How do I overclock G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB)?

[LukeMaBoy]

I just build my PC and I bought the 1600mhz version. I want to use its full potential but I don't know how? On my bios I have a setting to just change the frequency. I could litteraly click 2133 if I wanted to but is this all I have to do? Is there anything else I need to do to get it overclocked and safe? I only want it to be at 1866, but it would be nice to go higher.

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131851

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231568

CPU: AMD FX-6300 6 core CPU 3.5GHz (Plan on OC)

 

[Supahos]

well with that cpu it may or may not work... but change speed to 1866 (that is as high as you'll ever get any memory on that rig), set timings to 10-10-10-28, dram voltage to 1.55v, if that all works try dropping the first number to 9. If that works it was worth overclocking if you can't get it to run at CL9 on 1866 you'll be better off trying to run CL8 @ 1600 (raise voltage to 1.55v, drop first number from 9 to 8).

 

[LukeMaBoy]

well with that cpu it may or may not work... but change speed to 1866 (that is as high as you'll ever get any memory on that rig), set timings to 10-10-10-28, dram voltage to 1.55v, if that all works try dropping the first number to 9. If that works it was worth overclocking if you can't get it to run at CL9 on 1866 you'll be better off trying to run CL8 @ 1600 (raise voltage to 1.55v, drop first number from 9 to 8).

Why wouldn't my CPU work?

 

[Supahos]

b/c its amd, their memory controllers are much weaker than Intel, nearly all of the K series intel processors that are ivy or haswell can pull 2400 MHz with 4 sticks just fine, Few amd ones call pull 2133 with even 2 sticks, most if not all fail to pull 1866 with 4 sticks. I'm not saying it won't work I'm just saying if it doesn't it may not be the memory give it a shot worst that can happen is a boot loop that results in you clocking it back down to 1600, I had you start with the 10-10-10-28 just to see if it would run 1866, then you can try to tighten down the timings.

 

[LukeMaBoy]

Oh I see, how can I know if its running 1866?

 

[Supahos]

did you set it to 1866 in bios? Best bet google CPU Z and get the program ONLY LOOK AT THE MEMORY TAB FOR MEMORY INFORMATION it will tell you what speed its running at 667 is 1333, 800 is 1600 and 933 is 1866 (you have to double the number)

 

[LukeMaBoy]

did you set it to 1866 in bios? Best bet google CPU Z and get the program ONLY LOOK AT THE MEMORY TAB FOR MEMORY INFORMATION it will tell you what speed its running at 667 is 1333, 800 is 1600 and 933 is 1866 (you have to double the number)

I just got done doing the stuff in the bios. I went in bios, went to ai tweaker, found the ram speed and clicked 1866. Then I went under where it said DRAM timings. I only changed the first 4 in this one. There were multiple I think I did it right. Then I typed that DRAM voltage in and it wrote 1.55 then it changed to 1.5500 or something like that. I will include screen shots later if needed. CPU-Z says its running at 933.

 

[Supahos]

Then you are prefect, now just for arguments sake see if you can get it to run with the first number @ 9, if it bluescreens or won't boot I recommend trying to go back to 1600 MHz and see if it will run with the first number a 8

 

[LukeMaBoy]

Then you are prefect, now just for arguments sake see if you can get it to run with the first number @ 9, if it bluescreens or won't boot I recommend trying to go back to 1600 MHz and see if it will run with the first number a 8

Okay I see now. Thanks for the help I'll tell you if it works. And what are all the settings for 9 cas latency. Like what voltage should it be. And what does CAS Latency mean anyway?

 

[Supahos]

I would leave everything exactly the same it is now just change the first timing from 10 to 9, so that would make them 9-10-10-28. CL stands for Cache latency, its the first timing on the memory and is the one that most affects out quickly it reacts to instructions.

 

[Jon_8_]

Similar issue with an ASROCK M-X79 board and this GSKILL.

1st Turbo OC mode worked fine for years, and then I realized the XMP settings never took.

If I manually forced the 2133, no POST.

The interesting thing was I had to drop the stock CPU voltage (for the 4.2gHz OC) down to 1.25v, it would POST, and when I did that the XMP settings were finally applied, but it was not stable (whereas previously the computer would not post at 1.3v - unless set to 800mHz)

@ 1.25v I was able to reload POST into Windows, and finally crank up the the voltage back to 1.3

I was doing Blend stress testing at 1.25-1.28v and it would lock up - so I just went back to 1.3v expecting it lock up like the initial testing at 1066mHz.

I ran 9 hours of Blend at 1.3v and 1066mHz and it seems ok. Kind of counter-intuitive but it worked to allow the RAM to load the XMP speeds.