Ram not working on it's Correct (Advertised) speed!

tommyLee3 · Jun 10, 2014

Hello everyone. This is the first time i'm posting on this forum, as i'm a new member.

My computer specifications are:
Motherboard GA-Z77X-D3H Revision 1.0
CPU: Intel i7 3770 3.4GHz
Graphics: MSI Geforce 660 TF 2GB
Water-cooling and a 600W power supply installed
SSD OCZ 60GB Sata III Vertex 3
HDD WD Sata III 1TB 64MB
and the Ram is: Corsair RAM DDR3 8GB (2x4)Kit 2000MHz XMS3.
You can see more information about the RAM here:

I have bought this system for about a year and a half now. Back then i didn't know that the RAM i purchased would need manual adjustments in order to run at it's rated specs. I didn't know that until recently. I was shocked to find out that my RAM speed all this time was at 1000MHz. So all i had to do is to "simply" enable the XMP profile. I did that and then it was a nightmare. Computer couldn't even boot to BIOS. So i had to reset CMOS battery to boot back on. So i did, but my operating system could not work afterwards. So i installed everything again (took me a day). I did some research on the subject and found out that in order to correctly configure my RAM could prove a challenge. Because there were so many things to pay attention to. Firstly i found out that my CPU can't support over 1600MHz of DD3 Ram (link), and voltages no more than 1.5V max. What i've managed to do is get my RAM to run at 1400MHz with 1.5V. I'm frustrated because i thought i bought an overclocked RAM but i can't get to a higher speed than 1400MHz.

The thing is, recently i wanted to buy 16 GB's of RAM. This is how i learned about all this. So what i want in short is how to make my RAM run at the advertised speed (well at 1600MHz since it can go any higher) and if that's somehow not possible with my RAM, could you guys suggest to me a RAM with 16Gb that could run well with my system on a speed of 1600MHz?

Thank you very much in advance.

nukemaster · Jun 10, 2014

Please note that some systems or software will report half the speed because it is double data rate after all.

Please grab cpu-z and tell us what the memory tab says. If it says 700, yes you are below spec, if it says 1400 you are ABOVE specs.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

You can try the basic and save 800(1600) 9-9-9-24 @ 1.5 and work up from that.

The cpu only supporting one speed does not always prevent you from pushing more. Just like sometimes you luck out and run 1.65 volt memory at 1.5 with the same speed and timings.

tommyLee3 · Jun 10, 2014

Thanks a lot for the answer.
I have already done all that. I went from 1000MHz that it originally was to small steps until i reached 1400MHz that's my current speed. And it can't go any higher than this. What i have also realized is that my system is particularly sensitive to RAM voltages. It doesn't stay stable if i increase the RAM volatage. I've done many tests one this and sometimes i set my RAM voltage to 1.52 and it booted normally. Afterwards i rebooted on same voltage and it displayed a critical error on screen. Actually, i think that this might be the problem with this RAM. That it works normally (it has been tested as it states on it's original website) with 1.65V as opposed to most RAM's nowadays that don't go beyond 1.5V.
Either that or the problem must be caused by some incompatibilities with my other hardware.
The thing is that if i can't figure out the problem i won't be able to know which RAM to purchase in order to reach 16Gbs of RAM that i need now, since the new RAM possibly won't reach a reasonable speed as well.

DonQuixoteMC · Jun 10, 2014

Read what Nukemaster said about Double Data Rate. We have no idea if your RAM frequency is reported as half its rated speed because of DDR or if it's simplified into the "speed terms" of the rated spec.

Quite honestly, it looks like it may be reporting "half the speed," and that your RAM is running correctly (1000 MHz being half of 2000 after all).
It also makes sense that you're running into instability past 1400MHz because you might actually be overclocking to 2800MHz.

In order for us to help you further you have to run CPU-Z, as mentioned in nukemaster's post.
http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

tommyLee3 · Jun 10, 2014

I said that i already did that. And did it again to make sure. It says 700.6. I would like to upload a picture with my screenshot here in case there's something i'm missing or that i don't understand, but i can't seem to find out how to do that. Probably such a thing is not possible.

nukemaster · Jun 10, 2014

Take a screen shot of the SPD tab please(hold ALT + Print Screen to capture just that window). This tab will show the exact settings Corsair has for the memory. If you include your Memory tab, I would be interested in the timings you are running.

Paste it in paint or similar and save it as a jpg/gif or png image(keep the size under 1 megabyte that should not be hard with a file this small).

Now upload that image to http://tinypic.com/ and you can post the link here or use [_img][_/img] tags around the image. do not use the _, I just added it to make the forum not try to load an image.

tommyLee3 · Jun 10, 2014

So many beautiful things that you learn here.

Here's the photos:

nukemaster · Jun 10, 2014

Ok that is some very strange SPD data.

I would guess the memory is still going to be good for at least 1600 @ 9,9,9,24 with 1.5 volts.

Now you have to be messing with memory frequency and NOT base clock. on the main page of CPU-Z you should have a base clock of 100. please confirm this.

Now you are going to hop into the bios and start to have some fun.

Enter the bios and select Advanced to get more options
Select MIT
Select Advanced Memory Settings.
Select XMP Disabled.(if it is not already)
Select memory multiplier 16. This should show 1600 as the frequency.
Select Performance Enhance and change it to Normal for now.
Select DRAM Timing Selectable and chance it to Quick.
Select Channel A Timings and set
CAS = 10
tRCD = 10
tRP = 10
tras 24

Set the same thing for channel B

You may change the command rate to T2 if you wish, it is generally not needed with just 2 sticks.

