ASrock H77M and 1600 Mhz RAM speed

[GasCanGerry]

Alright, so I've done a lot of searching about this issue and I still cannot pinpoint as to why I cannot have my RAM run at 1600.

Motherboard: ASrock H77M (updated to the latest available BIOS version - P1.60)
CPU: Intel Core i5 2320 (Sandy Bridge)
RAM: 2x 4GB Goodram DDR3-1600 4096MB PC3-12800 (GR1600D364L11/4G)

I read the motherboard manual and it said that only Ivy Bridge and higher support RAM speeds over 1333 Mhz and my CPU's specifications on Intel's website say that the max speed is 1333. And here is where I meet the crossroads: generally people say that it all depends on your motherboard at what speed you can have your RAM running and according to ASrock's website, my motherboard does support 1600 Mhz. Now, the manual says that I need Ivy Bridge or higher to achieve that speed, but I've read on the internet about people who have Sandy Bridge CPUs and are running their RAM at 1600 or even higher.

So, my questions are:

1. Is it something with my BIOS or motherboard? I cannot even see the button where I load XMP profiles.

2. Is it my CPU? But, like I said, I read about people with Sandy Bridge CPUs running over 1333.

3. Can I somehow force it to load the XMP profile or do I need to overclock my RAM?

Oh, and another thing: when I go into my BIOS there is this picture of my motherboard, on which I can hover my mouse over and see the different component settings. When I hover over my RAM I can see a XMP 1.1 profile that says that it's running at 1600. It is only an overview and I cannot actually change any settings from there. When I do go to my DRAM configuration settings, the only options are 1066, 1333 or AUTO.

Thank you in advance for reading and replying to my problem.

 

[MeteorsRaining]

Golden advise: Your Motherboard manual is THE most reliable source regarding your motherboard.

Another important info: XMP is from 2 sides, the RAM sticks, and the motherboard. In this particular scenario, the sticks do have XMP profiles but the motherboard doesn't support it (for the particular CPU).

Some Motherboards support 1600Mhz (XMP) with Sandy bridge, some do not. Most H series boards do not support 1600Mhz for Sandy bridge, unless specified.

1. Nothing wrong with Motherboard or BIOS, it is clearly given in the manual that Sandy bridge CPUs will run at max 1333Mhz frequency.

2. Well, the problem arose because your CPU is Sandy bridge.

3. No you can't.

Again, your memory sticks have XMP profiles, but the board doesn't support it.

 

[GasCanGerry]

Alright, thank you for the quick and precise answer.

 

[MeteorsRaining]

No worries, glad to help.