what speed ram can x99 use safely?

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phitness

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Intel says DDR4 1333/1600/2133 for memory types http://ark.intel.com/products/82931/Intel-Core-i7-5930K-Processor-15M-Cache-up-to-3_70-GHz but what is the highest speed that the 5930k can handle without damaging the IMC. I've been eyeing the Tridentz 3200 mhz 4 x 8gb kit for my build but i've read where people claim they have killed CPUs with ram speed that high. I see ram with speeds even higher "made" for z170 but intel says the same for z170 CPUs for memory types too at DDR4 1333/1600/2133 http://ark.intel.com/products/88195/Intel-Core-i7-6700K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_20-GHz.

Is this just intel playing it safe or will anything over 2133 actually damage the CPU?
 
The frequency isn't going to damage it, that is what it officially supports up to. 2666MHz is what I'd recommend without needing to adjust any dividers (I think 3000MHz might work as well).
 
SolidBladez said:
The frequency isn't going to damage it, that is what it officially supports up to. 2666MHz is what I'd recommend without needing to adjust any dividers (I think 3000MHz might work as well).
Click to expand...

Well for the tridentz 4x8gb kits the 3200mhz seems to be the sweet spot for speed/price so thats why I'm asking if 3200 is safe to run or even always possible on a 5930k or is it upto the silicon lottery on whether the IMC can handle 3200mhz? Basically I like the Tridentz 3200 4x8gb size and price and would rather have faster ram if for no other reason than for FO4 performance but I want to make sure they work ok and I dont have to worry about damaging the 5930k CPU by running the ram at 3200mhz.
 
My X99-WS doesn't even have multipliers for speeds above 2200! It really depends on the board.
 
KazeoHin said:
My X99-WS doesn't even have multipliers for speeds above 2200! It really depends on the board.
Click to expand...

So for example any 5930k on a Rampage V Extreme would be able to run 3200mhz ram since the board supports "DDR4 3300*(*O.C.)/ 3000*/ 2800*/ 2666*/ 2400*/ 2133 Non-ECC, Un-buffered"?
 
phitness said:
So for example any 5930k on a Rampage V Extreme would be able to run 3200mhz ram since the board supports "DDR4 3300*(*O.C.)/ 3000*/ 2800*/ 2666*/ 2400*/ 2133 Non-ECC, Un-buffered"?
Click to expand...

With modern chips, the memory speed is really limited by the CPU and what the board allows the CPU to allow... so to speak. Anything that requires an OC is likely CPU limited.
 
Extra speed does not damage anything. It's the extra voltage to get that speed that may cause damage.
 
phitness said:
Intel says DDR4 1333/1600/2133 for memory types http://ark.intel.com/products/82931/Intel-Core-i7-5930K-Processor-15M-Cache-up-to-3_70-GHz but what is the highest speed that the 5930k can handle without damaging the IMC. I've been eyeing the Tridentz 3200 mhz 4 x 8gb kit for my build but i've read where people claim they have killed CPUs with ram speed that high. I see ram with speeds even higher "made" for z170 but intel says the same for z170 CPUs for memory types too at DDR4 1333/1600/2133 http://ark.intel.com/products/88195/Intel-Core-i7-6700K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-4_20-GHz.

Is this just intel playing it safe or will anything over 2133 actually damage the CPU?
Click to expand...

Intel's memory controllers adhere to JEDEC specifications for RAM speeds. Memory speeds in excess of JEDEC specifications are always achieved through overclocking. Intel does not officially support memory speeds that exceed JEDEC specifications.

SolidBladez said:
The frequency isn't going to damage it, that is what it officially supports up to. 2666MHz is what I'd recommend without needing to adjust any dividers (I think 3000MHz might work as well).
Click to expand...

There are two major variables (this is oversimplification, but I'll stick with that for the time being) to memory clocks on both X99 and Z170 Express based boards. The first being the CPUs integrated memory controller. There is a bit of a silicon lottery aspect to it. Some CPUs are quite capable of hitting higher clocks while others are not. I've seen 6700K processors that can do 4.8GHz so long as you don't exceed DDR4 2800MHz memory speeds. I've seen others that can't do 4.8GHz at all but could do DDR4 3600MHz speeds up to 4.7GHz. The second major variable is actually a combination of variables. For the sake of keeping this simple we'll go with motherboard design. This encompasses board thickness, trace topology, VRD implementation, and even BIOS code. Ambient temperatures and system airflow have some say in the equation as well. This generation it seems that motherboards which are more expensive, and use more PCB layers can go beyond 3200MHz while 4-layer budget boards cannot.

2666MHz usually works, but so does 2800MHz. It's when you crack 3,000MHz that you run into problems. You have the same issues with X99 that you do with Z170-A and a couple more. You have to contend with memory dividers which may or may not be optimal for overclocking. Keep in mind that a motherboard's rated memory speed is based on what the manufacturer was able to run through QVL testing during development.

phitness said:
Well for the tridentz 4x8gb kits the 3200mhz seems to be the sweet spot for speed/price so thats why I'm asking if 3200 is safe to run or even always possible on a 5930k or is it upto the silicon lottery on whether the IMC can handle 3200mhz? Basically I like the Tridentz 3200 4x8gb size and price and would rather have faster ram if for no other reason than for FO4 performance but I want to make sure they work ok and I dont have to worry about damaging the 5930k CPU by running the ram at 3200mhz.
Click to expand...

Memory clocking will not damage your CPU. It will either run stable at given settings or it won't.

