Understanding overclocking specs for RAM, CPU, and motherboard

[SteveKaboom]

Hello all,

 

I am working on planning my first PC build and I'm trying to understand some specs that I'm seeing. Also, any general advice or suggestions on my build design would be appreciated.

 

Right now, I'm planning on using the following components:

AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU

ASUS Prime X470 Pro motherboard (currently looking into a few other X470's though)

G.Skill Trident Z RGB RAM, DDR4, 4 x 8GB, 3600 MHz

Samsung 970 Evo NVMe SSD

Either an RX 590 or a Vega 56 GPU, undecided which yet.

Case, cooling system, and PSU are currently undecided, considering an NZXT H500 chasis (would love the H510 Elite, but right now I'm not currently planing on getting a motherboard with ADD_RGB headers, so I cant justify the price tag)

 

Here are my questions:

 

Per the motherboard specs, it can handle memory speeds of up to 2666MHz non-O.C., and 3600 O.C. If I want 3600MHz clock speeds on my RAM, will I need to overclock it to 3600MHz?

Since factory tested speed on my RAM is 3600MHz, what am I really overclocking, my RAM or my motherboard?

I've seen people talking about raising the voltage on RAM and CPU's to overclock. If I decide to over clock, how much should I raise my voltage for each?

If I overclock, will my memory and CPU ALWAYS run at those speeds, or only when its required? For example, will they overclock during simple web browsing, or only while under extreme use?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Fakmykak]

You do not want to mess around with a RAM OC unless if you already have a lot of experience with overclocking.

 

Basically if you buy 3600MHz RAM, when you first start your computer. Your RAM will be running at "JEDEC approved speeds". Which is basically something like 2133Mhz or 2400MHz. What you want to do is to go into your motherboard BIOS, find the XMP profile for you memory and turn that on. Once you turn that on your memory will now be running at the advertised 3600MHz

 

If you plan to only game, I'd recommend not buying 32GB of RAM. You won't use it all

[goto10]

if your ram runs at 2666, is not likely to be capable of reach 3600, perhaps 3200 at best

 

slow ram is sold as slow because it couldnt reach higher speeds and be stable, still, try wont harm, at worst you will need to reset bios to go back to xmp 2667

 

motherbpard is the one who forces speed on ram, you dont overclock motherboard there

 

about raising voltages, the less voltage the better

 

ram runs at 1.2v, if you only need to go up to 1.3, that is better, each ram module is different, try to increase as low as possible

 

same logic applies for cpu, but each cpu uses different voltage, so check the base voltage of your cpu and increase in the slowest ammounts possible

 

remember that overclocking voids warranty and is the quickest way to kill or reduce life expentancy of pc parts

 

the speed on ram mostly remains high, cpu can go up or down but most cases remains high even when idle, but motherbpard migjt apply some control so cpu might go down and save energy and not generating heat

 

remember to have good airflow and a good cpu cooler, so parts work under load at lower speeds, to make them last longer and avoid noise from the cpu fan under load

[alatron978]

Turn on D.O.C.P in bios and hope it works. Btw you're not overclocking your motherboard.

[Firewrath9]

7 minutes ago, goto10 said:

if your ram runs at 2666, is not likely to be capable of reach 3600, perhaps 3200 at best

buildzoid overclocked 3000mhz cruical ballistix E-die to 4000mhz, IIRC

[goto10]

2 minutes ago, Firewrath9 said:

buildzoid overclocked 3000mhz cruical ballistix E-die to 4000mhz, IIRC

buildzoid chooses ram, overclocks like the professional overclocker he is and i dont know if that overclock is stable for long periods of time, you could ask him, he migth answer you the same i did, perhaps he gives you a better answer

[Firewrath9]

5 minutes ago, goto10 said:

buildzoid chooses ram, overclocks like the professional overclocker he is and i dont know if that overclock is stable for long periods of time, you could ask him, he migth answer you the same i did, perhaps he gives you a better answer

I got 3000mhz out of my 2400mhz stick, and thats non E-die.

he got 3600mhz out of his 3000mhz stick, onRyzen first gen

[Vejnemojnen]

@Firewrath9 might I ask what motherboard did you use for these results? Looks very good with C14 CAS latency..

[SteveKaboom]

28 minutes ago, Fakmykak said:

You do not want to mess around with a RAM OC unless if you already have a lot of experience with overclocking.

 

Basically if you buy 3600MHz RAM, when you first start your computer. Your RAM will be running at "JEDEC approved speeds". Which is basically something like 2133Mhz or 2400MHz. What you want to do is to go into your motherboard BIOS, find the XMP profile for you memory and turn that on. Once you turn that on your memory will now be running at the advertised 3600MHz

 

If you plan to only game, I'd recommend not buying 32GB of RAM. You won't use it all

So by turning on the XMP profile, I am essentially turning on a factory overclocking preset that has already been deemed stable by the manufacturer or some industry standard. Did I get that correct? But if the RAM is already rated for 3600MHz normally, is this really even overclocking?

 

Regarding the amount of RAM, I may use this PC for anything from basic web browsing and video streaming, to some light gaming and potentially CAD software and 3D rendering.

