Should I pick a motherboard that runs ram at 3200mhz overclocked or 3200mhz non overclocked?

AlanHue01

Hello, I currently have 2*8GB Crucial ram at 3200mhz (BL2K8G32C16U4B). My current motherboard, the Asus Prime B350-Plus, can run ram at 3200mhz at OC but it's unstable. So I was thinking of getting a new motherboard, the Asus ROG Strix B450-F, however it also runs ram at 3200mhz at OC. Will it be unstable just like my current motherboard? My alternative option is the ASRock B550M Phantom Gaming 4. This motherboard runs ram at 3200mhz without OC. The B550M would be bought along with a Ryzen 3600 if the alternative option is chosen.

Budget is <150$. The ROG Strix was chosen just because it looks nice.

JS_MC

All DDR4 on the market right now above 2133mhz is considered overclocked.

3200 (OC) just means that the kit needs to run using the XMP.

Are you attempting to overclock further than the rated speed of the memory?

TSTDavey

Hello @AlanHue01 and thanks for posting on the Microcenter Community Forum. I'm not sure how you are using your computer whether its for high end 3D gaming or CAD design, etc., but going with a board that supports 3200 OC, because you want your RAM speeds at 3200 mhz is the route to go. But is the 3200 mhz speeds necessary for your computer usage. If not, then go with the 3200 non-oc. Non-oc ram is good for gaming as well. If you really need 3200 mhz and want the 3200 OC with no issues, take a look at the X570 motherboard. Also for your current b350 plus that you say is unstable with your corsair ram, have you updated the boards chipset drivers and bios? Sometime updating those fixes any RAM or component instability.

AlanHue01

Hi Davey, I'm upgrading my gaming pc to something more midrange. I'm not actually trying to overclock anything, however some motherboard ram speed compatibilities are listed as "OC".

This is my ram

ram.png

This is the Asus ROG Strix B450 motherboard, notice how it says "3200 (OC)"

b450.jpg

This is the ASRock B550M Phantom Gaming 4, notice how it says "3200" while the higher Mhz speeds have "(OC)" at the end of them.

b550.jpg

So I'm wondering if the B450 will be just as stable as the B550 when running ram at 3200mhz. I'm confused when you mentioned "3200 OC" and "3200" as different things. Are they different in that they are overclocked? Would that mean there is some sort of performance or stability difference?

Also answering your question on my current motherboard, I have updated the bios but not the chipset drivers. I'll try updating that as soon as I can and test it out.

AlanHue01

I am not attempting to overclock any further. I appreciate the time taken to respond to my questions. Thank you very much!

JS_MC

You're quite welcome! Please let us know if you have any other questions!