do without changing the CPU. Only replacing the current CPU can solve the problem. 

Intel CPUs that support 3200Mhz are given below:

• Intel core i7 12th/11th/10th  generation.
• Intel core i9 12/11/10 generation.
• Intel core i5 12th/11th/10th generation.

Among them, I would recommend you get the core i7 12th generation processor. But if you wanna save some bucks the 11th gen core i5 4.9 GHz unlocked CPU is great as well.

To get 3200mhz ram on ryzen, you can get below these AMD CPUs 

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500/ 5600 x/ 3500X/ 3600X/ 3400G
• AMD Ryzen 7 ( all versions)
• AMD Ryzen 9 (all versions)

If you are not planning on getting a GPU soon then try the G-series of these AMD Ryzen CPUs. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G is one of the best there is in the market. That can even core i7 10th/11th gen CPUs.

Reason 3: Motherboard may not be Supportive 

Like the CPU, it is mandatory to check whether the ram is supportive in the motherboard. For better perception, we add the features of Gigabyte GA-H310M H 8th/9th Gen Intel Motherboard 

Table: Specifications of Gigabyte GA-H310M H 8th/9th Gen Intel Motherboard 

In that motherboard, the highest bus speed of the ram could be 2666 MHz. Now, if you use 3200 Mhz rams, then obviously, it will not work. 

It will run at a minimum speed which is 2133 MHz. By turning on the XMP, then it will give a maximum speed of 2666 MHz.

Solution: Cross-Check the Motherboard Specification

If the motherboard isn’t supporting RAM speeds, the only option is to replace it. We often get confused about the specifications of the motherboard.

Some of the motherboards that support 3200 Mhz rams are-

• Asus PRIME B660M-A D4
• Gigabyte B560M DS3H V2
• Asus TUF GAMING B560M-E
• MSI MAG B560M MORTAR
• Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4

I personally use the ASUS TUF Gaming B560M-PLUS WiFi LGA1200 with 16 gigs 3200 MHz RAM. You can try that without any doubt.

Nevertheless, most current motherboards now accept a broad range of frequencies. So don’t worry about purchasing a high-speed RAM kit to use it at the default rates.

Reason 4: Mismatching RAM Modules 

My ram is 3200mhz but running at 2400mhz – you are still stuck on this point! Well, here is another reason.

Suppose you purchase two types of Ram, for example, 3200 Mhz and 2666 MHz. You may feel that you could get 3200 Mhz. 

But this is wrong. Your ram will work at the slowest ram module which is 2666 MHz. As it’s mentioned here-

That’s why mixed brands, frequencies, and latencies are not suggested.

Solution: Use Similar RAM Modules

Make sure that you use similar brands, frequencies, and latency on pc. Open the pc casing and cross-check the ram modules. 

If you want maximum speed, use similar 3200Mhz Ram modules on pc. You can choose these RAMs if you’re setting up a new setup and considering going with dual channeling.

That’s it! Hope we are able to answer why isn’t my ram running at full speed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Some common questions people ask on a similar topic are-

Can you use 3200mhz RAM with 2400MHz?

Yes, you can. However, you will not get the best speed at doing so. Because it will run at a slower speed which is 2400 Mhz. To get the best speed, use either double 3200 MHz ram or double 2400 MHz ram.

Why is my RAM saying 2400MHz when I have 3200mhz?

This is because the ram run is at the default setting. The manufacturer set the ram and XMP at a boosted speed. And it is lower than the maximum speed.

Can I use 2 sticks of 3200 MHz RAM as a dual-channel on a 2666 MHz motherboard?

Yes, you can. But your pc will run at 2666MHz only. Besides, make sure that the motherboard and ram slots are the same. For example, the motherboard and the ram both have 288-pin DDR4 slots.

Conclusion 

So, what’s your thought after reading this article? We tried to include all the possible reasons why the 3200mhz ram running at 2400. 

If you want to overclock the performance, do not fear doing that. But stay alert on the Voltage ram. Which strategy are you following? Let us know your valuable comments down below.