Enabling RAM's true potential?

[Gessler]

Hey so I've bought two sticks of 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1866MHz RAM (total 16GB). It clearly says 1866 on the label but when I put it in my rig and open up the BIOS it says I'm using 1333MHz RAM (666MHz dual-channel). I don't understand this but a little bit of poking around the BIOS (MSI Z97 Gaming 7 motherboard) gave me an XMP setting, where I got the  option to clock my RAM over to the desired 1866mhz.

 

Now I want to know if this is safe? When I switch it over to 1866 mhz profile, I also need to know if we have to change the voltage rate manually as well...am I forcing my RAM to run at higher speeds without giving it enough power?? I did some research and found that both my MoBo and RAM are "XMP-Ready", but I've never worked with any XMP-enabled MoBo/BIOS before and I always thought this is something related to overclocking.

 

--

 

On the other hand, I'm getting the option (in the OC Settings tab) to turn my DRAM frequency to 1866 from 1333...I think this is like the base clock or something because the other category titled "Adjusted DRAM frequency" depends on whether we turn on XMP or not to achieve 1866.

 

I'm not sure if I should turn by DRAM frequency as 1866 or enable XMP to adjust my DRAM frequency to 1866.

 

So please help guys.

[JefferyD90]

If your RAM is on the QVL list it just works.  Otherwise you need to manually enter it.

[Glenwing]

Hey so I've bought two sticks of 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1866MHz RAM (total 16GB). It clearly says 1866 on the label but when I put it in my rig and open up the BIOS it says I'm using 1333MHz RAM (666MHz dual-channel). I don't understand this but a little bit of poking around the BIOS (MSI Z97 Gaming 7 motherboard) gave me an XMP setting, where I got the  option to clock my RAM over to the desired 1866mhz.

 

Now I want to know if this is safe? When I switch it over to 1866 mhz profile, I also need to know if we have to change the voltage rate manually as well...am I forcing my RAM to run at higher speeds without giving it enough power?? I did some research and found that both my MoBo and RAM are "XMP-Ready", but I've never worked with any XMP-enabled MoBo/BIOS before and I always thought this is something related to overclocking.

 

--

 

On the other hand, I'm getting the option (in the OC Settings tab) to turn my DRAM frequency to 1866 from 1333...I think this is like the base clock or something because the other category titled "Adjusted DRAM frequency" depends on whether we turn on XMP or not to achieve 1866.

 

I'm not sure if I should turn by DRAM frequency as 1866 or enable XMP to adjust my DRAM frequency to 1866.

 

So please help guys.

RAM isn't inherently a certain speed, all DDR3 defaults to 1333 or 1600. "1866" means it's rated for overclocking up to at least 1866. You can achieve that via XMP or manual overclocking, whichever you prefer.

[blackadder]

Thats strange, xmp profile one normally works. The timing should be below the speed in bios, look up the timings, normally said on the product page

[SkilledRebuilds]

Stickers on your Memory state what Voltage it needs.

Voltage sensors in BIOS show what voltage its running at.

 

Set XMP and it should do SPD/Timings/Voltage all for you

 

or enter 1866Mhz yourself Manually, set timings and voltage yourself.

[Naeaes]

XMP will do it all for you. No need to tweak anything else. 

 

The reason it defaults to 1333MHz is that your BIOS assumes it's safe no matter what RAM you have. What XMP does is actually "ask" the memory and CPU for their preferred settings. 1866MHz might be fine but it might as well turn out to be unstable. Time and benchmarking will tell. Without XMP those values would have to be input manually. It won't break anything anyway. As long as you don't touch the voltages. If it's wonky, turn on the profile with 1600MHz.

[Timmy-P]

To answer the "grand question..." Yes, it's perfectly safe to enable the XMP profile to get 1866 MHz, and it's the recommended way.  Set it and be done with it, assuming you don't have any future problems.  The people above have explained it a lot more than I'd ever have been able to, so there's that as well.