Underperforming RAM, please help?

[Walter H.W.]

Hi guys, 

 

As you can see in this link: http://www.passmark.com/baselines/V8/display.php?id=29442045895  my PC is pretty average, still the memory is really underperforming (imho) cause it's 8Gb of G Skill 1866Mhz memory ( http://www.gskill.com/en/product/f3-14900cl9d-8gbsr ) and it performs worse than 8Gb of Samung PC3-12800 Ram, which is pretty disappointing.

 

I changed the DRAM Frequency to 1866Mhz in the bios and the PC sees that it is at 1866Mhz but when I run the benchmark it says I've 12800 memory and such a low score.

 

Can anyone please help me set it up? I really have no idea how to fix it, a step by step explanation would be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

P.S.: I'm on AMD and this is my motherboard: http://www.msi.com/product/mb/970AG43.html#hero-specification

 

[TheMcSame]

I know you've already said you changed the frequency in the BIOS but did you try enabling an XMP profile?

[killcomic]

My GSKILL RAM is also shown as 12800 in Passmark but it rips through the test (running at 2133).  I think your BIOS is not detecting the settings correctly and you might need to set them up manually (like latency and timing).

[Walter H.W.]

I don't know, but 15343 MB/s read and 10291 MB/S write seems unrealistic to me for 1866 CL9 RAM. Actually your speeds seem pretty normal to me.

 

Why? There are better too http://www.memorybenchmark.net/ram_list.php 

 

I know you've already said you changed the frequency in the BIOS but did you try enabling an XMP profile?

 

Yes I've tried both XMP profile 1 and 2, same results.

[seiny]

Do you feel or see a lack of performance when using the PC?

[Walter H.W.]

My GSKILL RAM is also shown as 12800 in Passmark but it rips through the test (running at 2133).  I think your BIOS is not detecting the settings correctly and you might need to set them up manually (like latency and timing).

 

Well, that's the problem (supposing that it'd fix it), I don't know how to do it and guides are pretty generic..

[killcomic]

Well, that's the problem (supposing that it'd fix it), I don't know how to do it and guides are pretty generic..

I hope this helps:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1343306/memory-timings-gskill-sniper-model-f3-14900cl9d-8gbsr

[Walter H.W.]

Do you feel or see a lack of performance when using the PC?

 

I'm not 100% sure, if you asked me 2 days ago when I didn't have an SSD I'd have told you 'yes of course' but now it seems to be better, still I feel like it throttles sometimes in Chrome (but I don't know if it's cause of the RAM).

 

Anyway, shouldn't my RAM perform much better than 2 stars out of 5? I know it doesn't mean much but the score is really low and the latency is 3x what it should be.

[Walter H.W.]

I hope this helps:

http://www.overclock.net/t/1343306/memory-timings-gskill-sniper-model-f3-14900cl9d-8gbsr

 

Hmm why is his DRAM Frequency 805Mhz? Mine is at 933Mhz even if I don't change anything. Is it wrong?

 

[killcomic]

Hmm why is his DRAM Frequency 805Mhz? Mine is at 933Mhz even if I don't change anything. Is it wrong?

 

cpuz2.PNGcpuz.PNG

Weird, although 933.3 sound right.

I noticed your timings are way loose. I would suggest to follow the CPU-Z timings for XMP-1866 as shown on the picture on the right. It should increase the performance a bit.

[Walter H.W.]

Weird, although 933.3 sound right.

I noticed your timings are way loose. I would suggest to follow the CPU-Z timings for XMP-1866 as shown on the picture on the right. It should increase the performance a bit.

 

I've found a good guide http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=10390 but at one point it says to change the CPU-NB Voltage to +0.1V but the minimum I can add is 0.812V. Why?

[killcomic]

I've found a good guide http://www.gskill.us/forum/showthread.php?t=10390 but at one point it says to change the CPU-NB Voltage to +0.1V but the minimum I can add is 0.812V. Why?

I wouldn't be messing around with NB voltage. Seriously.

Better to just change the timings manually. Make sure you know how clear the CMOS in case it fails to POST.

[Walter H.W.]

I wouldn't be messing around with NB voltage. Seriously.

Better to just change the timings manually. Make sure you know how clear the CMOS in case it fails to POST.

 

Well, that's what I was doing, You suggest I only do that and do not change any voltages? (It was a G Skill technician suggesting this way).

 

 

Btw I'm on AMD, can that be the problem?

 

 

 

[killcomic]

Well, that's what I was doing, You suggest I only do that and do not change any voltages? (It was a G Skill technician suggesting this way).

 

 

Btw I'm on AMD, can that be the problem?

 

 

BIOS-1.PNG

BIOS-2.PNG

BIOS-3.PNG

Well, I wouldn't be messing with voltages if I didn't have to. Just try it with manual timings first.

[Walter H.W.]

Well, I wouldn't be messing with voltages if I didn't have to. Just try it with manual timings first.

 

I did (with 1.507V cause it seemed unharmful) I got a slight better score and 60 latency instead of 62 but it's still pretty bad. http://www.memorybenchmark.net/latency_ddr3_intel.html

[killcomic]

I did (with 1.507V cause it seemed unharmful) I got a slight better score and 60 latency instead of 62 but it's still pretty bad. http://www.memorybenchmark.net/latency_ddr3_intel.html

Right. I guess then you can try what was suggested in regards to the NB voltage, but keep an eye on the temps (I'm paranoid like that).

[Walter H.W.]

Right. I guess then you can try what was suggested in regards to the NB voltage, but keep an eye on the temps (I'm paranoid like that).

 

Which temps specifically?

[killcomic]

The Northbridge.

Just don't try to add too much voltage. 

[Walter H.W.]

The Northbridge.

Just don't try to add too much voltage. 

 

I don't know man, maybe I'll just wait for someone who has a different solution, I don't want to break something. 

[Mojo-Jojo]

Here's something to check: did you correctly set it up for dual channel? Using the correct slots and all?

[Walter H.W.]

Here's something to check: did you correctly set it up for dual channel? Using the correct slots and all?

Well other than putting them in the slots with the same color there isn't much left to do, right?

[Mojo-Jojo]

Well other than putting them in the slots with the same color there isn't much left to do, right?

Nope. Just making sure

[Walter H.W.]

Nope. Just making sure

Ok Hehe.

[Walter H.W.]

Looks like I was right doubting the problem was cause of my PC being AMD, 

 

As it shows in these 2 links, Intel and AMD have very different latencies.

 

http://www.memorybenchmark.net/latency_ddr3_intel.html

 

http://www.memorybenchmark.net/latency_ddr3_amd.html

 

 

So the 59.5ns latency I managed to get is good compared to the 62ns it shows on the website.

 

I guess there's nothing I can do to make it better, way to go AMD! 

[killcomic]

Looks like I was right doubting the problem was cause of my PC being AMD, 

 

As it shows in these 2 links, Intel and AMD have very different latencies.

 

http://www.memorybenchmark.net/latency_ddr3_intel.html

 

http://www.memorybenchmark.net/latency_ddr3_amd.html

 

 

So the 59.5ns latency I managed to get is good compared to the 62ns it shows on the website.

 

I guess there's nothing I can do to make it better, way to go AMD! 

Now that's.... Um... unfortunate.

Wow. I'm stunned. I didn't think that could be the issue.