Tips for DDR4 B-die overclocking – guidance for beginners who want to boost their RAM.
Tips for DDR4 B-die overclocking – guidance for beginners who want to boost their RAM.
Hello, I'm starting something new—ram overclocking. Previously I relied mainly on XMP settings, but now I own a solid memory for a 100$ F4-4000C19D-32GTZSW. It's a B-die with 4000Mhz at 19-19-19-39 at 1.35V. I'm still getting comfortable with RAM OC, so I adjusted the timings to -4000Mhz at 16-16-16-30 and 1.38V. They also function in gear 1 if that matters; gear 2 has been problematic in the past. Should I aim for higher frequency or lower clock speed? Is the tRas and tRC values really that important? I’m not sure, since I mostly play games. It feels more like a learning process, and I’ve checked some tutorials on GitHub, but they’re too complex for now. It’s confusing with so many settings, but it’s still fun!
Higher frequency in Gear 1 could be beneficial, though reaching above 4133MT/s seems unlikely and won’t significantly boost speed. At this stage, I’d begin adjusting the sub timings since they greatly influence performance. B die offers minimal variation in subtimings, making it easy to replicate them from a screenshot, run a memory stress test, and finish. That’s the set of B die timings I commonly use on Intel—feel free to adapt them. The only timings likely to shift are tRFC and tREFI, both sensitive to temperature and voltage (though voltage effects probably won’t matter based on the screenshot). A 333 should handle most DIMMs well, with 400 guaranteed to function, though 111111 tREFI may need adjustment. 32k usually works, 64k often does, and anything above 100k typically requires a fan directing air at the RAM. tRC isn’t available on Intel CPUs—it’s derived from tRAS and tRP—so don’t stress about setting it manually, and tRAS has negligible impact. Setting tRAS to 28 is rare on Intel, so consider lowering it slightly if needed, but don’t waste time trying unless it fails.
ASRock rearranges the timing order, but keeps the actual names unchanged like ASUS does. tWR, tWTR_S, tWTR_L, and tRTP function similarly to tRC but aren't real themselves—they're controlled by other timings. tWR is determined by tWRPRE (usually near the end of the list), tWTR_S by tWRRD_dg, which will be a turnaround timing or TAT according to ASRock, tWTR_L by tWRRD_sg, and tRTP by tRDPRE. For the timings shown in the screenshot (more available if you scroll), this is how you should configure them.
Absolutely correct. Deeper down you'll find access to tWRPRE and tRDPRE—the final primary timing parameters required. Once you reach that point, the system runs memory stress tests to verify stability. Setting these timings is generally manageable; typically done by gradually reducing them until the system fails, which usually yields reliable results. The exceptions are tWRRD and tWPRE, so you'll need to adjust those as well.
Thanks a lot! I plan to try those on the weekend. I already ran benchmarks today on some titles to see how much the difference will be between 4000 CL16 and 3200 CL16. There’s a clear improvement of a few average frames in most games, with a slight increase around 1% (usually about 10% higher), which matched our upgrade goal. The exact impact varies by game—tested across around 10 titles, though some outliers showed big changes (like Far Cry 6 RT on one version: 128 to 148 and 109 to 133) and another with Shadow Of Tomb Raider RT OFF: 212 to 233 and 150 to 190). I checked games with in-game benchmarks and gathered at least three runs per game for more accurate results. After replacing my old RAM, I spent an extra $20, which I think was worth it.
When testing memory under stress, consider adding a GPU workload such as Furmark, Kombuster, or 3DMark running quietly in the background. Memory is sensitive to temperature, and GPUs generate significant heat, which can cause instability if not managed. This approach helps maintain consistent temperatures during games, preventing crashes that occur later due to overheating.