The RAM issue causes Ram to crash on your PC.
The RAM issue causes Ram to crash on your PC.
Here are your PC specifications again:
Memory: Corsair Dominator platinum 2x4 2400mhz (set to 1333mhz automatically)
Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz
Power Supply: Fatality 750watt (80 gold bronze)
Motherboard: MSI Z77 MPOWER
Graphics: EVGA GTX 680 Superclocked edition
Storage: OCZ VERTEX 4 254GB SSD
Main Drive: WESTERN DIGITAL 1TB BLACK EDITION
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit home edition (no product key)
Zed buddy, I understand you're really focused on your PC. However, you're handling too many tasks at once. I'd start by ensuring your CPU is stable before moving on to overclocking the RAM. First, download Unigine Valley or Heaven benchmarks and run some tests. At normal speeds, check your FPS and then bring it back to 4.3 and repeat. You likely won't see much improvement in gaming performance from that alone, though you might get a slight jump from 3.5 to 4.3. But reaching 4.5 isn't realistic at that point. Gaming frame rates won't rise significantly once you hit 4.3. If you maintain stability at 4.3 and I confirm it, the next step would be increasing the voltage slightly—just like with your Sandy Bridge 2600k...
When you open bios there are XMP profiles that can enhance your RAM performance. I recommend resetting bios and enabling XMP profile 1 or 2. By default, after installing RAM it sets very low speeds, which is why you see 1333 MHz. How do I reset the bios on my MSI Z77 MPOWER mobo? Also, I need two things: 1. Set the RAM to 2400 MHz as intended, and 2. Adjust my CPU to 4.2 GHz. That’s it. Will this work with the XMP profile?
XMP profile listed will provide your RAM with ideal configurations. Regarding CPU overclocking, you can set the multiplier to x42 (4.2ghz). After that, adjusting voltage might be necessary if you encounter blue screens due to insufficient voltage core temperature. Remember, higher voltage increases heat production—ensure your cooler is suitable to avoid overheating, blue screens, and potential crashes or lockups.
For more details, see the review on Ivy Bridge overclocking for Core i7-3770K.
It’s wise to study some overclocking guides to grasp the basic concepts.
The reset process will involve a jumper likely positioned near the bottom right of your motherboard. It will display "clear cmos." You should have two pins exposed, so either connect a jumper pin and short them or use any conductive material. Begin by unplugging your power supply and grounding yourself to the case chassis. Remove the coin battery and hold the pin for ten seconds.
1333 MHz XMP is active. Your DDR RAM meets JEDEC specs at 2667 MHz. Your overclock works fine.
2400 equals 266.67 times 9
2667 equals 266.67 times 10 plus one extra bin
Avoid setting the computer to 2400 MHz; that would be like running it at 4800 MHz SDR (marketing claim).
For a 4.2 GHz result on i7 4770K, try these settings:
Disable Turbo.
Base Clock: 100.00 MHz
CPU multiplier: 42x
Uncore multiplier: 35x
Voltage: 1.325v
This voltage is quite high for 22nm Haswell but should remain stable.
Great build you have achieved!
The system supports 1333 MHz with XMP enabled. Using DDR RAM that meets JEDEC standards works up to 2667 MHz. Your overclocking is working properly.
When aiming for 4.2 GHz on an i7 4770K, consider these settings:
Base Clock: 100.00 MHz
CPU multiplier: 42x
Uncore multiplier: 35x
Voltage: 1.325v
This voltage is quite high for a 22nm process and should remain stable.
Your PC build looks good.
I noticed your RAM is set to 2200Mhz and it's running smoothly without crashes. Why not try 2400 MHz if both the RAM and motherboard support it? Also, I don’t have an i7 4770K—I only have an i7 3770K with a Thermaltake water cooler set to 4.3GHz, and I’m aiming for 4.5GHz with 2400 MHz RAM.
Here are your BIOS settings:
PICTURE 1
PICTURE 2
PICTURE 3
PICTURE 4
Could you check your BIOS and let me know why your RAM isn’t reaching 2400Mhz and how to get the CPU up to 4.5GHz?
Zed buddy, I understand that I tend to be super focused on my PC. However, you’re juggling multiple tasks at once. I’d start by ensuring your CPU is stable before moving on to overclocking the RAM. First, download Unigine Valley or Heaven benchmarks and run some tests. At normal speeds, check your FPS and then bring it back to 4.3 and repeat. You probably won’t see much improvement in gaming from that, but you might get a slight boost from 3.5 to 4.3. However, jumping from 4.3 to 4.5 isn’t likely. At that point, your frames per second won’t change much. If you’re stable at 4.3 and I confirm it, the only way to reach 4.5 would be by increasing the voltage. I had a Sandy Bridge 2600k that ran smoothly at 4.4, but pushing it higher required a significant jump in Vcore. For i7 2nd generation and above, reaching 4GHz is nearly guaranteed to prevent bottlenecks—even with a GTX 1080, your CPU won’t boost further. Voltage is the only adjustment you should make if you’re already stable at 4.3.