BIOS sorcery ASRock H61M/U3S3, KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX, i3-2100 3.1GHz

[FallibleCanine]

heeeelp I'm a nooooooob.

I'm read the Memory FAQ, and I still have some questions.

My motherboard: ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0

My memory: www.kingston.com/datasheets/KHX1600C9D3K2_8GX.pdf

My CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 3.1GHz Dual-Core 65W LGA1155

My OS: 64-bit Win7

The BIOS settings contain a bunch of crazy nonsense:

CPU Core
CPC Core
IGPU Voltage
DRAM Voltage
RcH Voltage
CPU PLC Voltage
VTT Voltage
VCCSA Voltage
...


How do I translate the spec sheet to those settings? For instance, it seems to say there's a 1600mhZ setting (though I can't select 1600 in the BIOS -- it only does 800, 1333, and one other) but also a 1333 mhZ setting.

I also saw a post somewhere saying that 1.65V is dangerous on an Intel processor, and it's better to use 1.5V.

 

[o1die]

I would run the ram at 1.5v. Most settings the board selects are ok; 1333 is the normal ram setting for the speed of your motherboard chipset; anything higher may require you to overclock the cpu, but Intel only lets you use the turbo boost setting for your cpu and motherboard for a modest overclock. If you want to experiment with the bios settings, be sure to locate the cmos jumper and round motherboard battery. If you select a bios setting the board can't handle, it won't post when you save the setting and exit. To reset the bios, simply remove the board battery for one minute with the power supply unplugged or move the cmos jumper over one position, keeping two of the three pins covered and return to the original position. The information you need is in the motherboard manual. Read it. I have worked at dell handling boards, cpus and ram sticks. I strongly recommend you don't handle any components once they are installed unless you use an esd strap to prevent circuit blow out. For some folks, it won't ever be an issue. But for others, static discharge can permanently damage your board. The other issue I have is with noise. If your fan noise is too high for your liking, the bios may have a "smartfan" setting you can use to slow it down, or let it select the speed automatically based on the cpu temp.

 

[FallibleCanine]

I would run the ram at 1.5v. Most settings the board selects are ok; 1333 is the normal ram setting for the speed of your motherboard chipset; anything higher may require you to overclock the cpu, but Intel only lets you use the turbo boost setting for your cpu and motherboard for a modest overclock.

Okay! I'll switch it over to 1.5V.

I'm not trying to overclock it; I just want it to run as intended.

I did think it was weird that the specs and sites say it's 9-9-27 memory, but the BIOS had 9-9-24. I changed the 24 to a 27.

 

[FallibleCanine]

Best answer selected by FallibleCanine.