These are VERY loose settings, you can push then back to 9,9,9 after confirming you can at least start the system this way.

Your voltage should be 1.5 I would say you can go 1.55 without issues or even 1.6.

Please note your base clock HAS to be 100 for all this to work since the memory multiplier is effected by the base clock.

Tradesman1 · Jun 10, 2014

Make sure you have the latest BIOS and go into BIOS and manually set DRAM to 1600, 9-9-9-24 DRAM voltage to 1.575

tommyLee3 · Jun 11, 2014

I am afraid of playing with voltages but if you guys say so allright. Yes base clock is 100MHz. Here's a photo: http://tinypic.com/r/mhy5it/8

I have done something bad with a BiOS update i did a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure of it. I will do all that by Friday or Saturday and report back here. I can't do it sooner because i have no time (college). Thank you all very much so far.

Tradesman1 · Jun 11, 2014

Will be waiting to hear

tommyLee3 · Jun 13, 2014

Hello again. I updated my BIOS version to the correct version (whis is this one). It was a wrong one before.

However it didn't fix the issue. I did everything nukemaster said. Also, when i chose quick for the timing selectable i was onl able to configure only one channel (not both). I tried all options though. Nothing worked. My system was not stable and i received those blue screen errors: 1 2

Then i reconfigured my system to my setting, which is 1400MHz frequency RAM. Everything else is on default. I am uploading some pictures of my settings (a lot of settings) just so you can see if there's something wrong. Note that all of these are defaults though (except from the 1400MHz of course).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Also the values on CPU-Z remained the same.

Thank you again. Waiting for more. : )

nukemaster · Jun 13, 2014

With quick timings both channels are set together.

It is very strange that you are having any issues. The timings I gave you are actually very conservative.

Hell your 1400 7,7,720 looks good. Maybe you have to save and reenter the bios to see the settings at 1400.

You may be running into an actual compatibility issue.

Can you try the sticks one at a time to see if one stick causes these issues. May be a defect?

tommyLee3 · Jun 13, 2014

Well my current settings are 1400 7,7,7,20. Those are the settings that i always had. So what to see?

I have run memtest before for about an hour. Didn't find any issues. I know it's not a lot but i didn't have the patience to leave it for more.

Also i forgot to say before that i changed the command rate at T2 like you said (but i don't believe this to be an issue).

Alright, i'm going to try one card at a time and report back soon. Thank again.

tommyLee3 · Jun 13, 2014

Just updating my progress.. Still doing tests.. Right now it seems stabilized with 1.6Volts DRAM. It's stabilized for half an hour now, but it's still too soon to tell. Are you sure that high voltages don't pause a threat? I have seen at various loose forums that they may be dangerous.

Also the # of Memory Channels here (which says 2) http://ark.intel.com/products/65523 does that mean that the maximum possible number of RAM channels that the CPU can handle is 2?

nukemaster · Jun 13, 2014

Yes you have a dual channel memory controller. This does not mean you can not use 4 sticks. 4 sticks is harder on the memory controller however.

The first generation i7's on X58 had tri channel and the newer 2011 stuff has quad channel.

The standard for DDR3 is 1.5 volts +/- 5% or MAX 1.575, but Intel them selves seem to have tested memory on your cpu(well the 3770k) with 1.65 volts. You can go as long as you can to keep stability. I am VERY surprised you even have to mess with it, thus the guess it may be a compatibility issue.

http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/datasheets/core-i7-memory-suppliers-0412-datasheet.pdf

EDIT

The setting of T2 was to make it more easy for the system. Just like 10,10,10. Those are very slow timings and should have almost given a guarantee of success.

tommyLee3 · Jun 13, 2014

If i knew it back then i would totally buy the 3700k instead. It seems better than 3700 on many other aspects as well, like compatibility and overclocking.

I didn't know that 2 sticks are better than 4.. But it's only logical.

Well i'm sorry to report something is very wrong with my RAM modules. No matter what i did, they couldn't work. I did stress tests with Prime95. Couldn't maintain stability for more than 5 minutes. Used only one module, then the other, on various voltages and timings and at frequency of 1600Mhz. But it seems that it just can't take 1600MHz from what i see. I have this RAM a year and a half now, but they have lifetime warranty. Well i think it's time i make a phonecall to that company to see what they can do about it. Because if i wanted a RAM with a speed of 1400MHz, i think i could have found one with 40Euro. Something must be wrong and i can't find it. As you have said, i also think it may be a compatibility issue.

By the way my netbook's ram frequency is 1600MHz..

Well, if you guys have any other ideas.. I am going to contact the seller on Monday though, because i want 16Gb of RAM one way or another.

nukemaster · Jun 13, 2014

Aside from the overclocking the k series is the same thing. It may be a high binned model so it overclocks better, but it has the exact same memory controller.

2 vs 4 sticks is always more easy on the memory controller, but is not always an issue. It actually takes a synthetic benchmark for the end user to feel the difference.

If it is a compatibility issue, you may have little you can do about it. On the other hand even at 1067, with such tight timings your are not loosing enough to worry about.

1600 is the standard for most things now days.

I do not have anything else that seems to be helpful. Sorry.

Ram not working on it's Correct (Advertised) speed!

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