DDR4 3000 Mhz RAM causes crash after otherwise successful processor overclock?

MatthewScott · Jan 13, 2016

Hello,

After a few months of owning a i7 6700K, on a ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger mobo (cooled by a corsair H105) I decided to look up some guides and over clock the CPU, this was my first time overclocking even though I've worked with PC's for a while now and my first OC of 4.6 Ghz at 1.325v and 3000 Mhz RAM failed, so I messed around with the voltage, trying to keep it below 1.4v and wasn't getting anywhere. I then came to the conclusion that I'd made some changed in my BIOS in the past that could be causing an issue, so I reset my CMOS. I then left everything on auto, no XMP profile, and overclocked the CPU to 4.5GHz @ 1.325v and ran some stability tests and some more demanding games and was stable. I then went back into my BIOS and changed the core voltage from manual to adaptive to save on some power when I was idle, and when I booted my machine ASUS AI tweaker showed the core running at 1.4+volts at all times? maybe it was incorrect but regardless I just set it back to 1.325v and it worked fine.

I then turned on XMP, thus setting my RAM to 3000 Mhz and ran the stability test and after a short amount of time it failed. I then lowered it to 2800, and then to 2666 Mhz and both failed, so I set it back on manual and just left it at 2133 Mhz as I only really use my PC for gaming and nothing too serious so I don't really see a difference in the speeds of RAM. However, I'd like to run it at 3000 if possible. How would I achieve this? Would I need to increase the voltage or something else?

Additionally, I've seen people reaching 4.6Ghz on 6700K's with below 1.3v on some of the higher end gigabyte motherboards, but most people seem to be able to get 4.6Ghz at like 1.3-1.350v, I've not tried 1.350v so I will later, but 4.6 is kind of my aim. I'm just not really wanting to shorten the lifespan of my CPU by setting the voltage soo high and would like to ideally keep it below 1.350v, and would also like to know why manual mode did not seem to be working according to AI suite that was displaying the voltage as 1.4v+ at all times.

If anyone could help me out I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Leaps-from-Shadows · Jan 13, 2016

If the RAM isn't stable at the speeds and timings it's supposed to be running at (XMP settings), then you need to increase VCCIO and VCCSA (System Agent) -- those are directly related to RAM. IO's recommended max is 1.25v, while SA's recommended max is 1.3v.

Don't know what's wrong with your Adaptive setting -- it works on my M8G.

MatthewScott · Jan 14, 2016

Leaps-from-Shadows :

My RAM out of the box says it's should run at 3000Mhz@1.35 volts

As for the processor, I tweaked it a bit last night and even when setting the voltage to manual 1.3 volts yet the machine would still go all the way up to 1.4v and slightly over when I was playing battlefield 4/stress testing, did I just get a really bad chip or a really bad motherboard or something? Annoying if so considering I almost bought the X99 setup with a 5820K

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

@ MatthewScott

Man you have voltages all over the board regarding your memory, sometimes overclocking guides can take you down the wrong path, you cannot trust everything you read off of the net, especially when they do not back it up with additional resources.

The quote below is not from your motherboard it is from Intels 6th Generation CPU Design Specifications, please note what is underlined regarding DDR4.

2.1 System Memory Interface
• Two channels of DDR3L/-RS and DDR4/-RS memory with a maximum of two DIMMs
per channel. DDR technologies, number of DIMMs per channel, number of ranks
per channel are SKU dependent.
• UDIMM, SODIMM, and Memory Down support (based on SKU)
• Single-channel and dual-channel memory organization modes
• Data burst length of eight for all memory organization modes
• DDR3L/-RS I/O Voltage of 1.35V - based on processor line
• DDR4/-RS I/O Voltage of 1.2V
• 64-bit wide channels
• /Non-ECC UDIMM and SODIMM DDR4/DDR3L/-RS support (based on SKU)
• Theoretical maximum memory bandwidth of:
— 21.3 GB/s in dual-channel mode assuming 1333 MT/s
— 25.6 GB/s in dual-channel mode assuming 1600 MT/s
— 29.8 GB/s in dual-channel mode assuming 1866 MT/s
— 34.1 GB/s in dual-channel mode assuming 2133 MT/s
Note: Memory down of all technologies (DDR3L/DDR4) should be implemented
homogeneously, which means that all DRAM devices should be from the same vendor
and have the same part number. Implementing a mix of DRAM devices may cause
serious signal integrity and functional issues.
Note: If the S-processor line memory interface is configured to one DIMM per Channel, the
processor can use either of the DIMMs, DIMM0 or DIMM1, signals CTRL[1:0] or
CTRL[3:2].

