Crucial Ballistix + DDR2 800 + voltage limit

[cappster]

Would you feel safe pushing 2.4v to your RAM if you had a 120mm fan blowing over the top of your modules? I was able to push my sticks to 1080mhz @ 5-5-5-15 timings and I would like to keep it this way as my computer is much more "crisp" in gaming and everyday tasks.

Thanks

Cappster

 

[Lupiron]

I would!! Just pay attention to the heat!

--Lupi

 

[cappster]

I am probably going to keep it @ 2.4 and hope for the best. I am not too worried, because of the airflow which helps keep them cool. They are rated for 2.2v right out of the box so that kind of tells me that these modules can handle some voltage. If they blow up...screw it. RAM is cheap and I will just go buy me a different set. I will enjoy the performance while it lasts!

 

[Evilonigiri]

While you may overvolt the cpus and mobos, you shouldn't overvolt the memory past it's specs. They are supposedly more vulnerable, so I suggest you to bring down to 2.2V.

 

[cappster]

I agree that I should keep it in spec, but I am loving the speed. I am hoping that it will last until I upgrade. If it does fail, I can get a set of RAM for pretty cheap and I have a laptop to keep me in tune with what is happening online. I think it helps to have the 120mm fan blowing over top of the modules.

 

[Mondoman]

I am probably going to keep it @ 2.4 and hope for the best. I am not too worried, because of the airflow which helps keep them cool.

It's not just the temp, but elevated voltage itself will cause damage (although the higher the temp, the faster the damage).

They are rated for 2.2v right out of the box so that kind of tells me that these modules can handle some voltage.

More likely, it just means the RAM rating is *already* an overclock/overvoltage.

If they blow up...screw it. RAM is cheap and I will just go buy me a different set. I will enjoy the performance while it lasts!

Exactly right!

 

[Evilonigiri]

Whatever rocks your boat.

 

[Mondoman]

I agree that I should keep it in spec, but I am loving the speed. ...

I don't understand -- an e6400 at 2.9GHz (from your sig) should only need DDR2-800 RAM (actually, RAM run at DDR2-726 speed) to run 1:1 with the FSB. Why are you running your RAM so fast?

 

[iluvgillgill]

oine answer to that!enthusiastic about speed aka SPEED FREAK!!!lol

 

[Evilonigiri]

People has found out that you get the best performance from 1:1 fsb to ram ratio. Just a suggestion.

 

[cappster]

I don't understand -- an e6400 at 2.9GHz (from your sig) should only need DDR2-800 RAM (actually, RAM run at DDR2-726 speed) to run 1:1 with the FSB. Why are you running your RAM so fast?

I am running my RAM so fast because i can Seriously though, I felt like I wasn't getting the most out of my system; gypped so to speak. My motherboard isn't a great overclocker so running 1:1 @ 3.2 on the CPU wasn't very stable and the temps were too hot for my liking. I tried lower latencies running 1:1 @ 2.9 CPU, but stability was an issue and the system lagged. So I figured I would try to go the other way and switched my ram settings in the BIOS from 533 to 800 (1080mhz effective) and loosened my latencies to 5-5-5-15. It would boot at a voltage of 2.3 but windows wouldn't load. So I went to 2.4 and feel in love with the crispness of everything. It improved my 3dmarks, lightsmark, and overall gaming experience.

 

[cappster]

People has found out that you get the best performance from 1:1 fsb to ram ratio. Just a suggestion.

That is probably correct for most systems. For my setup, it seems to like what i have going right now ("it" being my computer). The boost has been turned up and I hope my RAM can handle the pressure

 

[Lupiron]

P5k-e Wifi! 500 FSB bootable and usable. 525+ supposedly. There is your 1:1 ratio if you really want some speed.

Mondoman, not everyone actually grasps the concept that your FSB is your Memories communication pathway to everything. So they still think the mem devider making it look like 1066 is kewl! LOL!

Maybe once I get the q6700 low VID lapped up and in this board I will try for 500 FSB, lol! Yee haw! 1000 Mhz in sync! Now that will prolly produce some speed!!

--Lupi!

