Should I overclock my RAM
Should I overclock my RAM
Hi,
Here is my current configuration:
Asus M4A88TD-V EVO
AMD Phenom II x4 955
Radeon HD 5770 upgraded to NVIDIA GTX 950 soon.
8GB Ballistix Tactical DDR3 1600MHz
Samsung DVD/RW
1TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM
250 Samsung 850 Evo
Seasonic S12G-550 550W 80+ Gold Certified
I’m reading about DDR3 RAM and it mentions improvements if you meet these conditions:
Data Rate = 1600MHz and CAS latency = 7 or Data Rare = 1866MHz and CAS Latency = 8
My current RAM meets those specs, so I have some concerns.
1. If I push the RAM to 1866MHz, will the CAS latency stay the same and drop to 1866/8?
2. Can my system handle overclocking the RAM to that frequency?
3. If yes to question 1, will there be a noticeable performance boost?
4. What are the downsides of pushing the RAM this hard?
5. How would I actually achieve this overclock?
Thanks
It all hinges on your specific goals. Are you looking to enhance performance in a particular task?
The only activities I find intensive are gaming and photo editing, though neither poses a significant problem right now. It seems my questions might be more theoretical.
I was thinking about OC the RAM only if there was a clear advantage, no major side effects, and it was straightforward, but that doesn’t appear to match reality.
It wouldn't be wise to set Deneb too high. The memory controller runs at 1333MHz, and pushing it beyond that, say to 1600 MHz, would put pressure on it without significant benefit. 1600 MHz appears to mark the point where returns start to decline.
Based on my experience with those processors, exceeding 1600MHz is not beneficial—just troubleshooting without improvement. If you have faster memory, keep the clock speed as low as possible; even then, it might only offer a small gain of around +1% and could actually reduce performance in benchmarks. I’d wager you’d notice no difference between 1333 and 1600 MHz overall. Upgrading the processor would be more effective.
Certainly, I'm checking if the RAM's base speed is already 1600MHz and both the motherboard and CPU support it without adjustments.
I know running the RAM at 1600MHz might not give much extra performance, but I'm unsure if it's a negative or missing something.
It would help to clarify whether I should use 1600MHz or 1333MHz for the RAM speed.
Sure, let me make sure I got that right.
I'll keep that in mind. I got my parts today and just need to find a time to assemble them now.