Solved XMP Necessary for Higher RAM speeds


No, I just made this all up :rolleyes:
Uh, yeah, just go to any enthusiast forum. It is a well-known practice of motherboard vendors.

Here is what my g.skill XMP 3200 does:

View attachment 16738

typical values (and values jdec run at are Vccio = .95 and Vccsa 1.05. This is 25% higher for Vccio and 13% higher for Vccsa. I can set the values manually to .95 and 1.05 and it runs fine. I run less volts tha this (1.12 and 1.16) the memory clocked to 3600..

It gets worse the higher your XMP (your RAM voltage increases the higher your XMP, and these apparently scale with that).
Well, as a former overclocker I know those voltages can spike and are dependent for a myriad of things so.... anyway, I was just looking for something more definitive from say... Intel :wink:

But yes, where possible (where possible = memory tweaking knowledge) manual setting is best. That said the vast majority of PC users aren't overclockers who are going to go through that mass of memory options just to set their memory, where a simple XMP works without harm.

Oh, and most serious overclockers I know aren't going to use XMP anyway since it locks in "pre-set values" - timings, speed, voltage. Values that may not be helpful to a successful overclock. Meaning, if you're a heavy overclocker, XMP may actually be a hinderance; if you're a light overclocker or non-overclocker, XMP is fine

Regarding the original question....

I was unaware that you need XMP enabled in the BIOS to reach higher DRAM speed.
While this can be manually done.... Yes, you need to enable XMP to get those high speeds the RAM is sold at. If not, the RAM will default to a lower speed/timing/voltage setting. Fact.

My two cents :)
 

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Well, as a former overclocker I know those voltages can spike and are dependent for a myriad of things so.... anyway, I was just looking for something more definitive from say... Intel :wink:

But yes, where possible (where possible = memory tweaking knowledge) manual setting is best. That said the vast majority of PC users aren't overclockers who are going to go through that mass of memory options just to set their memory, where a simple XMP works without harm.

Oh, and most serious overclockers I know aren't going to use XMP anyway since it locks in "pre-set values" - timings, speed, voltage. Values that may not be helpful to a successful overclock. Meaning, if you're a heavy overclocker, XMP may actually be a hinderance; if you're a light overclocker or non-overclocker, XMP is fine

Regarding the original question....


While this can be manually done.... Yes, you need to enable XMP to get those high speeds the RAM is sold at. If not, the RAM will default to a lower speed/timing/voltage setting. Fact.

My two cents :)
The definitive thing from Intel is the CYA statement about overclocking, because they don't control what the MB vendors do, it is not Intel. And those were not spikes I posted.

Yeah, I don't use XMP like I said, I set it manually and test. And if you get those high frequency XMP RAM, like 4000 MHz+, you should be careful and look at the voltages the board sets as they can be high enough to affect the processor lifetime IMO. Better to manually set at least the voltages.
 

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Yeah, I don't use XMP like I said, I set it manually and test. And if you get those high frequency XMP RAM, like 4000 MHz+, you should be careful and look at the voltages the board sets as they can be high enough to affect the processor lifetime IMO. Better to manually set at least the voltages.
I get your point and agree with you, I'm just saying XMP is a lot simpler than a manual setup. Right off the bat you have to set timings, speed, and voltage, then comes others, and do you leave those in manual or auto? What value do I choose? For a novice that's daunting.

The way I see it, if you overclock manual set, if you don't overclock use XMP. Somewhere in the middle lays the sweet spot :)

My RAM Is 3600MHz
 

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    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
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    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
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    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
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    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
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    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
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    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
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    This is my backup system.

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