 

If I turn that setting on, will my PC always O.C. it's memory, or will it only do so when needed? Same question applies to the CPU, though I think 3.7GHz will be sufficient and I wont need to O.C. the CPU.

[SteveKaboom]

29 minutes ago, alatron978 said:

Turn on D.O.C.P in bios and hope it works. Btw you're not overclocking your motherboard.

Am I turning on both XMP and DOCP? What do you mean by "hope it works"?

[Fakmykak]

Just now, SteveKaboom said:

So by turning on the XMP profile, I am essentially turning on a factory overclocking preset that has already been deemed stable by the manufacturer or some industry standard. Did I get that correct?

 

Regarding the amount of RAM, I may use this PC for anything from basic web browsing and video streaming, to some light gaming and potentially CAD software and 3D rendering.

 

If I turn that setting on, will my PC always O.C. it's memory, or will it only do so when needed? Same question applies to the CPU, though I think 3.7GHz will be sufficient and I wont need to O.C. the CPU.

Yes once you activate XMP or whatever AMD calls it in their motherboards. Your RAM will now forever be set at the advertised speed on the box. 100% safe. 

 

As for your CPU, I've only ever overclocked Intel processors so I do not know a whole lot about Ryzen or AMD. But I can tell you that your CPU (if overclocked) will bounce between the lowest achievable clock speed and the speed you have set in your OC.

Example: OC is at 4Gghz. Your CPU will be at 4Ghz under load (in games/CAD), but if your using chrome the speed will bounce between something like 800Mhz and the 4Ghz. 

[Fakmykak]

Just now, SteveKaboom said:

Am I turning on both XMP and DOCP? What do you mean by "hope it works"?

XMP and DOCP are the same. Intel calls it XMP, AMD calls it DOCP. They both activate the real speed of your RAM. Will not damage your computer.

[TMobile]

39 minutes ago, SteveKaboom said:

Hello all,

 

I am working on planning my first PC build and I'm trying to understand some specs that I'm seeing. Also, any general advice or suggestions on my build design would be appreciated.

 

Right now, I'm planning on using the following components:

AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU

ASUS Prime X470 Pro motherboard (currently looking into a few other X470's though)

G.Skill Trident Z RGB RAM, DDR4, 4 x 8GB, 3600 MHz

Samsung 970 Evo NVMe SSD

Either an RX 590 or a Vega 56 GPU, undecided which yet.

Case, cooling system, and PSU are currently undecided, considering an NZXT H500 chasis (would love the H510 Elite, but right now I'm not currently planing on getting a motherboard with ADD_RGB headers, so I cant justify the price tag)

 

Here are my questions:

 

Per the motherboard specs, it can handle memory speeds of up to 2666MHz non-O.C., and 3600 O.C. If I want 3600MHz clock speeds on my RAM, will I need to overclock it to 3600MHz?

Since factory tested speed on my RAM is 3600MHz, what am I really overclocking, my RAM or my motherboard?

I've seen people talking about raising the voltage on RAM and CPU's to overclock. If I decide to over clock, how much should I raise my voltage for each?

If I overclock, will my memory and CPU ALWAYS run at those speeds, or only when its required? For example, will they overclock during simple web browsing, or only while under extreme use?

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi, You have some questions and imo you're getting answers that don't really help. Also imo your build isn't really optimal, for example you are using zen+ instead of zen 2. I do not have the time at the moment to help you, but if you want more detailed info feel free to let me know.

 

I suggest you just search this forrum or google with your budget and your needs and make sure you look at the most recent posts, they might be better.

[TMobile]

1 minute ago, Fakmykak said:

XMP and DOCP are the same. Intel calls it XMP, AMD calls it DOCP. They both activate the real speed of your RAM. Will not damage your computer.

To specify asus calls it docp on their amd boards, other brands have other names

[Firewrath9]

15 minutes ago, Vejnemojnen said:

@Firewrath9 might I ask what motherboard did you use for these results? Looks very good with C14 CAS latency..

that wasn't me, heres a link to OP.

top comment there

[SteveKaboom]

6 minutes ago, Fakmykak said:

Yes once you activate XMP or whatever AMD calls it in their motherboards. Your RAM will now forever be set at the advertised speed on the box. 100% safe. 

 

As for your CPU, I've only ever overclocked Intel processors so I do not know a whole lot about Ryzen or AMD. But I can tell you that your CPU (if overclocked) will bounce between the lowest achievable clock speed and the speed you have set in your OC.

Example: OC is at 4Gghz. Your CPU will be at 4Ghz under load (in games/CAD), but if your using chrome the speed will bounce between something like 800Mhz and the 4Ghz. 

That makes sense, Thank you. I'll remember to set that up when I configure my bios. To follow up though, is that really even overclocking? My bios will be set to"overclock" but my memory will be running at factory tested speeds. Also, am I correct in assuming that factory tested speeds are safe for long term use and wont damage the memory?

