There is a question regarding RAM speed.
There is a question regarding RAM speed.
I recently installed MSI MAG Tomahawk Z390 and I7 9700K, but I was expecting the RAM to start at 2666MHz as I had bought the I7. However, after enabling XMP in the BIOS, it began running at that speed. I tried using it for about 5 to 6 minutes before deciding to disable XMP. This happened while I was dealing with a gaming issue, and I didn’t want any new settings to complicate my troubleshooting.
I’m curious if enabling XMP briefly could have caused damage. I also want to know if I might have risked anything by overclocking at that time. I wasn’t overclocking anything else on the system when XMP was turned on.
My second concern is why I need to use an overclocking tool to reach the speeds listed in Intel’s data sheet for this processor. These are also the speeds shown on MSI’s website for this motherboard, and they’re marked as within spec—not overclocked.
Could running XMP pose any risks? Might it make my system unstable or void any warranty? I’m technically having to use an overclocking feature just to get those speeds. My RAM is Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB, and the listed speed is 2666MHz.
Please let me know if there’s any danger involved.
DDR4 begins at 2133MHz, so anything above that is treated as overclocking. With XMP (profile stored in the RAM controller chip) BIOS, it simply reads the value and adjusts settings accordingly; this wouldn't be feasible if they considered it unsafe. However, RAM checks are necessary. I recently encountered an issue with a pair of identical RAM modules—one was producing errors.
DDR4 begins at 2133MHz, so anything above that is treated as overclocking. With XMP (profile stored in the RAM controller chip) BIOS, it simply reads the value and adjusts settings accordingly; this wouldn't be feasible if they considered it unsafe. However, RAM checks are necessary. I recently encountered an issue with a pair of identical RAM modules—one was producing errors.