Upgrading X370 Motherboard (6 years old!) to Ryzen 5950X :-o- Questions...

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Moratorium

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Hello


I have Ryzen 1700 on X370 Killer SLI motherboard and want to put 5950X in it instead :)!


I have currently like 6 year old PC setup. I have the mobo - AsRock X370 Killer SLI (non AC version (!)), and have 6 year old cpu in it - Ryzen 1700 :)... )


I want to upgrade the CPU (and keep the board - AsRock X370 Killer SLI) to 5950X...


There are few questions i would like to ask...


1) Does my motherboard support Ryzen 5950X...? The 5950X is NOT among the supported CPUs:

https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X370 Killer SLI/index.asp#CPU


But the BIOS section of the website (the bios 7.30 section) states it does: "2. Support Renoir, Vermeer, and Cezanne CPU"

(Vermeer is 5950X correct)...?

https://www.asrock.com/mb/AMD/X370 Killer SLI/index.asp#BIOS


Besides this, there are people online who say they are running Vermeer CPUs (either specifically the 5950X or some other 5XXX family series) on this board... In addition, the AC version of this board (AsRock X370 Killer SLI/ac) (which should differ only by it having wifi and bluebooth modules in addition, besides that it should be the EXACT same board)... HAS the 5950X listed among the supported CPUs:

https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/x370 killer sliac/index.asp#CPU


SO... 5950X should work in AsRock X370 Killer SLI (NONE ac version) AFTER ALL ...? Correct?


2) I can update the Bios to the latest version (7.30) (with several in-between steps with different bioses versions inbetween (i cannot update DIRECTLY from my current (super old) bios version 1.3 to 7.3) with my old Ryzen 1700 sitting in the CPU socket right...? I would like to firstly update the bios and test that everything (all the other PC components) work OK with the new Bios BEFORE i pull the plug and order (for me personally) rather expensive 5950X...? Even the old Ryzen 1700 should work JUST FINE on the newest version of Bios (7.30) right...?

(it is stated that they removed support for "Bristol Ridge" CPUs in this Newest bios, but ryzen 1700 is "Summit Ridge", so he should still work fine (such and "old" CPU on such a "new" bios version)... Correct?


EDIT: Now i noticed... There are versions of BIOS that say that: "*ASRock do NOT recommend updating this BIOS if Pinnacle, Raven, Summit or Bristol Ridge CPU is being used on your system." From 5.5 version of BIOS to 6.0 it states that i should NOT use these bioses for my 1700...? But they should run right...? At least for Bios Flashes purposes...?




Thank you
 
I was able to successfully get my X370 Killer to run a 3900X on a beta bios, but it was always a bit buggy, the motherboard doesn't have the best RAM compatibility. I never updated my BIOS past 5.50

I bought a new motherboard before I got my 5950x and that X370 is back to just running a 1700X.
There is a chance that you'd need an interim processor to do the update. Like update to 5.4, install a 3000 series cpu, then update to 7.0, then update to 7.3, then try the 5000 series.

Honestly if you can afford a 5950X, i'd just get a whole new motherboard that'll be less buggy with newer processors. It's what I did.
 
Thanks, your reply is useful actually :)!

1) Thats weird, i think if you runned it with none beta bioses (there are those now), it should be definitely Ok and it should run ok now. Especiialy 3xxx series.

2) BTW what do you mean that it doesnt have great ram compatability...? i believe it was also bios specific and it should be ok NOW... (?) why do u think it has in general (even now) bad ram compatability please...? Im asking since im planning to add new ram modules too... Currently i have 16 GB ram (2*8 GB sticks), and i plan to add another 32GB (2*16 Gb sticks), so i would have 48 GB in total...

3) So you are (or was) running the X370 Killer Sli mother board (the none-ac version (no integrated wifi and bluetooth) with 5.5 BIOS version, with 1700 ryzen...? and it runned/runs ok...? Im asking because the 5.5 (and other version) states that "*ASRock do NOT recommend updating this BIOS if Pinnacle, Raven, Summit or Bristol Ridge CPU is being used on your system."

4) Yeah i know about the Interim processor possibility issue, but i hope and think it wont come to this... My 1700 cpu is among supported CPUS in all bioses... Just the Bristol Ridge Series (1700 is summit ridge) support was removed. All there is regarding the 1700 is the: ""*ASRock do NOT recommend updating this BIOS if Pinnacle, Raven, Summit or Bristol Ridge CPU is being used on your system.*""
But i think this is just a warning that it might be a bit problematic with some windows apps etc. I think Bios flashing SHOULD be ok.

