What B450 MB for ryzen 2200g + 2x4GB kingston hiperx predator?

Hi Paul, I've just built the PC and all seems to be alright so I just want to thank you for you help for RAM and video matters. RAM is compatible but it works @2400mhz by bios default instead of 3200mhz and now I'd like to OC it so I'd want to ask you a little help because this is a "new world" for me: consider I've worked with win xp and dos bios for the last 15 years.

This is my configuration:
- amd ryzen 3 2200g (details: https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-3-2200g)
- mobo msi b450-a pro (manual: http://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/E7B86v2.0.zip)
- ram 2x4gb kingston hyperx predator 3200mhz CL16 (datasheet: https://www.kingston.com/dataSheets/HX432C16PB3K2_8.pdf)

I've just run memtest for the ram @2400mhz and it seems ok: no errors in 43 tests after about 1h time.
What to do now? Do you recommend to upgrade stock bios to the latest release for 1st and then OC or try with this bios for 1st? Consider stock bios is from 2018.6.11 and the latest one is 7B86vA4 (V10.4) released on 2018.12.26 (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/supp...PRO#down-bios).

MaxTheFast wrote:
Hi Paul, I've just built the PC and all seems to be alright so I just want to thank you for you help for RAM and video matters. RAM is compatible but it works @2400mhz by bios default instead of 3200mhz and now I'd like to OC it so I'd want to ask you a little help because this is a "new world" for me: consider I've worked with win xp and dos bios for the last 15 years.

This is my configuration:
- amd ryzen 3 2200g (details: https://www.amd.com/en/products/apu/amd-ryzen-3-2200g)
- mobo msi b450-a pro (manual: http://download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/E7B86v2.0.zip)
- ram 2x4gb kingston hyperx predator 3200mhz CL16 (datasheet: https://www.kingston.com/dataSheets/HX432C16PB3K2_8.pdf)

I've just run memtest for the ram @2400mhz and it seems ok: no errors in 43 tests after about 1h time.
What to do now? Do you recommend to upgrade stock bios to the latest release for 1st and then OC or try with this bios for 1st? Consider stock bios is from 2018.6.11 and the latest one is 7B86vA4 (V10.4) released on 2018.12.26 (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/supp...PRO#down-bios).

I had started writing an answer, when it occurred to
me we'd already discussed flipping the XMP switch
in the BIOS.

Have you tried that ?

That's the easiest way I know of, of getting there.

From the manual:

"4x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB*

ƒ Supports 1866/ 2133/ 2400/ 2667Mhz (by JEDEC)

Supports 2667/ 2800/ 2933/ 3000/ 3066/ 3200/ 3466 MHz (by A-XMP OC MODE)
"

You have the ideal situation. Installing two sticks
of RAM, should allow just about any cheesy XMP to work.

And since the RAM you bought is likely single-sided
(eight chips on one side), that's even better from
a stability point of view. A single rank of chips like
that on each channel, gives slightly better stability
at high clocks.

Once you try the XMP, and run your memtest86 or whatever,
that should be sufficient to meet a goal of running
the purchased memory at its "stock". Because
the MSI manual claims to support 3200 for the attempt.

It would be an entirely different matter, if MSI had
no intention of ever going over 2400. Then we'd be messing
with BIOS, Overclock Tuners, and other assorted stuff
I'd have to look up :-) I haven't had an AMD board
since my AthlonXP. That was my last one.

*******

If you were going to upgrade the BIOS.

1) Do it within the retailer return period for the motherboard.
Do it immediately. Or don't do it.
2) Find a forum discussing your board, and find out from
other users, how many bricked or didn't brick systems
while upgrading.

Generally, if the BIOS release notes don't indicate any
major improvements, it wouldn't be worth the bother.
However, if you see mention of a new AGESA version,
that might be worth it.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/11447...sa-1006-update

Maybe with AGESA and UEFI, and an OS-based Overclock Tuner,
you could "auto-tune" the board. If so, I'd want to use
a copy of the OS install sitting on an old hard drive,
in case the auto-tune corrupts it. (Some motherboards will
reset the BIOS after three power cycles, saving on
using the CMOS jumper.)

The biggest danger with that sort of tuning, is the
motherboard company getting lazy and using too much voltage
to make it "easy" to prove an overclock will work. When a human
overclocks, they "follow the edge of the curve", then
adjust final settings to ensure some margin and stability.
Whereas some of the poorer overclock softwares, turn up
the voltage into the red zone, just so the overclock only
takes one attempt. Which is stupid and might affect
long term reliability (electromigration). I've seen
signs of electromigration and parametric shift here,
even on equipment that shouldn't have done so. And
at least a "tool or two" in an overclocker forum,
who would say "my CPU won't even run stock any
more, time to Ebay it". So if you're wondering why
people sell used CPUs on Ebay...

Paul