Are issues with overclocking RAM even beneficial?
Are issues with overclocking RAM even beneficial?
Your ram is NOT identical.
Ram is sold in kits for a reason.
A motherboard must manage all the ram using the same specs of voltage, cas and speed.
The internal workings are designed for the capacity of the kit.
Ram from the same vendor and part number can be made up of differing manufacturing components over time.
Some motherboards, can be very sensitive to this.
This is more difficult when more sticks are involved.
Ram must be matched for proper operation.
Technically, all ddr4 ram faster than 2400 or so is overclocked ram.
Voltage must be raised past the stock 1.2v to get higher speeds.
Usually, this is done by selecting a XMP profile which is embedded in the ram stick.
You may be able to reach 4000 speed, or close to it by specifying the settings yourself and increasing the ram voltage past what the xmp spec says.
Do so in small increments past the likely spec of 1.35v.
You might need to go as high as 1.5v if you are looking for ultra low cas timings.
Your post asks a very good question...
Is it worth it?
Probably not.
Exception might be use of integrated graphics or some memory intensive apps.
Otherwise think low single % difference in most apps.
When you think you have the settings you want,
Run memtest86 or memtest86+
They boot from a usb stick and do not use windows.
You can download them here:
MemTest86 - Official Site of the x86 Memory Testing Tool
MemTest86 is the original self booting memory testing software for x86 and ARM computers. Supporting both BIOS and UEFI, with options to boot from USB.
www.memtest86.com
Memtest86+ | The Open-Source Memory Testing Tool
Memtest86+ is an advanced, free, open-source, stand-alone memory tester for 32- and 64-bit computers (UEFI & BIOS supported)
www.memtest.org
If you can run a full pass with NO errors, your ram should be ok.
Running several more passes will sometimes uncover an issue, but it takes more time.
Probably not worth it unless you really suspect a ram issue.
I think you're right to question the RAM as the main issue. If it's a memory controller problem, it might be embedded in the motherboard and could require replacement.
The memory controller is integrated into the CPU. On Intel systems, it uses two voltages: VCCIO and VCCSA. Test the PC with dual sticks and observe those voltages. Adjust each by +0.1v manually when inserting the second set. VCCIO should stay under 1.2v, VCCSA under 1.3v. At 1.4v, performance may drop.