5) Yeah im planning to build a brand new PC (all new compoents) with 7950X (or even the future version of that CPU) like in... i dont know... 2 years...? 3 Years...? But even than i would like to use my "old" (current) pc as a "renderer" or simply backup PC when i need to do some heavy computing... And if i manage to run in it the 5950X, it would give me almost the same power as the 7950X with only fraction of the cost (since all i need to buy newly is the CPU only).... thats why im soo hooked on the idea of just upgrading the CPU (and nothing else like motherboard).

thank you
 
The X370 Killer is only rated up to "2933" RAM andI was never able to get mine to boot at any speed faster than 3000, even with all of my RAM rated at 3200. This was with 2 sticks and 4 sticks. I had 16GB, 32GB and 48GB with this board.

I also always had to mess with RAM timings and voltage to get things stable at all. Maybe you've had better luck.

I had the https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/fatal1ty x370 gaming k4/index.asp
Which is basically what turned into the "Killer" after they dropped the F4tality branding.

Yep, used it to upgrade to 3900x, kept the 1700 in after that "ASRock does not recommend..." bios update to make sure it booted. Switched it with my 3900X for a few years and then when I upgraded my MoBo (and got a whole new case and build) to an x570, I put my 1700 back in it. it was running with that 1700 as my wife's computer up until last summer when I upgraded my system to a 5950X and gave my wife the 3900X.

I've done another round of small upgrades since then and now she has a b450 and a 3950X, but that's another story.
 
I just installed a 5000 series cpu on my Asrock 300 series board and the cpu side was easy. The ram wasn't. The board works better with older ram it seems, because it's going to try and boot using 1.2V and low frequencies like 2400, 2133, 2666 and maybe tighter timings than the RAM can handle. If your memory is newer and only likes say 1.35v and faster speeds+slack timings, you might not be able to post.

So yes the board works fine, but be careful with the ram. The money saved on using a 300 series board I had to spend some on more expensive ram. I hear 400 and 500 series boards are less picky, probably because they're PC3200 out of the box.

I tried to boot it with a Ryzen 1000 series to update the bios, and failed sometimes, thinking that the intermediate BIOS stopped support for the 1000 series. IN FACT it was the ram that was unstable. I'm happy the bios updates didn't fail because of that. The Ryzen 1700 shouldn't be a problem to update to version 7.X bios.

If I could do it all again I wish I had one old stick of ram so I could post with it and set the ram voltage to 1.35v and adjust the timings before I dropped in the newer ram. That would have increased my chances. However it would be annoying if you have to reset CMOS and swap ram sticks to get the system to post. To avoid that just find a kit that posts with a cleared cmos without taking dimms out.

The 300 boards actually score a few points above many 400/500 boards in the cpu benchmarks. For graphics benchmarks they might be the same or slightly under. (I believe. Doesn't matter to me because I don't game).

Also if you're lucky you get PCIe Gen 4 on that X370 even though it's not officially supported by AMD. Some board makes enable it anyway. Imagine that. Top notch ssd and graphics performance.
 
Last edited:
TheSlySyl said:
The X370 Killer is only rated up to "2933" RAM andI was never able to get mine to boot at any speed faster than 3000, even with all of my RAM rated at 3200. This was with 2 sticks and 4 sticks. I had 16GB, 32GB and 48GB with this board.

I also always had to mess with RAM timings and voltage to get things stable at all. Maybe you've had better luck.

I had the https://www.asrock.com/mb/amd/fatal1ty x370 gaming k4/index.asp
Which is basically what turned into the "Killer" after they dropped the F4tality branding.

Yep, used it to upgrade to 3900x, kept the 1700 in after that "ASRock does not recommend..." bios update to make sure it booted. Switched it with my 3900X for a few years and then when I upgraded my MoBo (and got a whole new case and build) to an x570, I put my 1700 back in it. it was running with that 1700 as my wife's computer up until last summer when I upgraded my system to a 5950X and gave my wife the 3900X.

I've done another round of small upgrades since then and now she has a b450 and a 3950X, but that's another story.
Click to expand...

Thanks
Well currently i have 16 GB RAM (2*8 GB) and it runs at... 2133 MHZ (or whatever the 21XX Mhz ) is :))... I didnt even realize it... I know i put it there those 6 years ago, and didnt even mess with the frequency cause i knew there are some problems with it back than, that bios versions dont support YET higher frequencies or there might be bugs or something, i dont remember. I just thought to my self that i will wait some time for newer bios versions, and then boost the ram to some proper mhz (those 2933 mhz you wrote)... But... I forgot :))... and all those years i went with 2133 mhz. LOL :).
With this new bios updating issue, i plan to finally run the ram at some better frequency. Along with the kits of ram. If it runs at max 2933 Mhz (which might be the max) im OK with it.
 
