MSI Z77A-G45 and DDR3 1600 Memory Timing issue

lycan1385

Honorable
Jan 6, 2013
5
0
10,510
Hi all,

I recently finished my new build and would like some guidance/advice on how to proceed to get my memory to run at DDR3 1600 Mhz, whether it is via XMP (something I missed) or manually via timings.

Here are the specs:-

Core i5 - 3570K (100 x34) - 3.40 Ghz
(2 x 4GB) - Gskill RipJaws 9-9-9-24-2n Memory (Model # F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 - Installed in Slots 1 & 3 (both are blue in color)
MSI Z77A - G45 (updated to latest bios) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130645
Asus Geforce 550Ti

I left everything stock and the memory was working correctly at 1600 mhz right off the bat.

Then I found a Corsair Vengeance (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 Kit (9-9-9-24) (Model CMZ16GX3M2A1600C9) on sale and decided to purchase it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233299

The Corsair memory arrived, I installed it in slots 2&4 (Blue slots). And now the BIOS shows 24 GB of memory running at 1333 MHZ. So I tried to enable Intel XMP via the MSI UEFI Bios (no luck, it would be changed to disabled on reboot). I also tried MSI Click Bios II from windows - same issue there. Would just change to disabled on reboot.

Some things I tried:-
1) Putting the Corsair memory in Slots 1&3 (Black slots) and the Skill in slots 2&4 (Blue slots), no luck.
2) Installing only one set of memory - Corsair in slots 1& 3 and slots 2&4 - It still ran at DDR 1333 Mhz by default.
3) Installing only one Corsair DIMM module in Slot 1 or Slot 2 (2nd try), still defaults to DDR 1333 Mhz.

I did some more research and found that I needed to create an OC profile and load that profile in order for the settings to be saved. I was able to create this OC profile:
1) enable XMP and set the DRAM frequency to 1600 MHZ, the DRAM timing was automatically set to 9-9-9-24 1.50V.
2) change the CPU Ratio from 'Auto' to 'x34' - resulting in 3.40 GHZ (Stock).
3) Disable Intel Turbo Boost and Intel C-state.

The system now booted with 1600 MHZ and CPU-z confirmed this (frequency showed 800 Mhz and timings of 9-9-9-24, 2T).

However after leaving it on all night, in the morning the DDR frequency in CPUz had dropped to 667. I rebooted the machine and checked the BIOS and it reflected the same thing - dropped to 1333 Mhz. So I loaded the OC Profile again and am now at 1600 Mhz.

I've been looking at the XMP 1600 timings of both the Corsair and Gskill Memory in Cpu-Z and MSI Control Center. Both show the following timings:-

controlcentercorsair1.jpg
[/img]

controlcentergskill1.jpg
[/img]

corsairmemory1.jpg
[/img]

gskillmemory1.jpg
[/img]


If you look at the Images of the MSI Control Center - under the DRAM timings there is a drop down called Channel. The values in this dropbox are A, AB & B. Perhaps someone can shed some light on this?
 
This is a common problem with all slots populated. There is probably a note about this issue in your manual. Unless you are running editing or rendering machine I would just run the 2 x 8GB which should not have this issue and XMP should work fine.