Overclocking Intel K series of CPUs is so simple, but you need a solid foundation to overclock from!

Overclocking your memory controller, which is what you are doing, is not going to yield the gains that increasing the multiplier clock is.

Nothing has actually changed since I first wrote this as it can and will still apply even with 6th generation CPUs such as your 6700K.

Now the best way to help you is for you to list your exact memory Brand and Model#s, and hopefully for your sake regarding DDR4 memory, you bought a matched set of memory.

MatthewScott · Jan 14, 2016

4Ryan6 :

I've been running my RAM at XMP, auto and manually setting to 3000 Mhz, and the only one which works when I overclock my CPU seems to be to just leave the RAM on auto. As for actually overclocking the processor I think I have a understanding of how to do it as I sync'ed all cores changed the values to 45 and then changed the voltage to manul 1.325 volts and got a stable 4.5ghz with my RAM on auto (2133 Mhz).

My hard is this exactly:
i7 6700K
ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger
4GBx2 (8GB) Dual Channel Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000Mhz (XMP 2.0), I can't remember the CL timings but I know that the LPX 3000Mhz is the only LPX 3000mhz RAM I can currently buy from Scan.co.uk so I'm assuming there is no other versions with different timings.

Leaps-from-Shadows · Jan 14, 2016

Ryan--

Design specifications are all well and good, but they don't always apply to the real world. You know this.

The numbers I gave came directly from ASUS' own Z170 guides.

You can have the CPU overclocked and have the memory running at the XMP settings it's supposed to run at. I and many others do that very thing.

Matthew--

The 1.35v is the RAM voltage. That is totally different than the VCCIO and VCCSA (System Agent) settings. You need to adjust the VCCIO and VCCSA upwards to get your RAM stable at the XMP settings. This is not unusual. Just don't exceed the maximums I stated in my previous post.

As far as the CPU voltage adjust itself when set to Manual, there should be a Load Line Calibration or LLC setting in your BIOS somewhere. Mine has seven levels, but I don't know how many yours has. You should set it one or two levels from the maximum as a trial setting.

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

Your XMP timings are 15,17,17,35 @ 1.35v

You can run your memory manually @ 1.20v, but Corsair is all over the place with their timings at 1.20v, you can individually try each of the timings below to see which timings will run stably at 2133mhz @ 1.20v DDR4 slot voltage.

1 = 16,18,18,35
2 = 15,17,17,35
3 = 14,16,16,31
4 = 13,15,15,28

1 is the looser to 4 is the tightest timings, start with 1 and try each timing at stock CPU settings to discover what timings will run stably at 1.20v.

You have to disable XMP profile and manually input these settings in your BIOS settings.

Once you discover rock solid memory settings then you can begin to overclock the CPU by increasing the CPU multiplier and the CPU voltage to support the increased multiplier, testing for stability as you go.

Overclocking is one step at a time increases and testing until you reach the maximum CPU clock your CPU cooling will allow you to run.

There is a point you will reach and you cannot get beyond with the CPU cooling you are running.

Edit: The speed 2133mhz

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

Leaps-from-Shadows :

Using CPU design specifications to my advantage, is how I have run a 5ghz overclock for over 3 years now, and that is applying it to the Real World!

So where are you overclocked to?

Leaps-from-Shadows · Jan 14, 2016

Why are you recommending doing the totally unnecessary 1.2v and timings dance, when a small voltage tweak will easily get his RAM running at XMP settings?

Edit: My current CPU overclock is 200x23 (4600), with cache at x21 (4200) at 1.3v. This CPU's stable maximum is somewhere between 4600 and 4700, and I'm still experimenting with BCLK overclock speeds. RAM running at 3000 15-15-15-35 XMP timings (G.Skill Ripjaws V). GTX 980Ti running at 1450 core 7000 memory.

You got lucky with that 5GHz chip and you know it.

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

Why are you recommending doing the totally unnecessary 1.2v and timings dance, when a small voltage tweak will easily get his RAM running at XMP settings?

Mainly for longevity of his CPU, the memory controller he is overclocking is on the CPU.

I am just trying to help the guy, if he doesn't want to listen to what I am telling him, so be it.

I was not originally addressing you until you addressed me.

So, FYI I've been running 5Ghz with every CPU I've owned 2500K, 2550K, 2700K, and presently my 3770K, so I must be really lucky!

