Requesting a review or advice on memory overclocking for Ryzen processors
Requesting a review or advice on memory overclocking for Ryzen processors
I'm coming back to AMD after a good few years with Intel. The problem I have to deal with is that unlike OC'ing my old Phenom II 980 Black, FX8350 or i7-7700k there are a number of quarks related to Ryzen's architecture. I'm mostly setting aside CPU Overlocking. Apart from setting a +0.1v Offset on CPU and SOC and enabling AMD PBO there isn't much point putting time into the stop gap Ryzen 5 3600 I'm stuck with while I wait for my Ryzen 9 5900x(Ordered day of, still waiting) Pre amble over, here are the parts I'm working with and the Timings I've got now after a bit of noob tuning aided some by DRAM Calculator. Motherboard: ASUS TUF X570 Gaming Plus-Wifi Memory: 2x16GB G-Skill Trident Z RGB 4,000Mhz CL19 (Samsung B Die) CPU: Ryzen 5 3600 CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 with ML120 fans My clocks are in Red with DRAM Calculator's Safe settings in Black. I honestly do not know if the DRAM on my Trident Z are class A3/A2/B2 as selected in DRAM Calculator, but given the kit was rated for 4,000mhz at just 1.35v I took the simple step of Enabling DOCP then manually settings the DRAM to 3,600mhz, fclock to 1,800mhz and the primary timings first to 16, then 15. I've slowly been ticking down other timings but I haven't been able to get the primaries below 15,15,15,15. All of this with DRAM set to 1.35v. Yeah that's about it. What do you all think of my progress so far?
The sticks feature A1 PCB on the left and A2 PCB on the right.
I can tell something about the DRAM quality from the ICs on the base of the sticks, but that's just useful info—not the main focus here. I'm mainly asking about my timing performance and what adjustments could help if needed. I understand I'll be getting the 5900x soon, so I want to aim for better stability and higher Fclock to make it faster.
You need to confirm whether you have an A1, A2 or A3 PCB. The image will help identify it. After entering A1 2 or 3 into the calculator, you'll get more precise timing for your specific memory sticks.
I mentioned uncertainty about the DRAM specifications for my Trident Z, wondering if they match the A3/A2/B2 range listed in the calculator. I wanted feedback on how I'm progressing and guidance on whether boosting voltage would help with stable CL14 performance or if sticking to CL15 is better for other timings.
It's not about basic A1 level—it's about PCB design. The timing details might stay consistent across revisions. The main point is how the ICs are connected on the printed board. Memory performance should work well with higher voltage. If you need 1.40v, it shouldn't be a problem as long as you can achieve CL14. The trade-off here is using two 16GB sticks instead of one 8GB stick—smaller modules tend to be simpler. So far everything looks okay. Please share your progress screens. I'll watch for any adjustments you make. I also know AMD prefers a bit more slack in the TRCS, which might help. It shouldn't affect latency much.
Thank you for your explanation on the differences between PCB and DRAM binning. I had thought it was the latter that was being discussed, but I now understand how variations in trace patterns, layer counts, and other factors affect performance and reliability. I’ll put in more effort tonight to see what happens.
It will mostly involve testing and adjustments. Small changes are okay unless necessary. The variation in speed at identical clocks would likely fall within acceptable limits.
I tested it at 14,14,14 for 1.4v and it was shaky. Moving to 15s at 1.375v brought stability, so I shifted away from other settings toward the recommended speeds. Pairing those adjustments with a 4.2ghz + 4.3ghz per chip helped me reach a solid result. I’m planning to share a photo of my setup once I get home from work. Until I install the 5900x, I’m fairly satisfied with these Trident Z RGB modules. They were listed at 4,000Mhz CL19, but I’ve managed to lower it to 3,600Mhz CL15 without much hassle—great value for the price.
Not too steep at 1.40v. Safe to push to around 1.5v with a solid B-Die. Just keep refining.