Is 1,600MHz RAM Real?

Posted 09/24/2009 at 11:05am | by The Maximum PC Staff

1

Comment

Print

My system keeps freezing. The cursor doesn’t move and Ctrl-Alt-Del doesn’t bring up Task Manager. The system won’t respond to anything. It either spontaneously reboots or I have to shut down manually. Checking the event log does not show any system errors. Is there another location for a system error log?

This system has a 1,600MHz bus-speed processor and memory. Intel does not have a single stick of compatible 1,600MHz RAM in its compatible memory list. I asked its tech support about this but have not received a response. How can a manufacturer claim to have a board with a 1,600MHz FSB yet not have compatible memory?

This build consists of an Intel DX48BT2 Extreme mobo, a QX9770 quad-core CPU, two XFX GeForce 9800 GPUs, two 2GB Corsair DDR2/1600 modules, and a Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W PSU, all running XP SP3. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Where does the Doctor begin? First, if you’re overclocking, stop. Aside from a failing power supply, bad drivers, and the like, the Doctor’s gut suspicion is that you have to manually program the DIMMs to run them at DDR3/1600 speeds, or you can try enabling the XMP support in the mobo’s BIOS. If you want to do it manually, you’ll need to set the board to run the DIMMs at 7-7-7-20 at 1.9 volts. The voltage is likely the critical part. Despite XMP and Nvidia’s SLI EPP 2.0 “Autoprogram Your Overclocked RAM” systems, manually setting up the BIOS seems to be the most reliable method.

Although there could be many other issues at the root of your problem, the Doc is guessing that insufficient voltage to the RAM is the cause. Also, the fact that your CPU operates on a 1,600MHz front-side bus (400MHz x 4) does not mean you have to run the RAM at that speed. You can actually run it at the standard 9-9-9-24 speeds at 1,333MHz without increasing the voltage to the RAM. Finally, Intel’s tech support is just being intentionally obtuse, as 1,600MHz RAM is not actually anything that is blessed by JEDEC, the NFL rules committee of RAM.

SUBMIT YOUR QUESTION Are flames shooting out of the back of your rig? First, grab a fire extinguisher and douse the flames. Once the pyrotechnic display has fizzled, email the doctor at doctor@maximumpc.com for advice on how to solve your technological woes.