[SOLVED] should i overclock my RAM?

[fluffypantsextreme]

Long story short , i was told in a forum post that my cpu (Ryzen7 1800X) was possibly bottle-necking because i had single-channel 2400mhz RAM . Recently i have upgraded to dual channel and have 2x 8Gb DDr4 sticks that i got as a gift from a friend . on the box it says "pc4-24000 3000mhz" and the guy in the forum post said my Cpu would be better suited with ~3000mhz and up .

My motherboard supports my My exact RAM BUT at the very bottom of the memory support list it says "When running XMP at DDr4 2933MHz or higher, the system's stability depends on the CPU's capabilities" I originally had my RAM going at 3000Mhz with a XMP prifile in my bios and it was causing the system to freeze up and constantly crash(it took me forever to figure out it was the ram speed cause my friend is the one who originally set everything up) .
So for now i just have the XMP profile disabled and the system has stopped freezing and crashing . but now My RAM speed is down to 2133 MHz .

So my question now is : Should i be trying to get my RAM speed as close as i can to 3000MHz as i possibly can without going above 2932Mhz ?
Also, if i should be Trying to get it closer to 3000MHz ... what would be the best way to go about doing that ? or is XMP my only option ?
I just dont want my RAM to bottleneck my CPU if that's what it'll do .

CPU : Ryzen7 1800x
MB: Gigabyte AX370-Gamingk3
RAM: Patriot/Viper 2x 8Gb DDr4 PC4-24000 3000MHz

 

[Barty1884]

You should certainly try to get it as fast as possible, stable.

A lot of kits for 1st Gen Ryzen were limited to 2933MHz, regardless of their rating. If you're kit appears on the QBL for your motherboard, you should be able to enable XMP, then manually configure the speed to 2933MHz. Effectively the same thing, and if on the QVL, the 3000MHz "stock" timings/voltage should be fine.

 

[fluffypantsextreme]

Okay so , in the bios with XMP on i can only change the value of the system memory multiplier . I changed it to 29.33 and the memory speed went to 2933Mhz . Only thing is that the timing&Voltages are on auto . So when i change the Multiplier to 29.33 the timings&Voltages are automatically adjusting .

https://imgur.com/DzcKXtz

View: https://imgur.com/DzcKXtz


Would the auto timings/Voltages be okay to use ?

 

[PC Tailor]

Okay so , in the bios with XMP on i can only change the value of the system memory multiplier . I changed it to 29.33 and the memory speed went to 2933Mhz . Only thing is that the timing&Voltages are on auto . So when i change the Multiplier to 29.33 the timings&Voltages are automatically adjusting .

https://imgur.com/DzcKXtz

View: https://imgur.com/DzcKXtz


Would the auto timings/Voltages be okay to use ?

Should be fine to use the auto voltages, sometimes it can overvolt/undervolt but it is usually fine. Best thing to do is simply try running your rig normally, if you start detecting instability, then you may want to adjust voltages slightly.

 

[fluffypantsextreme]

Should be fine to use the auto voltages, sometimes it can overvolt/undervolt but it is usually fine. Best thing to do is simply try running your rig normally, if you start detecting instability, then you may want to adjust voltages slightly.

Okay Thank you very much . I will go ahead and change it now and see if everything runs smoothly

 

[fluffypantsextreme]

Should be fine to use the auto voltages, sometimes it can overvolt/undervolt but it is usually fine. Best thing to do is simply try running your rig normally, if you start detecting instability, then you may want to adjust voltages slightly.

Hello again . I hope that this post isnt too old but about 2 weeks after i set my RAM to 2933Mhz , i started getting possible signs of instability such as a blue screen with an error message possibly relating to driver issues, Overwatch crashing with "Overwatch has crashed in the graphics driver" error messages, and my display freezing up with checkered patterns while becoming only unresponsive to clicking . (videos still playing sound, just frozen).

I am really hoping that this is being caused by the timings&Voltages on my RAM with XMP , but with both windows and overwatch blaming Drivers i went ahead and did my best to make sure everything was updated and all(windows update&Graphics drivers). Even after updating Windows&Drivers, i am still getting the same issues and I'm worried that there is a possibility that my GPU is in the process of dying, which would be terrible timing for me as i just spent all i had saved up on my first SSD .

Windows Blue-screen

https://imgur.com/Lma46xY

View: https://imgur.com/Lma46xY


Overwatch Crash Report message

https://imgur.com/ZnrCn8i

View: https://imgur.com/ZnrCn8i


Display Lockup With Checkered Pattern

https://imgur.com/EXlrDcf

View: https://imgur.com/EXlrDcf


Is this the sort of behavior that would be expected from unstable RAM? Or is this looking more like a dying GPU?

 

[PC Tailor]

This is more typical of a GPU problem. What temps are you reaching for your GPU and what PSU make and model do you have?
RAM can still cause all manner of problems, so if the above issue does not occur with the RAM clocked at a lesser speed, then leave it at the lower speed.

 

[fluffypantsextreme]

This is more typical of a GPU problem. What temps are you reaching for your GPU and what PSU make and model do you have?
RAM can still cause all manner of problems, so if the above issue does not occur with the RAM clocked at a lesser speed, then leave it at the lower speed.

I have been closely monitoring my temps as of lately and have seen nothing get above ~69 Degrees C. Also i do not really know much about the PSU because it was given to me by a friend but here is what i do know, along with a picture of the information on the sticker .

Coolmax Model: ZX-700
TC-750-ZX-700

https://imgur.com/GqNLGWk

View: https://imgur.com/GqNLGWk
I will also go ahead and turn XMP off in my bios and see if i still get any similar issues . Only problem is that the Symptoms seem to appear at completely random intervals - So the blue-screen& checkered patters both only happened one time and happened a week apart. The overwatch crashes unfortunately are just as random as the other symptoms , but i will go ahead and do my best to try to get overwatch to crash with XMP off .

 

[PC Tailor]

I have been closely monitoring my temps as of lately and have seen nothing get above ~69 Degrees C. Also i do not really know much about the PSU because it was given to me by a friend but here is what i do know, along with a picture of the information on the sticker .

Coolmax Model: ZX-700
TC-750-ZX-700

https://imgur.com/GqNLGWk

View: https://imgur.com/GqNLGWk

Well whilst it might not be directly relevant to your problem (but it might be). I would upgrade to a good quality unit as soon as you can.
If the issue does not persist when the RAM is not overclocked, simply lower the overclock and retry.

But being as you are getting graphical issues, there is also potential that there is a problem elsewhere, and the one item that should never be scrimped on is the PSU, and a poor quality PSU can easily cause all manner of issues. And also poses a risk to other components. Technically if a PSU is not supplying adequate or stable power to your GPU, it can cause the issues you have shown.

As I said, stick to the memory timings, however I would consider upgrading that PSU as soon as you can, especially if you've had it for some time, as when it blows, it can take other components with it - but it could also be invigorating the problem you are having.

 

[fluffypantsextreme]

Alrighty , so i went ahead and dropped my RAM down to 2133mhz and i am in the process of monitoring for more signs of hardware malfunctions . As for the part about my PSU , i will absolutely keep that in mind, my top priority for hardware upgrades is my PSU at this point .

I do have another GPU sitting around, so if lowering the OC on the RAM doesnt fix it, i could toss in the other GPU just to see if it makes a difference .

Thank you very much for your help and information