Need advice: RAM overclocking

[TheForumTroll]

Hello experts

So I'm thinking about grabbing a new CPU soon (looking at a Q9505) but first I want to play around a bit with my current one. I'm new to overclocking but I had a go at it anyway and so far nothing smells burnt I'm not sure about my RAM though. It seems it cannot go above its normal speed at all. Do I need to add more voltage maybe? It sits at the manufactures specified voltage and timing setting now (2.14v/5-5-5-15 as far as I can remember). The CPU can go pretty high even with my standard cooler. 12 hours Orthos gave a max temp of 76 C (3,8ghz @ 1,2v).

Any advice of what to try with the RAM?

 

[TheForumTroll]

Does my sig not show up?

EDIT: Oh there it is..

 

[War Zone]

ok first things first going from min~max on your ram = 2% gain in real world apps {ballpark number}

forget about that part lets just thing about pumping up the cpu its were the real power is if you pimp this part of the world

i can tell you right now im not real big on your cpu temps , what type of cooler are you using ?

Ps i know full well how to do the ram thing too if you really want to go their, id recommend not going their for now seeing as your new to the overclock topic.btw nice nic too

 

[TheForumTroll]

I'm using a standard Intel cooler in a well ventilated case (have a look in my sig). I'll buy a new proper cooler soon but with a new CPU too. This is mostly a testbed before I upgrade so the new CPU wont be my first real overclock

I tried 4ghz with no errors but then it gets too hot for the cooler to handle under load.

According to my BIOS and CoreTemp the CPU should be okay at these temps. Shutdown is at 100 so as long as it is below 80 I'm good right? It doesn't get as hot in normal use. Only when running stuff like ORTHOS.

 

[War Zone]

Cool cool .i was kind of burnt out when i posted,didn't even think to look at your sig.

On the wight paper from intel its 72.4C max,shore you can go higher, my self i don't and i don't play that game with cpus.
my setup with water cooling never gos past 50c at close to 4000mgz.

At 4300mgz 1.5v it tops out at like 60c

Btw we have 100% the same cpus only mine has 2 megs cash ram your has 6 as well mine has a known FSB wall that seems to peek out for most at around 350mgz

And why do you want to try and run your ram faster your all ready way way high on the voltage as it is. normal ddr3 is 1.5v ????? push that number up to high and ya you will smell electronic crisping smells coming out of your computer

Wikipedia: DDR3 memory provides a reduction in power consumption of 30% compared to DDR2 modules due to DDR3's 1.5 V supply voltage, compared to DDR2's 1.8 V or DDR's 2.5 V. The 1.5 V supply voltage works well with the 90 nanometer fabrication technology used in the original DDR3 chips. Some manufacturers further propose using "dual-gate" transistors to reduce leakage of current.[1]

According to JEDEC[2] the maximum recommended voltage is 1.575 volts and should be considered the absolute maximum when memory stability is the foremost consideration, such as in servers or other mission critical devices. In addition, JEDEC states that memory modules must withstand up to 1.975 volts before incurring permanent damage, although they are not required to function correctly at that level.

 

[TheForumTroll]

Erhm, my DDR3 RAM? It is DDR2 and the voltage is what Corsair want them to run at

I think you're looking at the wrong CPU specs too. My BIOS cannot even warn about the temp at lower than 70

 

[War Zone]

My bad
Epic fail.
looks like i just put my foot in my mouth ,did a quick search online for the ram your using before i posted and was under the false impression it was ddr3 ram.

Well that explain why your memory timings are so good for {if it was ddr3} lolz

(2.14v/5-5-5-15 as far as I can remember).

At the time I was like looking at that and thinking to my self at the time OMFG (@)(@) hes insane and going for a suicide overclock just for a benchmark screen shot.
--------------------------------------------------

My bios i can lower on the waring temp to {60c}
Auto cut off 70C

Anyways for ram overclocking its more or less the same deal as the cpu as far as voltage gos.

Use voltage to stabilize but only if and when needed and if you go to high things fry so make shore your ram doesn't over heat ,worse case use your finger to test if you don't have any other way of doing it.