 

[iluvgillgill]

personally i think FSB450 is the best option between memory speed and strain on the motherboard.as most motherboard is capable with FSB450 on a P35 chipset with a quad core cpu.a nForce 650i is specially crap at overclocking quad core cpus so avoid that.

and at 450 1:1 ram the ram could run at 900mhz with Cas 4 ideally.as most ram that i came across that it cant do cas 4 at speed more then 900mhz.of course 950 cas 4 will be the best but at this speed its really pushing it with ultra high voltage!

at 450 you are not running it at its bleeding edge,but SOME(there is 1 person i expect to say) may argue its over its spec and over 1600 so its putting stress on the board.

but how would you want it and what kind of performance you looking to get is all depends on you

 

[SpinachEater]

Not to rain on your parade but they are going to burn out within 3 months or so at those voltages. Crucial ballistix and tracer RAM has been shoddy these days. They are notorious for burning out at specified voltages within 6mths. But who knows, maybe they are all doing what you are doing though and getting failures due to high voltages.

I just got a 2x2GB ballistix set and I am a little PO that I got them. I hear that Crucial is really easy to deal with RMAs but I don't want to have to play that game every year.

Do me one favor though...when your modules go bad, let me know if the heat spreaders have come off the IC's at all. I don't like how their heat spreaders are bound to the ICs without secondary support. Their heat spreaders seem flimsy so I am curious if they come off a bit and allow the ICs to burn out.

I am thinking about clipping the heat spreaders down with something just in case but I don't know...I just don't trust the adhesive over metal clips. I have some A-data heat spreaders I won't need...maybe those will work.

 

[cappster]

Not to rain on your parade but they are going to burn out within 3 months or so at those voltages. Crucial ballistix and tracer RAM has been shoddy these days. They are notorious for burning out at specified voltages within 6mths. But who knows, maybe they are all doing what you are doing though and getting failures due to high voltages.

I just got a 2x2GB ballistix set and I am a little PO that I got them. I hear that Crucial is really easy to deal with RMAs but I don't want to have to play that game every year.

Do me one favor though...when your modules go bad, let me know if the heat spreaders have come off the IC's at all. I don't like how their heat spreaders are bound to the ICs without secondary support. Their heat spreaders seem flimsy so I am curious if they come off a bit and allow the ICs to burn out.

I am thinking about clipping the heat spreaders down with something just in case but I don't know...I just don't trust the adhesive over metal clips. I have some A-data heat spreaders I won't need...maybe those will work.

HAHA, thanks for the vote of confidence in having my memory modules last I've had my modules since about February of last year and haven't had any problems with them. They also cost me about 270 dollars instead of 40 after rebates as they are selling for today. I've run about 2.3v for more than 5 months and they are still kicking, but if they do burn out, I will let you know if my heat spreaders are still intact.

 

[Evilonigiri]

Ouch $270? 3months? Burn them out?

It sucks being poor...

 

[iluvgillgill]

everything suck when they break or not work as they should do.

 

[SpinachEater]

HAHA, thanks for the vote of confidence in having my memory modules last I've had my modules since about February of last year and haven't had any problems with them. They also cost me about 270 dollars instead of 40 after rebates as they are selling for today. I've run about 2.3v for more than 5 months and they are still kicking, but if they do burn out, I will let you know if my heat spreaders are still intact.

Yeah the prices are nuts. Well...hopefully they keep lasting then. They are cheap enough now though where it won't kill you to have to replace them.

 

[balearic]

Newb Question. I recently overclocked my E8400 to 4.0mhz. I seem to have a little trouble with ram stability. I have two sticks of ram, 2 gigs...if I have four sticks of ram (4gigs) would it help me overclock the ram better? These are set at 5-5-5-18 originally but I have been playing games fine for hours with my timings at 5-5-5-15. However, rare occasions it must be unstable when I restart my pc, the lights turn off completely on the ram and I end up having to default my settings to have the pretty lights come back on. I was wondering if i got 4 gigs instead of two, if it would help improve overclock stability. I have Crucial Ballistix Tracers DDR2 800.

This is the ram I have.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148076

 

[Evilonigiri]

Having more sticks of ram will make OCing more difficult. You won't be able to OC as far and you'll need more voltage to rum them.

 

[balearic]

cool thanks for clearing that up for me!

 

[Perp]

Both OCZ and Crucial make 2.4v DDR2 800 2x1GB from similar (though not exactly the same) Micron ICs used in the crucial ram. Both of these sets are extremely low latency CAS3 and have been reported to die pretty quickly in some cases.

Older crucial 2x1G ram (tracers, blassistix) used the exact same ICs and were considered a far better value (lower price) from the offerings of OCZ and Crucial. This is probably since Micron owns crucial; however, the ICs in crucial ballistix and tracers arent' the same ICs they once were.

 

[SpinachEater]

^ Perp, do you know when the IC change occured? What micron IC did they change from? That seems to be spot on though. It seems like in 2008 Crucial Ballistix quality started going down the tubes.