[SteveKaboom]

8 minutes ago, TheThymo said:

Hi, You have some questions and imo you're getting answers that don't really help. Also imo your build isn't really optimal, for example you are using zen+ instead of zen 2. I do not have the time at the moment to help you, but if you want more detailed info feel free to let me know.

 

I suggest you just search this forrum or google with your budget and your needs and make sure you look at the most recent posts, they might be better.

When you get a minute I'd like to hear your response to this. AMD specifically states on their website that the Ryzen 7 2700X is a 2nd gen processor. What is Gen+? What isn't optimal? I picked these components specifically because they are compatible.

[DocSwag]

1 minute ago, SteveKaboom said:

When you get a minute I'd like to hear your response to this. AMD specifically states on their website that the Ryzen 7 2700X is a 2nd gen processor. What is Gen+? What isn't optimal? I picked these components specifically because they are compatible.

Zen+ is the architecture of the Ryzen 2000 series. AMD just came out with the new 3000 series CPUs based on Zen2, which are a solid upgrade over the 2000 series. Unless you're getting a really good deal on the 2700x, I would definitely suggest you get a 3700x and X570 motherboard

[SteveKaboom]

2 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

Zen+ is the architecture of the Ryzen 2000 series. AMD just came out with the new 3000 series CPUs based on Zen2, which are a solid upgrade over the 2000 series. Unless you're getting a really good deal on the 2700x, I would definitely suggest you get a 3700x and X570 motherboard

I still have a budget. Brand new tech like that is crazy expensive. I don't do enough gaming to justify spending $700-900 on just a CPU and motherboard. That's absurd and frankly unnecessary. Not to mention the only real upgrade to the x570 chipset is PCIe 4.0, which isn't even fully utilized right now. Unless there is some major design flaw in the components I've picked out, I'm content with it. I don't need the newest tech. But I did get a good deal on the CPU which is why I already bough it.

[DocSwag]

1 minute ago, SteveKaboom said:

I still have a budget. Brand new tech like that is crazy expensive. I don't do enough gaming to justify spending $700-900 on just a CPU and motherboard. That's absurd and frankly unnecessary. Not to mention the only real upgrade to the x570 chipset is PCIe 4.0, which isn't even fully utilized right now. Unless there is some major design flaw in the components I've picked out, I'm content with it. I don't need the newest tech. But I did get a good deal on the CPU which is why I already bough it.

I did just check and it appears the 2700x is on a discount right now, which would result in 3700x+X570 probably being about $100 more than your config.

 

I think the R5 3600 could also be worth considering though. If you're mostly gaming the 3600 could be a little bit better than the 2700x, but if you need the multi core performance the 2700x will definitely win out

[Fakmykak]

31 minutes ago, DocSwag said:

I did just check and it appears the 2700x is on a discount right now, which would result in 3700x+X570 probably being about $100 more than your config.

 

I think the R5 3600 could also be worth considering though. If you're mostly gaming the 3600 could be a little bit better than the 2700x, but if you need the multi core performance the 2700x will definitely win out

Just because OP did not buy the newest thing does not mean his build is not good. LOL

 

The Ryzen2000 chips right now are stupid cheap. Unless if you really really need the performance from Ryzen3000. Ryzen2000 will give you better performance for the money.

[Fakmykak]

55 minutes ago, SteveKaboom said:

That makes sense, Thank you. I'll remember to set that up when I configure my bios. To follow up though, is that really even overclocking? My bios will be set to"overclock" but my memory will be running at factory tested speeds. Also, am I correct in assuming that factory tested speeds are safe for long term use and wont damage the memory?

What do you mean is that even overclocking? Anything over stock is considered a overclock....

 

Your RAM will not be considered overclocked because they are rated for 3600MHz. Yes it is safe to use the memory profiles on your motherboard, they have been pretested. Just do not touch any of the voltages unless if you really know what your doing.

 

Make sure you press F10 to save the settings in BIOS after you make changes. Or else they will not take effect.

[SteveKaboom]

6 minutes ago, Fakmykak said:

What do you mean is that even overclocking? Anything over stock is considered a overclock....

 

Your RAM will not be considered overclocked because they are rated for 3600MHz. Yes it is safe to use the memory profiles on your motherboard, they have been pretested. Just do not touch any of the voltages unless if you really know what your doing.

 

Make sure you press F10 to save the settings in BIOS after you make changes. Or else they will not take effect.

So I really wouldn't even be overclocking anything, rather just setting my bios to properly utilize a higher factory memory clock speed than what it was preset for.

[DocSwag]

16 minutes ago, Fakmykak said:

 Just because OP did not buy the newest thing does not mean his build is not good. LOL

 

 The Ryzen2000 chips right now are stupid cheap. Unless if you really really need the performance from Ryzen3000. Ryzen2000 will give you better performance for the money.

I know, and that's why I suggested the 2700x if they need multi core, but benchmarks do show that the 3000 series has better single core performance and as a result the 6 core Zen2 CPUs do a bit better at gaming than the 8 core Zen+ ones

[Fakmykak]

34 minutes ago, SteveKaboom said:

So I really wouldn't even be overclocking anything, rather just setting my bios to properly utilize a higher factory memory clock speed than what it was preset for.

Correct.