Do you have any way to keep track of the heat levels on your ram sticks ?
My self im use to using my finger the old school way and i can give your a temp reading {guess} +\- 5c just by using my finger as long as the temp is like over 35c

Be shore to take care so as not to give the computer a static discharge if you use the finger temp probe trick,make a mistake on this topic and computer hardware can become dammed ,meaning remember to touch the computer case a feu times before playing with stuff in the case if the computer is running live and or use a anti static bracelet {i never do}
As well don't wear clothes that promote static.

Wikipedia: According to JEDEC[1] the maximum recommended voltage is 1.9 volts and should be considered the absolute maximum when memory stability is an issue (such as in servers or other mission critical devices). In addition, JEDEC states that memory modules must withstand up to 2.3 volts before incurring permanent damage (although they may not actually function correctly at that level).

Really all you need to do this is time ,raise your memory speed and or lower your memory timings a little then test to see if its ok\ stable with software testing programs for memory {for a quick test}

As well before pushing harder on the ram you should take the ram out and do a real ID check of what the memory is your using online,like right off the chips.

once you have the real stats on what it is the memory is you will have a better idea of what the real limits are on the ram your working with is so as not to go too much out of bounds as recommended by the people that really made the ram.

Beware you might be shocked to learn its no better then brand name whatever 800mgz ddr2 ram {and sometimes worse} and the only trick the people that make performance ram do is just over volt + add heat sinks. [citation needed] and change the SPD info.

Just by looking at that pic id say that was 1.1ns memory if i haven't missed my guess.

Repeat as needed.

Raise voltage when it doesn't work out and that's all their is to it ,push too hard and things fry of cores on the voltage\memory topic.

Remember to make changes in small incarnates as well.

Btw beware!
The testing mythology for this kind of work means hitting the reset a lot and can format the data on your hdd,my self i all ways use a clean install on a dedicated hdd for the job, like a old 20 gig IDE or something.


Disclaimer: you are responsible for what you choose to do to your own system. If you choose to modify your system or any components inside of it, you do so at your own risk. This is simply an informational guideline, which you may use at your own risk.
And the more you push the more you have to cool,If you had liquid cooled ram you could push harder.if you had peltier cooling you could push harder,if you had liquid nitrogen you could push harder.and if you plug the 12V DC~ 30amp rail right in to your memory and it pops that's not my fault.

 

[Little_4nic8er]

Really all you need to do this is time ,raise your memory speed and or lower your memory timings a little then test to see if its ok\ stable with software testing programs for memory {for a quick test}

That would be raise, or "loosen" the timings actually. Lowering them will definitely lead to instability when OCing. For example, if I run my RAM at it's rated speed of 1600MHz, the timings are 7-8-7-20. If I OC (Lets say 1750MHz stable.) I have to raise/loosen them to 9-9-9-24 or they will not work.

 

[War Zone]

Yaya, you know what i meant *srugs* by lower i meant smaller numbers as in faster. meaning CL2 vs CL3 = smaller lower faster
In any case i stand corrected
ill remember that for next time.

Raise/loosen = slower rgr that

Btw theirs a problem with how your looking at it seeing as you only understand Mhz = overclock
that's Wrong in the sense that ddr2 400MHz at CL4 overclocked to 400MHz CL2 = overclock

And if your ram is rated for 400MHz you start off with it a 300MHz

Really for a full manual setup ill start with mega slow settings then just take it from their.

Really their not much too it besides just

know 100% what your working with and what its limits are
mess with settings
check heat
pimp ram performance
use more volts if and when needed
bench\burning testing\error testing

And don't touch anything unless you know 100% what it is your working with on the hardware level cus If you don't just doing it blind.Then things brake because you didn't take the time to do your home work before hand.any fool can change bios settings.
and 80% of overclocking is research not changing bios settings.

I can't wait to see what the real memory chips are though under the heat sinks...

till we do theirs not much to talk about really,and SPD doesn't mean jack nore douse memory plug & play in my book for ram. if you pop it in and it works grate! if it douse oo well full manual time then no bigy.

imho SPD its just recommended setup for ram, nothing more and made for people that want to press the easy button to make things work.