[SOLVED] Is it possible to push my RAM further or is this the max speed "out of the box"?

[Dwardu1055]

I recently got a new kit of RAM, it totals to 16GB of DDR4 RAM by Kingston Hyper X Fury 16GB DDR4 Gaming Ram Kit (8GB x2) rated @ 2666 Mhz.

A software called "Userbenchmark" was telling me that my RAM was performing way below expectation and to ensure an XMP profile is enabled.

I went into my BIOS and set it to "Profile1" to try enable this XMP profile, it seems to have put the Multiplier and everything else to "Auto".

It seems like it remains at 2666 Mhz, which is odd, shouldn't the XMP profile push this further?

With "Profile1" enabled, I get the same message from Userbenchmark.

The CPU on this PC is a Ryzen 7 3700x @ Stock, motherboard is a Gigabyte B450 Gaming X.

 

[MadsModsat]

It seems like it remains at 2666 Mhz, which is odd, shouldn't the XMP profile push this further?

The only change you'll see when applying XMP to your specific model of Kingston RAM, is slightly tighter timing settings. I had 2 x 16GB kits (2x8 + 2x8) of these RAM untill I replaced them with my current kit.

The RAM you have runs 2666MHz both at base frequency and XMP frequency, but the timings are a tiny bit better with the XMP profile enabled - which adds a little bit of performance.

The rated speed you see advertised for RAM is the max factory guaranteed frequency the RAM can achieve, if the CPU IMC and motherboard will also be able to support the XMP setting - it is essentially an overclock, so the XMP frequency can't always be achieved.

But a kit rated for 3600MHz has a lower base frequency (default frequency). A kit rated for 3600MHz often has a default / base frequency of 2133MHz, and are then overclocked to 3600MHz when enebaling the XMP profile.

So if you have a RAM kit rated at 2666MHz XMP, that's what they'll run when XMP is enabled, it is not an "unspecified frequency" - so the RAM frequency for your RAM with XMP enabled will never be above 2666MHz, unless you are able to manually push the frequencies to a higher number.

If you have a different kit like my current one rated for 3333MHz @ XMP settibngs, they have a base ferquency of 2133MHz, and an XMP frequency of 3333MHz. Which means my RAM actually run 2133MHz at default settings, but overclock to 3333MHz with XMP enabled.

In short. The rated speed is what the RAM will run with XMP enabled, not something beyond the rated speed, unless you manually push the overclock of the RAM further than the XMP profile does.

 

[Dwardu1055]

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply.

Looks like I'll just stick with how it is then. Personally don't want to stay messing with the timings myself as then that would require stability testing and such.

My guess is the User benchmark software remarked that based on random data versus people who "overclocked" manually? One of the highest percentile benchmarks had it set at 3200 Mhz.

 

[MadsModsat]

My guess is the User benchmark software remarked that based on random data versus people who "overclocked" manually? One of the highest percentile benchmarks had it set at 3200 Mhz.

Exactly - Userbenchmark data is "contaminated" by mixing overclocked scores with stock scores, and comparing them without diffferentiating between overclocked parts and non-overclocked parts.

Just like you mentionen, I don't personally want to fiddle with manually setting timings either, but my 3333MHz RAM is currently running @ 3500MHz, and I didn't spend more then a few minutes on it.
I just loaded the XMP profile and changed nothing but the frequency. So I'm at the exact same timings, I just squeezed a few more MHz out of the XMP profile.

But already at 3600MHz, my RAM became unstable, and I'd have to adjust timings / voltages to push the frequency further then what they're currently at, where I've beeen able to leave all other settings alone.

So it is sometimes possible to find a little extra performance with no majer effort. I did run MemTest overnight to make sure it is stable.

But to be honest, I can't tell the difference in performance - but it can be measured with benchmarks though, which is why I keep running them at 3500MHz.

But the additional overclock is pretty much completely irrelevant since it is such a tiny amount, but since it works, I'll stick with that setting. Maybe it would have a bigger impact on a Ryzen setup.

So you can always try to see if you can squeeze a bit more out of the stock XMP profile.

 

[Theresa N]

I disagree. XMP is not an "overclock," it's the speed the ram is designed to run at.

 

[MadsModsat]

I disagree. XMP is not an "overclock," it's the speed the ram is designed to run at.

So what would you call it when an XMP profile runs your IMC outside (above) the natively supported frequency?

You may not be overclocking the RAM, but most XMP profiles push the IMC above spec, which is generally considered an overclock of the IMC as far as I'm aware.

EDIT:
This is also why some RAM can't run at the advertised XMP frequency, due to the IMC not being able to run above spec. The RAM may be capable, but not always the memory controlller

 

[Nemesia]

They produce RAM that can be overclocked to let's say 3600 and sell them as 3600MHz from the default DDR4 stock speed. User use XMP to read the profile of the RAM and apply all the settings automatically without you having to set anything manually.

It is still overclocking from the default DDR4 stock speed.