quas

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Summary: How do you get DDR3 1600 to run at 1600?

Motherboard: MSI H77MA-G43.
Processor: Core i3 2120
RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600

I've been tinkering with the BIOS, but it seems like there's only one available setting that I can change: Intel XMP profile.

Doesn't matter if it's enabled or disabled, the memory runs at 1333 Mhz.
If XMP is enabled, I see DDR3 1600MHz 9-9-9-24 1.50V (as a profile option, I think?) but it's greyed out and cannot be selected with the keyboard or the mouse. If XMP is disabled, then the 1600 option disappears altogether.

So I click the DRAM frequency, but the options available are:
Auto
DDR3- 800 Mhz
DDR3-1066 Mhz
DDR3-1333 Mhz


Clicking Auto, I get 1333Mhz.

I have updated the BIOS to the latest version (1.8), and I'm running out of ideas. Help please?!
 


It's still considered overclocking, though because Sandy CPU's only "officially" support a max of 1333 RAM. When you use anything faster, you have to "overclock" it.

The RAM may be spec'd at 1600 CL9, but you have to "overclock" it with a Sandy CPU installed. I'm running 1600 RAM myself, with my 2500K, but I had to overclock it from a default of 1333 to actually make it run at 1600.
 

quas

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Sandy Bridge officially supports DDR3 1333, while Ivy Bridge supports DDR3 1600. Nice theory, except on an Ivy Bridge Core i5 with H77 motherboard, the memory runs at 1333 Mhz default. I have to "overclock" by using the XMP profile to get it to run at 1600 Mhz. Weird, huh?
 
H77 does not support overclocking CPU or RAM. Sandy Bridge only supports up to DDR3-1333 natively, Ivy Bridge supports DDR3-1600. If you had an Ivy Bridge CPU in there, the RAM you have would run at its rated speed automatically, but since you've got a Sandy Bridge i3, it will only run at 1333.
 
Sandy Bridge only "supports" 1333, but it can be used with any DDR3. I use 1600MHz cuz it seems to be a good price point, and beyond it there is no difference for my usage. In the Bios I have the XMP profile set to "XMP 1.2 Profile 1" and I am able to select any of the timings, but since my RAM is 1600 I use that one. Running CPUID CPU-Z confirms that my RAM is at 1600MHz.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3/8

jessterman21. Are you saying that it is overclocking? Cuz it's not. I haven't overclocked my RAM, and I don't see a benefit in doing so.
 

quas

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How do I get this XMP 1.2 Profile 1. Yeah, technically it's not overclocking but on Asus P8H77M-V Pro, the XMP profile setting that allows DDR3 1600 to run at 1600 is under the "overclock" section.
 


yeah thats where I found mine too. I have an ASRock mobo. I have the drown down choices, but I"m not sure why you don't.
 

quas

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On the BIOS itself, if I scroll down I only have the following options:

Auto
DDR3- 800 Mhz
DDR3-1066 Mhz
DDR3-1333 Mhz

But if I use the clickbios software (this is MSI exclusive software to change BIOS settings from OS), I get more options.

Auto
DDR3- 800 Mhz
DDR3- 1066 Mhz
DDR3- 1333 Mhz
DDR3- 1600 Mhz
DDR3- 1866 Mhz
DDR3- 2133 Mhz

I select the 1600Mhz, the whole thing restarts and crashes, settings reset to default at 1333Mhz.

 

chugot9218

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The software may have profiles to set your RAM to run at those speeds, but that does not mean all your components (CPU, RAM, MOBO) will support it, which sounds like what is happening.

Also, you are not going to see a huge performance gain between the two speeds, I have seen lots of people build gaming PC's and just go with the 1333mhz speed to save money that can then be spent on the components that have more effect on gaming.