Moratorium said:
Thanks
Well currently i have 16 GB RAM (2*8 GB) and it runs at... 2133 MHZ (or whatever the 21XX Mhz ) is :))... I didnt even realize it... I know i put it there those 6 years ago, and didnt even mess with the frequency cause i knew there are some problems with it back than, that bios versions dont support YET higher frequencies or there might be bugs or something, i dont remember. I just thought to my self that i will wait some time for newer bios versions, and then boost the ram to some proper mhz (those 2933 mhz you wrote)... But... I forgot :))... and all those years i went with 2133 mhz. LOL :).
With this new bios updating issue, i plan to finally run the ram at some better frequency. Along with the kits of ram. If it runs at max 2933 Mhz (which might be the max) im OK with it.
Click to expand...

It *should* work fine since you have a CPU in it to update the BIOS. Your RAM speed might max out under 3000mhz due to board topology but thats ok, what are you using it for that you feel you need a 5950X?
 
LigTasm said:
It *should* work fine since you have a CPU in it to update the BIOS. YoRr RAM speed might max out under 3000mhz due to board topology but thats ok, what are you using it for that you feel you need a 5950X?
Click to expand...

aLcATRAZ said:
I just installed a 5000 series cpu on my Asrock 300 series board and the cpu side was easy. The ram wasn't. The board works better with older ram it seems, because it's going to try and boot using 1.2V and low frequencies like 2400, 2133, 2666 and maybe tighter timings than the RAM can handle. If your memory is newer and only likes say 1.35v and faster speeds+slack timings, you might not be able to post.

So yes the board works fine, but be careful with the ram. The money saved on using a 300 series board I had to spend some on more expensive ram. I hear 400 and 500 series boards are less picky, probably because they're PC3200 out of the box.

I tried to boot it with a Ryzen 1000 series to update the bios, and failed sometimes, thinking that the intermediate BIOS stopped support for the 1000 series. IN FACT it was the ram that was unstable. I'm happy the bios updates didn't fail because of that. The Ryzen 1700 shouldn't be a problem to update to version 7.X bios.

If I could do it all again I wish I had one old stick of ram so I could post with it and set the ram voltage to 1.35v and adjust the timings before I dropped in the newer ram. That would have increased my chances. However it would be annoying if you have to reset CMOS and swap ram sticks to get the system to post. To avoid that just find a kit that posts with a cleared cmos without taking dimms out.

The 300 boards actually score a few points above many 400/500 boards in the cpu benchmarks. For graphics benchmarks they might be the same or slightly under. (I believe. Doesn't matter to me because I don't game).

Also if you're lucky you get PCIe Gen 4 on that X370 even though it's not officially supported by AMD. Some board makes enable it anyway. Imagine that. Top notch ssd and graphics performance.
Click to expand...
I have currently as i wrote 16 GB RAM that was bought those 6 years ago. It runs (i didnt even know/realize it all those years) at 2133 mhz :). And im not sure but it might be under those 1.2V.

Have you updated BIOS on your board...? I know mine had some ram "problems" (incompatabilities or whatever) back in the day but i thought (and im quite sure) that all those have been resolved with newer BIOSes...?

So AFTER updating my BIOS to some newer version, and BEFORE installing the new (1.35V i think) ram, i should Raise the voltage of my current (old) RAM to 1.35 V in order to match the new ram voltage...? If i just keep the old ram with 1.2V and dont adjust the voltage before installing the new ram (with 1.35V), i may not be able to POST, since there will be "mismatch" and the board wont know what to do with it, so it just wont post...? Do i understand it correctly...?


What 5000 series exacty did you have (or currently have) and on what 300 series board exactly please...?

Thank you
 
Moratorium said:
I have currently as i wrote 16 GB RAM that was bought those 6 years ago. It runs (i didnt even know/realize it all those years) at 2133 mhz :). And im not sure but it might be under those 1.2V.

Have you updated BIOS on your board...? I know mine had some ram "problems" (incompatabilities or whatever) back in the day but i thought (and im quite sure) that all those have been resolved with newer BIOSes...?

So AFTER updating my BIOS to some newer version, and BEFORE installing the new (1.35V i think) ram, i should Raise the voltage of my current (old) RAM to 1.35 V in order to match the new ram voltage...? If i just keep the old ram with 1.2V and dont adjust the voltage before installing the new ram (with 1.35V), i may not be able to POST, since there will be "mismatch" and the board wont know what to do with it, so it just wont post...? Do i understand it correctly...?


What 5000 series exacty did you have (or currently have) and on what 300 series board exactly please...?

Thank you
Click to expand...
My stuff is completely different from yours except I'm doing the same leap in generational change, and that it's an Asrock board so RAM compatibility might be similar. I'm running a 5500 and AB350ITX.

