Overclocking DRAM in a Strix z270e gaming setup using an i7-7700k processor.
Overclocking DRAM in a Strix z270e gaming setup using an i7-7700k processor.
I'm trying to push my DRAM up to 3600MHz from its standard 2133MHz. I'm using a 4x8GB F4-3600C17Q-32GTZ chipset and it's QVL. As a beginner, I've looked online and found that XMP settings are necessary and I adjusted some voltage values. I set VCCIO and CPU agent voltage to 1.15V. After making those changes, my system wouldn't boot properly while the DRAM and CPU lights alternated on and off. But with the default frequency it works fine. If someone knows, could you help? Thanks!
Bios update could enhance compatibility at faster rates. Another idea is that automatically applied voltage for the CPU's memory controller isn't sufficient for speeds around 3600, making it somewhat unstable at 3200. If you have good cooling, consider overclocking the 7700k. For more details, see the Kaby Lake Overclocking Guide with statistics.
When other voltages are left as default, attempt XMP once more to ensure it adjusts the voltage to 1.35v. Verify that the command rate is configured at 2T with four sticks. For further troubleshooting, use two sticks only in the 2nd and 4th slots on the CPU and observe the behavior at 3600. The motherboard model is LGA1156.
I've tested both approaches, but they produced the same outcome. Both failed, and the RAM light turned off after about 5 seconds. The computer didn't boot, and I confirmed the voltage was 1.35 on both instances, with 2T when using four sticks. Would a low-power PSU impact these results? I only have a 500W unit.
Is the 4x ram included in a kit or is it a separate 2x? If it's the latter, verify that you're testing two sticks from the same package.
Consider manually boosting speed (using just two sticks) to 3000, dram 1.35v, etc., and observe the results. If it reaches 3000, retry gradually increasing to 3200 and beyond. This will give you a better understanding.
the ram came in one box, does it count as a single kit? I used the two with serial numbers next to each other.
3000MHz worked fine.
Currently at 3100MHz, no issues so far either.
When I tried 3200MHz I experienced BSOD a couple of times that mentioned "MEMORY_MANAGEMENT" or something similar.
I managed to boot the computer once on 3200MHz, but after restarting it kept failing.
Higher than 3200MHz didn't work at all.
Bios update could enhance compatibility at faster rates. Another idea is that automatically applied voltage for the CPU's memory controller isn't sufficient for speeds around 3600, causing some instability at 3200. If you have good cooling, consider overclocking the 7700k. For more details, see the Kaby Lake Overclocking Guide with statistics.