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Q: Overclocking, Memory and Intel Mobos

alostpacket

alostpacket

Over Macho Grande?
Hi gang,

So I have to admit my overclocking skills are weak-sauce :o and it's been a long while. So I wanted to ask a few quick questions about OC'ing.

First my current setup

Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66Ghz --- OC ---> 3.6Ghz

Mobo: EVGA X58 SLI (Model: 132-BL-E758 Version: Tylersburg)

Cpu Socket: Socket 1366 LGA

Current Memory: 3x 2GB (6GB total) Crucial DDR3 1333Mhz

Memory Slots: 6 (24GB max I think)


The questions:

1) I have this system OC'd. And because of the way Intel boards/CPUs OC via the multiplier, I *THINK* the memory is OC'd as well.

Now, if I buy DDR 1600 memory, will that make it OC too fast? Or will that give me more room to breathe on the OC?



2) Are there other advantages to buying a faster set of memory? i.e. is DDR3 1600 or DDR3 1866 better for my system? Will there be any noticeable improvement?



3) Can I mix and match speeds? ie 3x DDR3 1333 with 3x DDR3 1600? It seems a shame to waste the 6GB I have in there, but I would like to get at least 12GB total.



4) How much do the CAS/Timings matter? Do they need to match?


5) I assume I should dial back my OC when installing new memory and go through the process again to test stability... Correct?



.
 
I haven't read a lot on these QPI-based mobos, yet, but since it's an eVGA model you should really get your info for this mobo family from the eVGA forums - they're top notch, and the guides there are to die for.

Just look at this one FAQ / list of guides - and I'll get back to you next week when you're finally finished reading :p

X58 STICKY INDEX to include overclocking/troubleshooting guides

Trust me, it's well worth it to read their guides, if for no other reason then just because at least the options will be specific for your board....

Having said that,....

1) If you do not change the multiplier / ratio, then yes, the new mem will get OC'd as well - but if you let the mobo detect the memory and apply appropriate settings, then and only then will it make a difference (and with this mobo, I would not be surprised if it auto detects and applies the new values for the various RAM associated settings and all of a sudden you get that great ozone smell....)

2) Faster RAM is only one aspect to look at - timings would be another - IIRC, CL7 1600 RAM would perform better than CL9 1800 RAM< but that may have changed since we're hitting these obscenely high clocks now....

3) If you mix, everything operates at the lowest speed in the bunch. If you're not careful, you might force underclock memory to specs it really cannot / does not like operating at and it can cause all sorts of idiosyncrasies and problems down the road. It's better if you don't, but if oyu remove the OCing then it really should not matter.

4) That is what I was referring to in 2). Yes, they matter, and especially if OCing. Usually, though, they really don't mean a thing if you're not benchmarking, or playing games all the time.

5) Absolutely. Same when installing Windows 7, too - it can be rather hairy trying to figure out why W7 won't install and come to find out it's simply a matter of OCing....

This also might have changed, and it never happened to me, but a lot of folks on nForce 6 and nForce 7-based mobos (I had an eVGA 780i myself) complained that they could not install Windows 7 when the mobo was OCd, or if the mobo had more than one stick of memory installed,...all sorts of weird shenanigans....

HTH
 
Out of interest, what does overclocking an i7 960 do to its 2.93 Ghz turbo boost max frequency? is it just wiped out? I imagine so.
 
SUroot said:
Out of interest, what does overclocking an i7 960 do to its 2.93 Ghz turbo boost max frequency? is it just wiped out? I imagine so.
Click to expand...


I'll have to admit I have no idea what that is :D But my i7 was one of the first gen i7s and is very stable at 3.6ghz - even pretty stable at 3.8 (managed to push 4.0 too, but it made me nervous heh).
 
The i range (i3, i5 and i7), even first generation have a turbo boost function that is automatically called when required (above what is advertised).

Your i7 920 will already run at 2.93 Ghz if it is determined by magical forces that the advertised 2.66 is not enough.

My 2.67 i5 560 will turbo boost from 2.67 to 3.2 (as per my signature).

Just wondering if overclocking these CPUs will:

1) cancel out turbo boost
2) actually underclock back to 2.93Ghz when more than 3.6Mhz is required.

Might be worth investigating how intel turbo boost is called and how it affects you if you overclock.
 
The turbo boost is still there, sort of.

The Turbo boost actually occurs when it OCs a single core 1 more multiplier than the rest of the cores from the stock setting. I haven't explored it too much yes, since 4 cores + 4 virtual cores all @ 3.2 GHz is more than sufficient for the time being for me, but there may be a recommendation to disable turbo boost when OCing. It will probably depend upon 1) stability, and 2) OC Guide writer's preference, in that order.

My *guess* is that you disable Turbo Boost when OCing, particularly if you push the envelope a lot an get right to the edge of stability.
 
Well if I get memory from Santa, I'll double check this for sure :) Probably double check anyways - it would be good peace of mind.
 
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