Increasing memory speed with minimal adjustments
Increasing memory speed with minimal adjustments
Hello
I tried the RAM with stock voltage (1.34) at 3400V, but it wasn’t stable. I then switched to 3333V and it worked for a while, though recently I went back to 3200V to prevent random crashes during games.
I don’t have much time for extensive testing, but I want to get more performance from my RAM—not necessarily the absolute maximum, just better.
Could anyone help me find the right BIOS settings for a steady overclock, especially for gaming?
Current overclocks and temperatures:
- GTX 1060 6GB: Overclocked with MSI Afterburner – Core clock +140, Memory clock +500. Stable in demanding games at 99% GPU usage, but temps reached 70–72°C.
- Ryzen 5 2600x: Overclocked to 4.1GHz across all cores using Ryzen Master. Temperatures during long gaming sessions stayed between 60–70°C.
Ram: 3200 stable at stock clock (1.34V) with timings of 16, 18, 18, 36.
For more precise settings, what voltage should I use for 3400V RAM and slightly lower timings? I plan to play games for about 2–8 hours a day, and I usually run PC for up to 10 hours daily on average.
alex_vampiru_2008 :
Roland Of Gilead :
The $64,000 question.
Looks like you're making a lot of changes at once. For now, the impact of Ryzen between 3200/3400 isn't significant—just about 1%. The difference jumps when you go from 2400 to 3200+. But after 2933mhz, the benefits fade with faster RAM. So don't fixate on that. It'll likely be barely noticeable during games. Cutting timings at 3200 will help more than having the extra 200MHz at 3400 with looser settings.
Your gaming temperatures aren't too high, but they're a bit elevated. Run some Prime 95 small FFT tests and monitor your temps. You might be a bit too hot on voltage or clock speed—worth checking and confirming.
The big question at $64,000.
It looks like you're making a lot of changes all at once. For now, the impact of the difference between 3200 and 3400 is minimal—around 1%. However, when moving to speeds above 2933mhz, the benefits start to fade with faster RAM. So don't worry too much about it; it should be barely noticeable during games. Adjusting timings at 3200 will help more than adding extra 200MHz at 3400 with looser settings.
Your gaming temperatures aren't excessive, but they're a bit high. Try running Prime95 small FFTs and monitor your temps. It might mean you're a bit too hot on voltage or clock speed—worth checking. If your readings with Prime95 stay below 80°C, that's a good sign.
For both RAM and CPU, using the BIOS to fine-tune will give better results.
Regarding overclocking, remember that what works for one DIMM setup might not work for another. You'll need to put in some effort and testing. This isn't something I can do for you.
Initially, you likely need to turn on XMP if you haven't already, which could be referred to by different names like D.O.C.P when using an ASUS motherboard. Unlike the previous post, your temperatures are within acceptable ranges. I should verify if you have the most recent BIOS with the latest AGESA updates for improved memory performance. Early Ryzens models struggled above 3200 Mhz with the current AGESA code. Tighter timings (such as 14-14-14 or in your scenario 16-16-14-36) often provide better RAM speed than simply increasing frequency. I also prefer tighter timings over higher frequency. Typically, for that performance level, a voltage of around 1.35 is standard, possibly slightly increased to 1.4 for stability. Additionally, I found a memory review suggesting 3200Mhz can actually outperform higher frequencies. I would increase the voltage and adjust timings slightly lower at 3200 Mhz.
Reducing CPU speed to 4.0 could aid memory stability, though this is just a guess. I’d probably overclock two cores above instead of all cores, or let Ryzen handle auto-clocking. I opted for Ryzen auto-clocking and achieved better stability and smooth gaming compared to manual adjustments.
Initially, you likely need to turn on XMP if you haven't done so yet for your memory. It could have a different name than XMP, such as D.O.C.P when using an ASUS motherboard. Unlike the previous post, your temperatures are within acceptable ranges. I would look into whether you have the most recent BIOS with the latest AGESA code for improved memory stability. Early Ryzen models didn't perform well above 3200 Mhz even with the latest AGESA code. Tighter timings (14-14-14... or in your case 16-16-16-36) often provide better RAM performance than simply increasing frequency. I've also found that setting timings slightly lower than the frequency can enhance stability. Additionally, a memory review showed that 3200 Mhz could actually be faster than higher frequencies. I would increase the voltage and try slightly slower timings at 3200 Mhz.
Reducing CPU speed to 4.0 might aid memory stability, but this is just speculation. I think overclocking two cores higher would be better rather than lowering all cores or letting Ryzen handle auto-clocking. I opted for Ryzen master auto-clocking and achieved smoother performance without gaming continuously.
Thank you for the assistance.
I own a B350 Tomahawk motherboard with the latest BIOS update. This PC handles everyday tasks well, so my goal is to overclock for improved gaming, not push it to extremes since I don’t play 24/7.
Concerning Ryzen Master, are you suggesting that auto-clocking gives a better overclock compared to manual settings? Could you explain how you enabled auto-clocking and what settings you used? Also, please note I have a B350 model and not an X470, so I don’t get the benefits of Precision Boost 2 (which I’ve heard is superior to manual overclocking).
Regarding RAM, should I set it to 16-16-16-36 at the stock voltage of 3200 Mhz, or should I increase the voltage slightly, like 1.36-1.38, just to avoid needing a CMOS reset?
Edit: I recently tried the Auto feature in Ryzen Master. The average clock speed is around 3950-4000, but CPU usage in PUBG spiked from about 20% to 50-60%. I’m unsure what to make of this—would using 4100 MHz on all cores give better performance with only 20-25% utilization, or would it be more efficient at 3950-4000 MHz with 50-60% usage?
Geofelt asks for the RAM and motherboard specifications, mentioning the Patriot Viper 2 with 8GB, 3200 MHz, and specific timings, along with the motherboard model B350 Tomahawk.
Roland Of Gilead:
The big question here is the $64,000 figure. It looks like you're making a lot of changes at once. For Ryzen, the difference between 3200 and 3400 is barely noticeable—it's around 1%. But when you go past 2933mhz, the impact lessens thanks to faster RAM. So don't fixate on that. The changes will likely be barely noticeable during games. Cutting timings at 3200 will help more than having the extra 200MHz at 3400 with looser settings.
Your gaming temperatures aren't too high, but they're a bit elevated. Try running Prime95 small FFTs and monitor your temps. It might be that you're a bit too high on voltage or clock speed—worth checking. If your Prime95 temps are under 80°C, that's a good sign.
For both RAM and CPU, using the BIOS to overclock will usually give better results.
Concerning overclocking, I've had issues with temperatures. I couldn't exceed 4.1 without significantly increasing voltage (above 1.4V). It worked at 1.35V but wasn't stable—it would crash occasionally. I tried a random setting of 1.375 and let it run. Could your voltage of 1.375 be too high, causing your CPU to overheat slightly?
Alex_vampiru_2008:
agentnathan009:
Initially, you should probably turn on XMP if you haven't done so yet for your memory. There might be another designation like D.O.C.P when using an ASUS motherboard. Unlike the previous comment, your temperatures are acceptable. I'd look into whether you have the most recent BIOS with the latest AGESA code for improved memory stability. Early Ryzens models didn't perform well above 3200 Mhz even with the newest AGESA code. Also, more precise timings (such as 14-14-14 or in your case 16-16-14-36) tend to deliver better RAM performance than simply raising the frequency. I've also tried tighter timings above the memory's actual speed—typically, a voltage around 1.35 is standard, possibly slightly higher to 1.4 for stability. Additionally, according to a memory roundup, 3200Mhz could actually be faster than higher frequencies. You might consider increasing the voltage and adjusting timings slightly lower at 3200 Mhz.
Downgrading CPU speed to 4.0 could aid memory stability, but that's just speculation. I'd likely overclock two cores above the base instead of all cores, or let Ryzen handle auto-clocking. I opted for Ryzen auto and achieved better stability with a smooth gaming experience.
Thank you for your assistance.
I use a B350 Tomahawk motherboard with the latest BIOS update. This machine handles normal tasks well, so my goal is to overclock for improved gaming. I'm not pushing it to extreme settings since I don't play 24/7.
Concerning Ryzen Master, are you suggesting that auto-overclocking gives better results than manual? How did you configure it? Please note I have a B350 and not an X470, so I don't benefit from Precision Boost 2 (which I've heard is superior to manual).
Regarding RAM, should I set it to 16-16-16-36 at stock voltage of 3200Mhz or increase the voltage slightly, like 1.36-1.38, just to avoid resetting the CMOS?
Edit: I recently tried the Auto feature in Ryzen Master. The average clock speed was around 3950-4000, but CPU usage in PUBG spiked from about 20% to 50-60%. I'm unsure what to make of this—does higher voltage at 4100Mhz improve performance? Would it be better to try 1.4 or 1.35 volts instead?
I find it interesting that you're achieving lower CPU utilization with manual overclocking. Even with a first-gen Ryzen, you get Precision Boost 2, which isn't as refined as the second-gen version. Overclocking two cores for gaming might give a better result because you draw less current for CPU loading, leaving more capacity for overclocking and helping maintain lower temperatures with fewer cores under stress. Also, 1.375 volts is reasonable for Ryzen. A voltage above 1.4 is moving toward the upper side, which some users report. I'm currently using around 1.325 with all cores at 3.9Ghz on a Gen 2 2700X, and CPU usage is around 20-25% in PUBG.
I'm curious how you're handling this compared to manual OC. Even with first-gen Ryzen, manual overclocking provides some precision boost, but the second-gen offers a smoother PB2 experience. Overclocking two cores for gaming could yield better results here since you're drawing less power and have more headroom for stability. Also, 1.375 volts is a good compromise for Ryzen performance.
agentnathan009 :
alex_vampiru_2008 :
First, you likely need to turn on XMP if you haven't already for your memory. It could have a different name than XMP, such as D.O.C.P when using an ASUS motherboard. Unlike the previous comment, your temperatures are acceptable. I'd check if you have the most recent BIOS with the latest AGESA code for improved memory stability. Early Ryzens models didn't perform well above 3200 Mhz with the newest AGESA updates. Tighter timings (14-14-14... or in your case 16-16-16-36) often provide better RAM speed than simply increasing frequency. I've also tried tighter timings above the memory's actual frequency—typically, a voltage of 1.35 is standard, possibly slightly higher to 1.4 for stability. Additionally, I came across a memory roundup suggesting that 3200Mhz could actually be faster than higher frequencies. I'd increase your voltage and adjust timings slightly lower at 3200 Mhz.
Reducing CPU speed to 4.0 might aid memory stability, but that's just speculation. I'd probably overclock two cores above instead of all cores, or let Ryzen handle auto-clocking. I opted for Ryzen auto and achieved better stability with a smooth gaming experience.
Thanks for the assistance.
I own a B350 Tomahawk motherboard with the latest BIOS update. This PC handles normal tasks well, so my goal is to overclock for enhanced gaming performance—not push it to extremes since I don't play 24/7.
About Ryzen Master: Are you implying that auto-overclocking gives better results than manual? How did you enable auto-overclocking? Please note, I'm using a B350, not an X470, so I don't benefit from Precision Boost 2 (which I've heard is superior).
Regarding RAM, should I set it to 16-16-16-36 at stock voltage of 3200Mhz, or should I raise the voltage slightly, like 1.36-1.38, just in case I need to reset CMOS?
Edit: I recently tried Ryzen Master's Auto feature. The average clock speed was 3950-4000, but CPU usage in PUBG spiked from about 20% to 50-60%. I'm unsure what to make of this—does higher voltage at 4100 on all cores give better performance with 20-25% utilization, or is it better to keep at 3200?
I find it interesting that you're achieving lower CPU usage when manually overclocking. Even with a first-gen Ryzen, manual overclocking provides Precision Boost 2, which isn't as refined as the second-gen Ryzen's auto feature. Overclocking two cores for gaming might offer a higher overclock because you draw less current for CPU loading and have more headroom for boosting, resulting in lower temperatures with fewer cores pushed. Also, 1.375 volts is reasonable for Ryzen. A voltage of 1.4 or higher is moving toward the upper end. I'm currently using around 1.325 with all cores at 3.9Ghz folding@home on a Gen 2 2700X. Maybe CPU usage is calculated per active core rather than across all cores if fewer are active?
I checked your memory and might consider 15-15-15 at 1.37 or 1.38 volts. Faster RAM helps Ryzen performance during gaming, but only up to a point. I think 3200 was likely the limit for meaningful gains. I'd probably stick with manual overclocking on all cores if it's worked for you so far. It seems Ryzen Master is taking a more conservative approach to stay within thermal limits.
I'll try those timings after finishing this post, thank you!
About CPU usage: I'm curious too. I only tested it in PUBG, and I see core activity across all of them, though with slight variations. Manual OC at 4.1: most cores are used around 85% or higher, while others are at 20-50%, but overall CPU usage is about 25%. Ryzen Master on auto: around 3975-4025, but it stays at 3975 most of the time with even core usage (55-65%), giving an average CPU usage of about 65%.
Given this, should I keep auto-overclocking for smoother gameplay, or switch to manual 4.1 to reduce load and improve stability? Or consider overclocking just two cores up to around 4.2k and leave the rest at 4000-4050?