MatthewScott · Jan 14, 2016

4Ryan6 :

Would setting my RAM to run at a lower voltage help to keep the CPU voltage at the manual mode I set? because no matter what I set it to (that lets me boot) it just seems to display much higher voltages in software, and even at stock clock speeds it will go to 1.4v at times, or at least is displayed as 1.4v, I'd just like to see much lower than that as I've heard skylake isn't meant to draw anywhere near that much running at stock clocks.

Cheers

Leaps-from-Shadows · Jan 14, 2016

4Ryan6 :

lol

As a matter of fact, yes. You should have won last night's $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot.

I've had a 2500K, 3770K, 4690K, and now 6600K, and only the 2500K was able to run at 4.9GHz. It was able to boot at 5GHz, but would crash when anything more than CPU-Z was loaded. I miss that thing.

Since you're so 5GHz-savvy ... what would you use for settings to get a liquid-cooled Skylake to that speed?

Edit: Are you recommending that Matthew try running the RAM at 3000 with 1.2v? You mention timings, but not speed.

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

MatthewScott :

CPU voltage in true manual is dependent on how you have your settings in the BIOS set it has nothing to do with your memory voltage.

You are new to overclocking, you really need to study into it a lot more, and get some solid knowledge under your belt.

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

Leaps-from-Shadows :

That would be fantastic!

I remember you used to be a Community Reporter for Toms, you haven't been posting for quite some time?

What's Up?

4Ryan6 · Jan 14, 2016

Leaps-from-Shadows :

Whoa, No, Good Catch!

2133mhz, I need to add that back in. Thanks

I assumed he would have caught that from the Intel Design Specs I posted, but my bad anyway.

MatthewScott · Jan 14, 2016

I've set my RAM to auto and sync'd all CPU cores to 4.2 and set the voltage to 1.2v to see what would happen. It's stable... But... https://gyazo.com/8197c4cb0c6100e7e4ef4b9373faa5c6 - It's saying 1.3782v? Oh and here's the RAM HWinfo page too - https://gyazo.com/0f28201cb451a0ce8ccb893f342619cd

Leaps-from-Shadows · Jan 14, 2016

4Ryan6 :

Yeah I was a Community Reporter for a minute there. I took an extended break from overclocking in general and forums in particular, because overclocking wasn't fun any more due to Intel doing the FIVR thing. I started and finished a two-year degree in networking, got myself a full time job in networking, and concentrated what little free time I had in having a social life and doing some gaming. I'm better at time management now, and there is some hope for overclocking with Skylake and possibly future generations, so I decided to come back and see what's what.

Edit 1: Matthew, don't put any stock in that reading. Mine's low by 0.15v in that screen. I don't think I've ever seen it correct.

Edit 2: I tried your "secret sauce" memory underclocking thing, Ryan. It did absolutely nothing for me -- still required the same Vcore and still rebooted itself testing 4.7GHz at 1.4v. I knew before I started that cooling wasn't my CPU's limitation (I have 2 360 rads cooling 1 CPU and 1 GPU) but I figured what the hell. It would probably help somebody with less extreme cooling though.

4Ryan6 · Jan 15, 2016

Leaps-from-Shadows :

I was a moderator when you were a Community Reporter, and I gave that up as well.

I'm glad you're back we need more members that actually know what they are doing, we are flooded with first time overclockers trying to overclock hardware that when it was bought was not the best hardware for overclocking.

The first part of overclocking is gaining the knowledge and then buying the hardware that will get them there and then using the knowledge to reach their overclock goals.

Too many today want you to give them their exact overclock settings so they can be on their way, wham bam, thank you mam!

They do not want to invest their time learning overclocking and without that they have no foundation.

The reason I wrote 2 overclocking guides one AMD and one Intel was so they could help themselves, but as simple as I wrote them they were still hard to grasp for some with an absolute zero understanding of bios setting terminology, and some didn't even know how to access the bios.

I had considered to creating a thread called Bios 101, and began studying in that area and it would have been a fairly straight forward thing to do, if all the motherboard manufacturers used common bios terminology, but they don't.

Then new platforms bring new bios terminology and the soup pot is even fuller, I know you understand that.

Regarding Edit 2: A couple of us have experimented with the secret sauce and discovered the higher the overclock approaching 5ghz and beyond the better it works.

And actually I have not been lucky with the CPU lottery, I have been cooling with below ambient chilled water cooling, and that cooling has allowed the 5ghz overclocks, as my coolant temperature is usually 15c below ambient room temperature.

If you are curious it is stickied at the top of the overclocking section.

DDR4 3000 Mhz RAM causes crash after otherwise successful processor overclock?

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