[SOLVED] First time ram OC

[extreme_noob]

I have a Ryzen 7 3700X on X570 and 2x8GB DDR4 3200 16-18-18-38 memory which I would like to either tighten timings or increase frequency. According to DRAM Calculator, I can either do 3200Mhz C14 at 1.39V fast preset, 3466Mhz C16 at 1.4V safe, 1.43V fast preset, or 3533Mhz C16 at 1.45V fast preset (If needed, I can provide screenshots of the recommended settings). Should I focus on increasing frequency or tightening timings? Also, up to which voltage is safe for long term use? My ram (Trident Z RGB) doesn't have any special cooling, except the (probably decorative) heatsink.

I'll be mostly gaming, if use case matters.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Third-Eye]

So I did as you said and saved and exited. I re-entered the bios to see what settings it said it had.
I took a picture of most of the timings, which seemed completely unrealistic.

https://imgur.com/a/PeD4NGS

View: http://imgur.com/a/PeD4NGS


Then I booted into windows and opened ryzen master and it showed this, which seems high, but entirely possible:

https://imgur.com/a/6NGZf10

View: https://imgur.com/a/6NGZf10


I did a Cinebench R20 run and it scored 4649, with my XMP score being 4678. It's almost within margin of error, so CAS Latency 24 can't be too far off.

Would this be expected of Hynix AFR Die?

24 cas latency is terrible if it's actually setting that for 3466Mhz. If you haven't tried it yet, set the timings to CL17-19-19-40 and 1t command rate at 1.35v. If it gets errors during a memtest86 run or if you try playing game and they crash, up the voltage to 1.37. If you still get errors, change command rate to 2t. Fewer errors in memtest86 means you're likely moving in the right direction with settings. Although, maybe what you should do instead of trying higher frequency is try tighter timings at 3200Mhz by trying 14-16-16-34 1t at 1.35v to see if it will run stable.

 

[extreme_noob]

24 cas latency is terrible if it's actually setting that for 3466Mhz. If you haven't tried it yet, set the timings to CL17-19-19-40 and 1t command rate at 1.35v. If it gets errors during a memtest86 run or if you try playing game and they crash, up the voltage to 1.37. If you still get errors, change command rate to 2t. Fewer errors in memtest86 means you're likely moving in the right direction with settings. Although, maybe what you should do instead of trying higher frequency is try tighter timings at 3200Mhz by trying 14-16-16-34 1t at 1.35v to see if it will run stable.

Would command rate affect performance and stability more than timings and subtimings? I decided to play around on my own in the absence of advice, pushing voltage as high as 1.44V and changing timings to 17-19-19-40 then 17-20-20-40 then 18-20-20-40. They all failed memtest86, and I believe the least errors I got (which was still at 7% of a Test 5 pass) was around 50, and on 1.43V 17-19-19-40, but I don't remember too clearly.

 

[Third-Eye]

Would command rate affect performance and stability more than timings and subtimings? I decided to play around on my own in the absence of advice, pushing voltage as high as 1.44V and changing timings to 17-19-19-40 then 17-20-20-40 then 18-20-20-40. They all failed memtest86, and I believe the least errors I got (which was still at 7% of a Test 5 pass) was around 50, and on 1.43V 17-19-19-40, but I don't remember too clearly.

At this point, running the rated specs of the kit through memtest86 may reveal your modules are actually faulty and you need to return them. Try XMP first and then try manually setting the rated specs at 1.35v with everything else on auto.

 

[extreme_noob]

At this point, running the rated specs of the kit through memtest86 may reveal your modules are actually faulty and you need to return them. Try XMP first and then try manually setting the rated specs at 1.35v with everything else on auto.

It's been 6 months since I purchased my RAM, so I'm definitely out of return period. Would warranties cover this kind of thing?

 

[Third-Eye]

It's been 6 months since I purchased my RAM, so I'm definitely out of return period. Would warranties cover this kind of thing?

The ram should still be in the warranty period which could be from 2 years to "lifetime" of the product. The warranty period starts from when you make the purchase of the product. If you are getting errors in memtest86 at both the XMP or manual settings of the advertised specs and the minimum JEDEC standard of 2133Mhz (basically unconfigured ram) then you need to get it replaced by RMA through the manufacturer. https://www.gskill.com/rma

Edit - The only issue I can see with RMA is you tried overclocking the ram so they may not accept the RMA. You will just have to try. Make sure you test any new ram kits before you start overclocking.

 

[extreme_noob]

The ram should still be in the warranty period which could be from 2 years to "lifetime" of the product. The warranty period starts from when you make the purchase of the product. If you are getting errors in memtest86 at both the XMP or manual settings of the advertised specs and the minimum JEDEC standard of 2133Mhz (basically unconfigured ram) then you need to get it replaced by RMA through the manufacturer. https://www.gskill.com/rma

Edit - The only issue I can see with RMA is you tried overclocking the ram so they may not accept the RMA. You will just have to try. Make sure you test any new ram kits before you start overclocking.

I ran memtest86 at 2133Mhz and XMP and both tests passed. They were both tests 5, 8, 9 and 4 passes.

 

[Third-Eye]

I ran memtest86 at 2133Mhz and XMP and both tests passed. They were both tests 5, 8, 9 and 4 passes.

I honestly would not even bother trying to oc anymore with that kit. That memory kit likely just isn't capable of oc'ing much or something with the motherboard is making it incompatible at certain speeds and timings. It's not like you are missing out on a massive performance boost by not being able to run 3466 vs 3200Mhz.