ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX RAM Speed Fix Windows 11

The RAM in your ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX is running at a lower speed than its rated specification – Task Manager shows DDR5-4800 when the installed RAM is rated for DDR5-5600 or higher. Enabling XMP in BIOS restores full RAM speed on the ROG Strix SCAR 17.

This guide covers XMP enable in BIOS, RAM speed verification, and memory performance for the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX in Windows 11.

“ROG Strix SCAR 17 Core i9 13980HX RAM showed 4800MHz in Task Manager but was DDR5-5600 rated. BIOS XMP was not enabled – enabled Profile I and RAM runs at 5600MHz. Gaming FPS improved 8-12 percent in CPU-limited games after XMP enable.” – Azri Hariz, pro gaming enthusiast from Damansara

Why RAM Runs at Lower Speed on ROG Strix SCAR 17

All DDR5 RAM modules ship and default to JEDEC DDR5-4800 speed (4800MHz, CL40) as defined by the JEDEC DDR5 standard for maximum compatibility across platforms. The XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) 3.0 specification stored on the RAM module’s SPD chip contains the higher-speed timing parameters (DDR5-5600, DDR5-6000, etc.) that the manufacturer tested and certified the modules for. XMP is an opt-in feature that must be explicitly enabled in BIOS to run RAM above JEDEC 4800MHz. Until XMP is enabled on the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17, even DDR5-6000 rated modules run at DDR5-4800 by default.

• XMP not enabled in BIOS – RAM defaults to JEDEC DDR5-4800 regardless of module rating
• XMP enabled but wrong profile selected – Profile II vs Profile I may have different speeds
• RAM modules not seated fully in both SO-DIMM slots preventing dual channel at rated speed
• CPU memory controller instability at XMP speed requiring slight frequency reduction for stability

Fix 1 – Enable XMP in BIOS

Restart the ROG Strix SCAR 17 and press DEL key repeatedly during the ASUS logo screen to enter BIOS. Press F7 to switch to Advanced Mode. Navigate to AI Tweaker – Ai Overclock Tuner. Find XMP setting and change from Auto or Disabled to XMP Profile I (or D.O.C.P. Profile I – same functionality on AMD platforms, though this is an Intel system). Press F10 to save and exit. The system restarts and initializes RAM at the XMP-specified DDR5 speed. After Windows loads, open Task Manager – Performance – Memory and check the Speed value. It should now show the XMP-rated speed (e.g., 5600MHz or 6000MHz) instead of the default 4800MHz on the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX.

Fix 2 – Verify Dual Channel in CPU-Z

Download and open CPU-Z (free utility). Go to the Memory tab. Check Channel shows Dual (not Single). Dual channel requires both DDR5 SO-DIMM slots populated with compatible modules. If Channel shows Single, one RAM module may not be fully seated or may be incompatible with the other module. Dual channel doubles available memory bandwidth from approximately 89.6GB/s (single channel DDR5-5600) to 179.2GB/s (dual channel DDR5-5600), significantly improving both gaming frame rates and creative workload performance on the ROG Strix SCAR 17. Dual channel verification after XMP enable confirms both the speed and bandwidth improvement are active on the Intel Core i9 13980HX memory controller.

Test XMP Stability

After enabling XMP, run MemTest86 (bootable USB tool) for one pass or run Windows Memory Diagnostic. Alternatively, run Cinebench R23 multicore test three times consecutively and Furmark GPU stress test for 15 minutes. If the system crashes, freezes, or restarts during these tests, the XMP speed may be slightly above the specific memory modules’s stable ceiling on the ROG Strix SCAR 17 platform. In this case, reduce XMP speed by 200MHz (change DDR5-5600 to DDR5-5400 in BIOS AI Tweaker manual timing mode) and retest. Most DDR5 modules are stable at their rated XMP speed in ASUS ROG BIOS on the Intel Core i9 13980HX Raptor Lake HX platform.

Fix 3 – Update BIOS for Better XMP Support

Open MyASUS or ASUS Armoury Crate and check for BIOS updates for the ROG Strix SCAR 17. ASUS BIOS updates include Intel memory reference code (MRC) improvements that enhance DDR5 XMP training accuracy and stability. Updated BIOS may unlock higher XMP profiles or improve stability at existing XMP frequencies through refined voltage calibration and timing parameter adjustments. BIOS update also benefits overall platform stability for high-TDP gaming scenarios combining Intel Core i9 13980HX 55W+ CPU performance with NVIDIA RTX 4080 Laptop GPU during extended gaming sessions on the ROG Strix SCAR 17.

Fix 4 – Check RAM Slot Population

The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX has two DDR5 SO-DIMM slots. For dual channel operation at rated XMP speeds, both slots should contain identical modules (same brand, model, and capacity). Mismatched modules (different brands or capacities) can run in dual channel but may not support the higher XMP profile of the faster module – the system defaults to the lower module’s XMP speed or JEDEC default for compatibility. Using a matched DDR5 SO-DIMM kit designed for dual channel operation (e.g., 2x16GB or 2x32GB matching pair) provides best XMP compatibility and stability on the ROG Strix SCAR 17 high-performance gaming platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I fix RAM not running at full speed on ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX?

Enable XMP in BIOS: DEL key at boot – AI Tweaker – XMP Profile I. Verify in Task Manager – Performance – Memory – Speed shows rated DDR5 speed after restart.

Why does ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX show lower RAM speed?

XMP not enabled – RAM defaults to JEDEC DDR5-4800. XMP is opt-in in BIOS. Enable Profile I in ASUS BIOS AI Tweaker for DDR5-5600 or rated module speed.

Does ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX support DDR5?

Yes – DDR5 SO-DIMM. Intel Core i9 13980HX supports DDR5-4800 JEDEC and DDR5-5600+ via XMP 3.0. Maximum 64GB (2x32GB) for content creation and heavy multitasking.

Will faster RAM improve gaming on ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX?

Yes in CPU-limited titles: DDR5-5600 vs 4800 provides 5-10 percent more FPS. Most noticeable in esports titles (CS2, Valorant, DOTA 2) where CPU is the bottleneck at high frame rates.

Conclusion

ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 17 Intel Core i9 13980HX RAM not at full speed in Windows 11 is resolved by enabling XMP Profile I in BIOS AI Tweaker, allowing DDR5 modules to operate at their certified rated speed above the JEDEC DDR5-4800 default. CPU-Z dual channel confirmation verifies both modules are correctly seated and operating with full memory bandwidth. XMP stability testing with MemTest86 or stress tools ensures the XMP frequency is stable on the specific ROG Strix SCAR 17 platform before committing to long gaming sessions. BIOS updates from ASUS provide refined Intel MRC parameters for improved DDR5 XMP compatibility on the Core i9 13980HX memory controller.