Even More RAM Timing

Doc, I recently built a new computer with the following specs: an EVGA Intel X58 motherboard, a Core i7 920 2.66GHz CPU, three sticks of 2GB OCZ Gold DDR3/1600 RAM, an EVGA GeForce GTX 280 SSC Edition 1GB GPU, and a Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium soundcard.

When I installed the memory, the motherboard ran it at 1,066MHz, far below what my memory is supposed to do. I’m aware that memory sticks generally report the JEDEC speeds to the mobo, so I wasn’t surprised by this. I just went into the BIOS and set it to what’s written on the sticker on my RAM: 1,600MHz, 8-8-8-24, and 1.65V.

However, I just read your “Pushing Core i7” article and now I’m wondering. Even though the startup screen for my mobo now says the memory clock is at 1,600MHz, is it really running at that speed? According to the article, I’d have to change the uncore speed to double the desired memory speed, which I believe on a 920 would require changing the base speed. I didn’t do anything other than change the memory settings in the BIOS. So what’s my memory really doing?

If you are using a retail processor, your RAM is indeed running at the higher speed. There was some initial confusion with the lower-end Core i7 CPUs. Intel originally planned to lock the memory and QPI multipliers on non-Extreme CPUs but changed course at the very last minute. CPUs supplied to the hardware vendors and reviewers for testing, however, still featured the locked memory and QPI multipliers.

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.