I can assist you with that.
I can assist you with that.
Hello, I'm just starting out with overclocking and attempting to manually increase the DRAM frequency in BIOS. I'm hoping someone can help me resolve this issue. Thank you!
I attempted to raise the XMP setting from 2400MHz to 2600MHz without making any other adjustments to see if it would boot into Windows. Upon entering Windows and checking with CPU-Z, the DRAM frequency decreased and the timing increased (it went down to 2133MHz instead of increasing). This happened even though the system returned to the RAM's default speed before the XMP profile was applied. It also seems to affect my CPU overclock, bringing it back to its standard frequency.
Am I doing something incorrectly? What could be the cause? Could it be that my motherboard doesn't support manual frequency settings?
Additional details:
Before - 2400MHz with XMP profile
After - manual setting at 2600MHz
System
CPU - Skylake - i5 6600k
Motherboard model - Asrock Fatal1ty Z170 Gaming- ITX/ac
Memory QVL
(My RAM isn't listed in the supported options)
BIOS Version - 7.30
Memory model - Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2400MHz C10 - CMD16GX4M2B2400C10
BIOS settings before change:
- CPU Configuration
- DRAM Configuration
- Voltage Configuration
I didn't find many useful manual adjustments in the DRAM Configuration section:
1. DRAM Tweaker – only allows choosing between JEDEC#1,2,3 or XMP 1
2. Load XMP Setting – only options were Auto or XMP 2.0 Profile 1; I left it at XMP when trying to set frequency to 2600MHz
3. DRAM Frequency – offers a list of frequency options, which is where I set it to 2600Mhz
This has been useful for me, and it's also a lesson that both Intel and AMD use an IMC driven by the CPU for DDR4.
Thank you, but when I increase my CPU speed to 4.8GHz, I can only start by changing the fixed voltage setting. The auto or offset mode won't work for booting into Windows.
I plan to perform a test where the CPU runs at its normal speed with Auto Voltage and then try to overclock the RAM.
Testing the temperature doesn't seem to be the cause of the inability to overclock the RAM. The CPU reaches a peak of 72°C during stress tests. I attempted to reset the BIOS settings and set the RAM frequency to 2600MHz @ 1.35V with auto voltage, but I still only see booting at 2133HMZ. The situation remained unchanged.
As far as I understand, for overclocking RAM the CL+tRCD+tRP equals tRAS. The higher the frequency, the more relaxed the timing requirements become, allowing you to tighten them once stable timings are achieved. It’s just about spending a day or two experimenting—nobody can give you a definitive answer if I may say. Also check out the maximum voltages suitable for your RAM type (DDR3/DDR4, etc.).
Hey there, that's the approach you're aiming for. First, try boosting the DRAM Frequency, possibly adjusting the DRAM Voltage if it doesn't start up properly in Windows. However, my current issue is I can't manually raise the DRAM Frequency past the XMP setting of 2400MHz. When I increase it by just 200MHz and boot into Windows, the system only reads at 2133MHz, which matches the RAM's SPD value.
Yes, I have the newest BIOS version. I also checked the RAM using memtest86 and found no errors.
At the same time:
- I attempted to use the maximum recommended 1.4V DRAM Voltage for DDR4 when increasing a slightly higher speed, but it appears my manual setting is being overridden or the DRAM frequency is locked in the SPD value.
- I also increased all timing parameters (CL tRCD tRP tRAS) to their highest latency settings, with the frequency raised by 100Mhz, yet the same SPD value was used.
- When trying to downclock below the SPD value, it worked without issues.
- I have already reached out to Asrock support, hoping they can provide a solution.
Your RAM is 2400 speed. Binned RAM will use better chips in quicker configurations like 2600 or higher speeds. You might be able to overclock, but don't rely on it. For even faster performance, consider purchasing faster RAM initially. And... Intel's performance isn't reliant on fast RAM if you're using a separate graphics card.