Overclock RAM with MSI B85-G41? Worth it?

[cpmackenzi]

My PC link is here: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/WnwGmG but long story short, my mobo's top memory type is listed as DDR3-1600, yet I've got 2400 slotted in there. I was wondering whether there was any point to trying to overclock the RAM to get any more performance out of the RAM, given I have higher rated RAM installed. A Google search seems to indicate earlier BIOS versions didn't do well with OCing RAM, but I'm hoping they've advanced.

Is there any noticeable performance upgrade with OCing under these circumstances? What programs should I use (BIOS, Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, etc.)?

 

[weberdarren97]

Its max rated speed is 1600MHz, I wouldn't try to go past that.

 

[Tradesman1]

Prob pretty much stuck at 1600 - check to see if at 1600 - it may be at the mobo default of 1333

 

[cpmackenzi]

Prob pretty much stuck at 1600 - check to see if at 1600 - it may be at the mobo default of 1333

It's set at 1600. So in other words, OCing is really only helpful if you're running, say, 1333 RAM on a mobo that can do 1600, in which case there's headroom?

 

[weberdarren97]

I think you have the wrong idea here...

OCing RAM is to take RAM to a speed above what the CPU officially supports, into XMP speeds. You see, Skylake officially supports DDR4 2133MHz, but many Z170 boards are rated to go to (if not past) 3000MHz using XMP RAM rated for said speed. Basically, any DDR4 above 2133MHz will rely on XMP to hit its target speed.

For DDR3 on the FX series, the CPUs officially support 1866MHz. However, you can get to 2133MHz on many overclocking boards if you get 2133MHz RAM.

I don't recommend running RAM past it's rated speeds for the simple reason that if your RAM goes down, then your system goes down. Unless, of course, you have replacement sticks of RAM on hand.

 

[Tradesman1]

FYI - Actually per the BIOS and Kernel Programming guide from AMD - the FX CPUs are rated at 1333 for memory support - AMD doesn't actually say - if you look at their Memory freq guide - it will show the FX CPUs are supposedly rated "UP TO" 1866 at 1 stick per channel, with more sticks it drops to 1600 - so no 1866 is not 'official'. Most oof the higher end FX can run 2133 and some even 2400.

If the CPUs MC (memory controller) can carry a given data rate then no it's not a problem to run it

 

[cpmackenzi]

I think you have the wrong idea here...

OCing RAM is to take RAM to a speed above what the CPU officially supports, into XMP speeds. You see, Skylake officially supports DDR4 2133MHz, but many Z170 boards are rated to go to (if not past) 3000MHz using XMP RAM rated for said speed. Basically, any DDR4 above 2133MHz will rely on XMP to hit its target speed.

For DDR3 on the FX series, the CPUs officially support 1866MHz. However, you can get to 2133MHz on many overclocking boards if you get 2133MHz RAM.

I don't recommend running RAM past it's rated speeds for the simple reason that if your RAM goes down, then your system goes down. Unless, of course, you have replacement sticks of RAM on hand.

Thanks for reply. In this case my RAM can handle past the mobo's rated. Does that make a difference in your final paragraph? Or if mobo isn't rated to go above, then still not a good idea?

 

[weberdarren97]

If the motherboard's not rated to go above, I don't recommend going above.