Enabling XMP for the N7 B550

What is the difference between Stock Speed and Maximum Speed?

When RAM is made, the manufacturer has a speed at which the RAM will be guaranteed to run no matter what, this is the stock speed. The maximum speed is the speed that the manufacturer has determined your particular set of RAM can run safely at. The maximum speed can be achieved typically by enabling XMP.

What is an XMP Profile and why are they used?

XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) is a technology that allows you to change memory settings by selecting a different profile, which takes advantage of higher than standard memory speeds. Simply stated, XMP is the "easy button" of RAM overclocking, as manual RAM overclocking can be an unnecessary headache!

XMP Profiles allow you to run your high-performance RAM (above industry DDR specs), at the speeds that they are guaranteed to run at when you purchase them. For example, (G.Skill 2x8GB 3200mhz) may usually run at 2400mhz if an XMP profile is not enabled. When enabling the XMP profile, you should be able to run your RAM at the advertised speed of 3200mhz.

How do I enable XMP on my N7 Z490?

To enable XMP, firstly you would need to get into the N7 B550 BIOS, as that is where you can adjust the settings relevant to this. To enter your BIOS, you will need to continuously press the Delete or F2 keys when the NZXT splash screen is visible. 

Once you are in the BIOS you will be at the main tab as shown below.

From here you will need to navigate to "Overclocking" either by clicking the tab or using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Once on the overclocking tab, look for "Load XMP Setting" as shown below.

Click on this option and change it from "Auto" to "XMP 2.0 Profile 1" as shown below.

Then go to the Exit tab as shown below to select Save Settings and Reset. After the PC restarts your PC should be running at the advertised speed. 

XMP is enabled, but I'm getting Bluescreen errors and stability problems.

For issues with XMP being enabled, sometimes some RAM may not be compatible with your motherboard. Please refer to our QVL (Qualified Vendor List) to verify if your RAM is compatible. RAM not on the QVL may still work with your motherboard but would require advanced tuning to get stable performance. Please refer to our QVL below: