noob, overkill rig, can't post with XMP
noob, overkill rig, can't post with XMP
I’ve been aiming for an upgrade for years and finally had the chance. I assembled my ideal setup:
Asus Z490-E Strix
i9-10900k
64gb G.Skill 3600 18Q (16x4)
ROG Thor 1200w PSU
ROG Ryujin AIO
EVGA GTX 1080 (planned upgrade this fall)
I understand much of it is excessive, but my aim was simply to “get it” for various reasons. I’m struggling with overclocking, mainly because I lack confidence in my approach. I’m doing my best research, reading guides, and trying to grasp how to properly use the Asus AI overclocking feature, believing it’s my most viable path to performance given my current level.
Whenever I enable XMP, only one profile is active, setting the DRAM frequency to 3600 MHz. I thought this might be the issue. Changing that alone allowed stable overclocking, but when I pushed the machine under heavy load with a game, it would crash every 10 to 15 minutes. I reverted the overclock, and performance returned to normal, albeit with a slight drop in frame rate due to reduced speed.
This is my current situation—a computer that’s overly powerful for someone just starting out, unsure of the right questions to ask. What I’m certain of is that I can’t set the ideal DRAM frequency even though the voltage is correct. I’m not entirely sure I’m actually overclocking the CPU, but it did briefly reach 5.1 GHz on a few cores during initial tests, while the BIOS claims a target of 5300 MHz.
Any advice, suggestions, or articles you could recommend?
4 DIMM’s perform equally well, though slightly better, but higher chances of problems arise because they add more load on the memory controller. If the memory isn’t listed on the motherboard’s QVL, the risk of issues also rises. From what I’ve learned, DDR4 is generally safe up to 1.45v, and some sources even suggest it’s acceptable up to 1.50v, though 1.45v is more widely accepted as a safe limit. Be sure to do your own research, since the safe voltage depends on personal risk tolerance. Try starting at 1.40v, if stable, gradually reduce by 0.01v until you find the lowest stable voltage. If it remains unstable, increase in steps of 0.01v until reaching 1.45v or even 1.5v.
Did your 16GBx4 RAM come from one matching kit or multiple kits? If it was a single kit, was the information on the motherboard's QVL list included? Operating with four DIMMs may increase the chances of issues when running at higher speeds. Consider adjusting the DRAM voltage, which could potentially resolve the problem.
It was just one kit, honestly. I didn’t realize four sticks performed better than two for speed. Still, if they present the pack of four as 3600 MHz, it should work fine. I also didn’t think about increasing the voltage a bit more. I was concerned it might harm the device, so I’ll check that. The instructions mention 1.35v, which makes me think overvolting isn’t necessary, right?
4 DIMM’s perform comparably well, possibly better, but higher loads on the memory controller raise the likelihood of problems. If the memory isn’t listed in the motherboard’s QVL, the risk of issues also rises. DDR4 remains stable up to 1.45v, though some sources suggest it can handle up to 1.50v; however, 1.45v is generally considered the safer upper bound. Conduct your own tests since safe voltage limits vary by individual tolerance. Start with 1.40v, adjust by small increments of 0.01v until stability is confirmed. If instability occurs, gradually increase by 0.01v until reaching 1.45v or beyond if needed.
Cool, I have another source about the voltage targets you mentioned and experimented with 1.4, then tried 1.45v and it started up at that level. I plan to test lowering by .01v, but how should I approach that? Is this a 'if it starts it works' situation or does it require stress/load testing? I’m familiar with memtest86 being widely used, and I’m currently running a Windows memory diagnostic (this is taking a long time—thank God for my free time). I’d prefer not to use memtest86 since I want to stick with OEM software as much as possible. What do you think?
The voltage is too high at 1.4v. Aim for a solid 5GHz all-core overclock around 1.3v. There’s a video that could assist, as ASUS motherboard BIOS settings are consistent. Begin with a baseline, ensuring temperatures stay stable and stress tests never exceed 90s or drop below 80s. Use Prime95 (Blend) Non AVX/Aida64 Extreme test and Cinebench R20 (which supports AVX). Run some tests and compare scores with other 10900K models to confirm you’re within the expected range.
I limit my stress testing to the minimum. In my view, stress testing works well for early stability checks, but the actual performance matters more. I've seen systems succeed in tests yet fail when used in real situations. Using Memtest86 is a solid first step.