Ok, so if you're running the same ram with the new CPU then no problem. Just warning against swapping it out for some NEW ram.

I'm using the latest bios (because otherwise there wouldn't be 5000 support).

This following piece of information doesn't apply here but it might surprise you to know that sometimes RAM support actually regresses by updating BIOS. Some people have had their OC profiles that they ran for years, become unstable after a bios update. Ram that once was stable at 3600 now only does 3200 etc. Same cpu, motherboard etc.

No, bios settings aren't saved when updating the bios. Even if they were it would possibly cause more problems than it solved.
My suggestion was this. IF you're experiencing ram issues and no post, then it's good to have a single stick of old ram, just to be able to BOOT into the BIOS to change a setting. No post, means no adjusting of ram settings, like increasing voltage or setting a timing which you might need to boot the other ram you intend to use. Not posting doesn't necessarily mean it's impossible to use that ram. The workaround with the old ram might work then. It's not a nice way of solving it, but it is a way. Just saying.

Again I'll repeat that you don't need to worry about any of this since your ram is likely well supported.
 
Any ram should boot at JEDEC settings - it just won't be as fast as designed (XMP is effectively overclocking, just pre-designed and determined overclocks). I've yet to see an XMP or even EXPOS kit that doesn't also support the JEDEC base (voltage and speeds) because it really ~has~ to in order to be compliant. You shouldn't have an issue there (eg: 3600mhz DDR4 designed for 1.35 volts will boot at 2133 @ 1.2, because the spec is 2133 @ 1.2).
 
lopoetve said:
Any ram should boot at JEDEC settings - it just won't be as fast as designed (XMP is effectively overclocking, just pre-designed and determined overclocks). I've yet to see an XMP or even EXPOS kit that doesn't also support the JEDEC base (voltage and speeds) because it really ~has~ to in order to be compliant. You shouldn't have an issue there (eg: 3600mhz DDR4 designed for 1.35 volts will boot at 2133 @ 1.2, because the spec is 2133 @ 1.2).
Click to expand...
AMD 300 series boards are pretty sensitive, I've learned. The same sticks that boot fine on other boards just wouldn't boot on mine. 3 out of 6 sticks I tried.

Even when I dropped in Corsair Vengeance it took a few reboots before it posted. Nearly as many as with the failed ram. I had to use one stick to adjust the settings before I could get it to post with two sticks at the same time. This is with cleared CMOS.

Just saying. Not everyone can spot a problematic ram kit, until they try it with a certain board/cpu. They can be sold 2nd hand as working perfectly (for the seller) and then nothing happens when you plug them in. When that happens it's a workaround to have a backup stick to get into bios.

I'm not a ram expect (obviously) but what about all the other dozen timings that aren't included in the profile? Maybe one of them is set to something incompatible when clearing CMOS, on some boards.
 
aLcATRAZ said:
AMD 300 series boards are pretty sensitive, I've learned. The same sticks that boot fine on other boards just wouldn't boot on mine. 3 out of 6 sticks I tried.

Even when I dropped in Corsair Vengeance it took a few reboots before it posted. Nearly as many as with the failed ram. I had to use one stick to adjust the settings before I could get it to post with two sticks at the same time. This is with cleared CMOS.

Just saying. Not everyone can spot a problematic ram kit, until they try it with a certain board/cpu. They can be sold 2nd hand as working perfectly (for the seller) and then nothing happens when you plug them in. When that happens it's a workaround to have a backup stick to get into bios.

I'm not a ram expect (obviously) but what about all the other dozen timings that aren't included in the profile? Maybe one of them is set to something incompatible when clearing CMOS, on some boards.
Click to expand...
Well yes, there's a good reason most of us ditched our x370 boards - but even then it should get through POST and to BIOS at least at JEDEC settings. If I was doing this, I'd set back to defaults on ~everything~ before starting any of the BIOS flashes. But I also wouldn't personally take an x370 board to Zen 3 either... Then again, YMMV - the 370 was not a great platform, merely adequate for the time. One stick will help if not.

And agreed - I had fits like mad on mine, bought on release date (I also made the mistake of going with 4 sticks before we realized that was an issue).

Honestly - set CMOS defaults, bump SoC voltage to give the memory controller more juice (tends to help a LOT with Zen compatibility issues), make sure you're still on JEDEC (which should be embedded in the chips at 2133 with really loose timings), and you SHOULD always post - it may take a bit for the ram training (and one of my Zen1 boxes STILL does a RAM training reboot each time it's unplugged).

Or just snag a cheap X570 board off of the FS/FT forum here. That'll also solve the problem.
 
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