RAM frequency for i3 6100

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A

Aeruginosa

Commendable
Feb 26, 2016
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1,510
Hello everyone!
I'm building kind of a budget PC for ordinary tasks and some gaming.
I'm using the following:

CPU: Skylake i3 6100 3.7GHz
GPU: Asus Strix gtx 950 DC2OC
Board: Asus Z170-K
Storage: will be a 240GB SSD, but haven't decided the make yet
PSU: Super Flower 550W
Memory: 2x4GB. Now here comes the question. I'm not sure what to choose between say Kingston 2666MHz CL13 and Trident Z 3466MHz CL16. I've seen in several places how higher frequency(also higher freq/cl??) DDR4 RAM noticeably pushes the FPS up when paired with a Skylake i3, without OCing the CPU. If i stick with the 3466MHz set(maximum freq supported by the mobo), do you think I'll be able to actually run it at 3466MHz, just by choosing the XMP? And if I will, would it still offer a FPS(and not only) benefit over the 2666MHz set?...Like the 2400/2666MHz offers in respect to the standard 2133MHz.
I also have to mention that if the setup holds up well, I might consider upgrading to an i5 and say a gtx 970 in a couple of years.

Thank you and best regards!
 
Solution
Tradesman1
You've a z170 so can try XMP, with prices being as they are, I'd give the 2666 a shot, if your MC (memory controller) labors at all, generally a little extra voltage to the DRAM (+ 0.05 or so) and/or to the MC itself (believe it's the DDRVTTT voltage on the K) will prob get you to 2666, 2400 at worse ;)
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A

Aeruginosa

Commendable
Feb 26, 2016
6
0
1,510

Thanks for the reply!
I read that the memory controller in Skylake is not saturated at 2133MHz...that'd be the reason why these CPUs are able to run RAM frequencies past the 2133MHz limit of the lower-end motherboards.
The closest situation to my target that I could find on the internet was a 6100 paired with RAM running at 3200MHz. However, the CPU was OCed to some 4.4GHz. So I'm assuming that if there's any chance to get the RAM to run close to 3466MHz, I would have to OC the i3, right?
Excuse me if I talk any nonsense, I'm here to learn.
 
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Tradesman1

Tradesman1

Legenda in Aeternum
Jun 5, 2013
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You've a z170 so can try XMP, with prices being as they are, I'd give the 2666 a shot, if your MC (memory controller) labors at all, generally a little extra voltage to the DRAM (+ 0.05 or so) and/or to the MC itself (believe it's the DDRVTTT voltage on the K) will prob get you to 2666, 2400 at worse ;)
 
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Solution
A

Aeruginosa

Commendable
Feb 26, 2016
6
0
1,510

Thanks to you!
Then I shall settle down with 2666MHz and see what figures I can get from it(XMP alone or by juggling with the timings). Messing with the CPU's voltage is certainly not something that i'm keen on.
Still, I find the following specs intriguing: https://www.overclockers.co.uk/intel-core-i3-6100-3.70ghz-skylake-socket-lga1151-processor-retail-cp-590-in.html
 
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A

Aeruginosa

Commendable
Feb 26, 2016
6
0
1,510
Ok guys, excuse my delay! Thought about posting many times, but each time I forgot...been busy as hell.
In short, I've bought a 2x4 set of Corsair HyperX 3000 c15. Of course, it was working at 2133MHz at default bios settings...I messed a bit with the EZ tuner, then read on a forum that Asus' tuner is not that reliable(true or false, you decide!) and that it is advisable to only work with fhe XMP. And that is what I did. I set the XMP to #1(3000MHz), #2 was for 2666. The bios monitor still showed me 2133MHz of frequency, BUT...cpuZ was showing some solid 3000MHz. Of course, by setting the XMP to #1, the CPU baseclock freq was automatically overclocked from 100 to approx 102.5.
In two weeks I had absolutely no issue.
The frames in The Witcher 3 rose by a constant 5-10 fps. It maxed out in low and it didn't fall under 40 fps in high with hairworks off. I hope not to remember wrong, cause I just kept playing with the settings.
The strix950 doesn't disappoint, keeping in mind the low price, but man, the i3-RAM combination...blew me away.
Of course, I felt the need to push it further, so I've returned the HyperX.
My weapon of choice is going to be either a 2x4 set of G.skill 3466 c16, or a 2x8gb @3200 c14. Now do I really need it? Probably not, but at least the prices of the first option dropped a lot in the mean time, and it's even cheaper than the HyperX at the moment.
I'll come back with a few words after the exams.
Cheers!
 
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A

Aeruginosa

Commendable
Feb 26, 2016
6
0
1,510

Aye, only the 3200 and I'm sticking with it. It's a Geil Dragon 2x4GB kit, runs flawlessly at 3200 MHz, CL 15. Got it cheap, plus each stick has a blue led, where the eye of the golden-painted dragon is...I got no "aftermarket" leds in my case, so that's a nice touch, lighting things up a bit and contrasting with the orange-lighting strip of the Z170-K.
 
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