I5 2500K Dead - Warranty(RAM Speed)

[genjaguar]

My specs(about 8 months old) :
i5 2500K
ASRock Extreme 4
2x4GB Ripjaw X DDR3 1600
GTX 560Ti
Corsair HX620W



My CPU went out about 2 weeks ago (motherboard showed code 00, no booting, fans and everything else seems to turn on but no BIOS). I thought it was the motherboard and did an RMA, replaced the motherboard and still the same issue. I then could not wait for an RMA for the CPU so I got a new one, plugged it in, and it booted up fine. So I know the problem is the CPU.

Today I called Intel to get an RMA on the CPU. After talking with them I got my RMA number and am sending it back. However, here is what I am concerned about. I have 2x4GB Ripjaw X DDR3 1600 RAM and from what he told me the i5 2500K only officially supports 1066/1333. I was shocked to learn this(never really paid attention since I saw most people building systems with higher speed) but after I looked it up I confirmed with what he had said.

He said he was making an exception this time but that in the future if I run my RAM at 1600 speeds they will not be able to cover it. I see people running RAM at 1600 and higher on 2500Ks so I'm wondering is it a concern that the speed isn't supported? Can they deny the warranty based on that? And could it actually cause damage(my cpu going out)?

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

Yes they can turn down your warranty for running memory out of spec as it is overclocking. Now I have not heard of a problem caused by using DDR 3 1600 but some of the higher stuff may cause an issue but the real big thing that has caused problems and is likely to get technical support to turn down your RMA is off spec voltage. The 2nd generation Intel® Core™ processors only support DDR 3 with a voltage of 1.5v ±5%; so using 1.65v or high memory will cause problems unless the board auto changes it to run at 1.5v.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[Frizzo]

yea have you ever looked at the QVL's for motherboards people generally run 2500k's on? it's 95% 1.65v ram , what is up with that? i realize you can loosen the timings and or frequency of the ram and lower the voltage...but just still seems strange. this is one major reason i gravitated toward the eco ram, which runs great and is low profile.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

Frizzo believe me I understand. I have been fighting over this issue for almost a year now. The memory manufacturers can say there memory is supported on the board and that is ok with them as the 1.65v means that they don't have to have the higher tolerances. Then the motherboard manufacturers want to list as much memory as they can so you don’t feel limited by the board. Also there is a change in thinking that people and companies have had to just think of motherboard for support of memory. Now with the memory controller on the processor you have to get use to checking the processor to make sure what is supported on it too.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[Frizzo]

what about this ram that runs at 2200mhz? are people just asking to destroy their cpu's with this?

 

[genjaguar]

Well my RAM is 1.5v and runs at 1600 at this voltage (auto puts it at 1.5v but I set it manually just in case).

 

[Sonny73N]

I'd just finished building my new i5 2500k rig a week ago (almost 4 weeks after the initial part order from newegg), then I ran across the i5 spec page on intel.com and I've realized my 1600RAM wasn't supported. So I ordered a new set of the 1333. Now I don't know what to do with the old set but I feel very much safer now that my system is fully complied with specs. When people jump off the roof, you don't have to. As to my understanding that the i5 has built in memory controller. So it doesn't matter how fast you run your RAM, the CPU will have to adjust the RAM speed to the speed that it supports. Beside, Intel put that spec there for a reason. None of us is smarter than them. Let those fools who think they are smarter can run their RAMs out of spec. But I'll bet you that when their i5 is dead, they will be lying their teeth off that how they have complied with the product spec. Shame on them.

 

[amuffin]

SO running tripple channel in a dual channel can potentially harm your cpu because it needs to run at 1.65volts?????!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sonny73N]

Oh, I forgot to add that I had lowered my previous set of RAM's frequency to 1333MHz but I had trouble with OCing. Now, with the new set in, my system is as smooth as butter = 4.5GHz at stock voltage <= oh yeahhhh...

 

[AdrianPerry]

I'd say at least 90% of people on there forums building PC's with i5-2500k's are using 1600MHz 1.5v RAM. I am myself and personally have experienced no issues.

It's the 1.65v RAM that should be avoided.

 

[genjaguar]

Best answer selected by genjaguar.