B350 Tomahawk - 3200(OC) Memory Speed?

[jsahota751]

Hello, I need to know what the OC beside different supported memory speeds for motherboard specs mean. I know OC means overclock, but I want to get a 3200mhz kit on the B350 Tomahawk, but when I read over the specs, it said 3200(OC), does that mean I have to overclock a RAM set to 3200mhz for it to actually run at that speed, or does it mean it supports 3200mhz and is capable of overclocking RAM to that speed? Or is it something different? Please let me know. Thanks!

 

[Lutfij]

Yes, you're going to have to overclock the ram. In essence anything above DDR4-2133/2400MHz is an overclock. You can actually go into BIOS(motherboard) and manually input the timings, frequency and the voltage to your ram kit. After a subsequent reboot, it'll take effect.

The board supports ram that are spec'd higher than JEDEC.

I'd advice on updating your motherboard BIOS with one stick of ram.When that's done go in dual channel, with two sticks of ram and then manually input the numbers in BIOS.

 

[jsahota751]

Yes, you're going to have to overclock the ram. In essence anything above DDR4-2133/2400MHz is an overclock. You can actually go into BIOS(motherboard) and manually input the timings, frequency and the voltage to your ram kit. After a subsequent reboot, it'll take effect.

The board supports ram that are spec'd higher than JEDEC.

I'd advice on updating your motherboard BIOS with one stick of ram.When that's done go in dual channel, with two sticks of ram and then manually input the numbers in BIOS.

so if I were to buy a 2x8GB DDR4 3200, it would run at 3200mhz, right?

 

[drea.drechsler]

Yes, you're going to have to overclock the ram. In essence anything above DDR4-2133/2400MHz is an overclock. You can actually go into BIOS(motherboard) and manually input the timings, frequency and the voltage to your ram kit. After a subsequent reboot, it'll take effect.

The board supports ram that are spec'd higher than JEDEC.

I'd advice on updating your motherboard BIOS with one stick of ram.When that's done go in dual channel, with two sticks of ram and then manually input the numbers in BIOS.

so if I were to buy a 2x8GB DDR4 3200, it would run at 3200mhz, right?

Your chances of it working successfully with the latest BIOS is much better. But you have to keep in mind that 3200 is an overclock for both RAM and the processor, which has the memory controller. That means you're also dependent on your processor being capable. The newest Tomahawk BIOS opens up many timing options to help you get it to work. People are reporting much greater success getting their kits to 3200, but you may have to use some of those tweaking options to do it.

All the 3200 specified on the kit package means is the DIMM MFR selected RAM chips with optimal performance characteristics to pass a test on their equipment.

I'd not buy a 3200 DIMM kit unless my vendor will refund or exchange it if I can't get it to work in my system.

 

[jsahota751]

Yes, you're going to have to overclock the ram. In essence anything above DDR4-2133/2400MHz is an overclock. You can actually go into BIOS(motherboard) and manually input the timings, frequency and the voltage to your ram kit. After a subsequent reboot, it'll take effect.

The board supports ram that are spec'd higher than JEDEC.

I'd advice on updating your motherboard BIOS with one stick of ram.When that's done go in dual channel, with two sticks of ram and then manually input the numbers in BIOS.

so if I were to buy a 2x8GB DDR4 3200, it would run at 3200mhz, right?

Your chances of it working successfully with the latest BIOS is much better. But you have to keep in mind that 3200 is an overclock for both RAM and the processor, which has the memory controller. That means you're also dependent on your processor being capable. The newest Tomahawk BIOS opens up many timing options to help you get it to work. People are reporting much greater success getting their kits to 3200, but you may have to use some of those tweaking options to do it.

All the 3200 specified on the kit package means is the DIMM MFR selected RAM chips with optimal performance characteristics to pass a test on their equipment.

I'd not buy a 3200 DIMM kit unless my vendor will refund or exchange it if I can't get it to work in my system.

these are my soon to be specs
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/Q49yxG

can you let me know if my system will support 3200mhz?

 

[helpstar]

Eventually you mixed up the RAM and the CPU frequency? The CPU frequency will be 3200MHz by default, the RAM frequency is 2400MHz for this CPU by default. Just the RAM frequency will be overclocked, if you get a 3200MHz RAM kit.

The compatibility list says yes, the chosen RAM was tested by MSI with 3200MHz running:
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B350-TOMAHAWK#support-mem-12

 

[drea.drechsler]

Yes, you're going to have to overclock the ram. In essence anything above DDR4-2133/2400MHz is an overclock. You can actually go into BIOS(motherboard) and manually input the timings, frequency and the voltage to your ram kit. After a subsequent reboot, it'll take effect.

The board supports ram that are spec'd higher than JEDEC.

I'd advice on updating your motherboard BIOS with one stick of ram.When that's done go in dual channel, with two sticks of ram and then manually input the numbers in BIOS.

so if I were to buy a 2x8GB DDR4 3200, it would run at 3200mhz, right?

Your chances of it working successfully with the latest BIOS is much better. But you have to keep in mind that 3200 is an overclock for both RAM and the processor, which has the memory controller. That means you're also dependent on your processor being capable. The newest Tomahawk BIOS opens up many timing options to help you get it to work. People are reporting much greater success getting their kits to 3200, but you may have to use some of those tweaking options to do it.

All the 3200 specified on the kit package means is the DIMM MFR selected RAM chips with optimal performance characteristics to pass a test on their equipment.

I'd not buy a 3200 DIMM kit unless my vendor will refund or exchange it if I can't get it to work in my system.

these are my soon to be specs
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/Q49yxG

can you let me know if my system will support 3200mhz?

Eventually you mixed up the RAM and the CPU frequency? The CPU frequency will be 3200MHz by default, the RAM frequency is 2400MHz for this CPU by default. Just the RAM frequency will be overclocked, if you get a 3200MHz RAM kit.

The compatibility list says yes, the chosen RAM was tested by MSI with 3200MHz running:
https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/support/B350-TOMAHAWK#support-mem-12

To clarify: 3200 ram speed is an overclock to the CPU only for its memory controller. The R5-1600 in your PCPartPick has a rated CPU core base clock speed of 3200Mhz but it's rated maximum supported memory is 2666. That's why running 3200 memory, even if rated 3200 by the mfr, would be an overclock to the CPU.

 

[helpstar]

you are right, 2666MHz is the RAM frequency by default for single rank modules (dual rank modules 2400MHz)