KazeoHin said:
My X99-WS doesn't even have multipliers for speeds above 2200! It really depends on the board.
Click to expand...

That's because it's a workstation motherboard and ASUS didn't want to allow it. The Sabertooth boards don't allow for terribly high memory frequencies either.

phitness said:
So for example any 5930k on a Rampage V Extreme would be able to run 3200mhz ram since the board supports "DDR4 3300*(*O.C.)/ 3000*/ 2800*/ 2666*/ 2400*/ 2133 Non-ECC, Un-buffered"?
Click to expand...

Theoretically, yes. Your CPU on the other hand may not be capable of clocking the RAM passed 2800MHz at a given speed.

KazeoHin said:
With modern chips, the memory speed is really limited by the CPU and what the board allows the CPU to allow... so to speak. Anything that requires an OC is likely CPU limited.
Click to expand...

Yes and no. As I said, many budget boards can't handle it. None of the 4-Layer PCB motherboards I've tried could go beyond 2800MHz DDR4.

Killerxp100 said:
Extra speed does not damage anything. It's the extra voltage to get that speed that may cause damage.
Click to expand...

Unless your pushing beyond what the RAM is rated for, you shouldn't have to overvolt it. 1.35v is safe and is enough for DDR4 3600MHz and beyond.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the long detailed reply Dan, it means a lot coming from you. So would I be fine using Tridentz 3200mhz 4x8gb kit on a R5E with a 5930k? I suppose even if it had issues running at 3200mhz it would be ok to underclock the ram to 2666mhz with tighter timings and use a 100BCLK. 32gb of the Tridentz at 3200mhz is pretty much the same price as a 16gb Dominator set at 2666mhz so if the Tridentz are ok to use I'd rather go that route plus I like they way they look and they would fit in nice with the R5E imo.

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Type|Item|Price
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It's possible to get RAM to DDR4 3200MHz speeds on the Rampage V Extreme. Whether or not that particular CPU and motherboard combination will actually do it is another matter entirely. If you can't achieve 3200MHz, then 2800MHz should be doable and 2666MHz is pretty much a given. I have yet to see a motherboard that couldn't at least do that. The thing about X99 to remember is that you have to use memory dividers. Because of that there are dividers that are less than ideal to use while overclocking. Raja has a post about it around here somewhere and I don't recall the specifics.

In general, getting higher speed memory clocks is far easier on Z170 than it is on X99.
 
I had to use a divider to get DDR4-3000 running on my X99 Sabertooth. I think the max without using a divider is 2666 (IIRC). The board is completely stable, although I am not pushing my CPU overclock very high at all.
 
So if noting else I could underclock the ram to 2666mhz and use a bclk of 100 to keep things simple. I would just get the dominators if they weren't about 2x as much as the tridentz for even lower clocked kits. Any insight on whether a 3200mhz kit at 1.35v could be underclocked to 2666mhz at 1.2v or is it something I would have to test out to find out.
 
phitness said:
So if noting else I could underclock the ram to 2666mhz and use a bclk of 100 to keep things simple. I would just get the dominators if they weren't about 2x as much as the tridentz for even lower clocked kits. Any insight on whether a 3200mhz kit at 1.35v could be underclocked to 2666mhz at 1.2v or is it something I would have to test out to find out.
Click to expand...

Ultimately you would have to test it, but it should work.
 
Zinn said:
I had to use a divider to get DDR4-3000 running on my X99 Sabertooth. I think the max without using a divider is 2666 (IIRC). The board is completely stable, although I am not pushing my CPU overclock very high at all.
Click to expand...

Yea I think anything above 2666mhz sets the bclk to 125 instead of 100, not sure if that can cause any problems or simply makes getting the max OC a little harder since you are taking larger jumps with each multi.
 
phitness said:
Yea I think anything above 2666mhz sets the bclk to 125 instead of 100, not sure if that can cause any problems or simply makes getting the max OC a little harder since you are taking larger jumps with each multi.
Click to expand...

You can set the baseclock to 100MHz and RAM speeds in excess of 2666MHz. The problem is that the Haswell-E processors behave better using certain memory dividers. In many cases they often behave better at 125MHz than 100MHz. Initially, most of the motherboards clocked them to 125MHz because there were issues with them at 100MHz with certain memory settings. This has in general been resolved.
 
Whatever speed the board defaults to without XMP I guess. As a side note, I purchased DDR3 2400 running them at 1333, but have not noticed any significant issues at that frq, or signifcant speed when I turn on XMP.
 
I am on my 3rd 5930k since I built my system last April. Two warranty replacements. If you look at my specs. I have GSkill 3200 ddr4. Running my memory at the rated speed of 3200hz on my Asus deluxe X99 has given me both the dreadful A0 on the first one and the 00 code on the second one. In which it means after searching through the web for those unlisted codes, that the cpu is kaput.

I talked to the Intel warranty replacement technical support and gave him of of the specs of my system. I told him that I was running my ram at 3200hz. He let me know that the 5930k and even 5960k run at 2133hz and that why I have killed two 5930k.

I talked with Raja in the Asus X99 Deluxe motherboard forum and he really could not answer my question if it was a board problem or you really shouldn't run the memory at 3200hz. I have it set for 3200hz on XMP but set to 2133hz for the memory setting.
 
Lalau2 said:
I am on my 3rd 5930k since I built my system last April. Two warranty replacements. If you look at my specs. I have GSkill 3200 ddr4. Running my memory at the rated speed of 3200hz on my Asus deluxe X99 has given me both the dreadful A0 on the first one and the 00 code on the second one. In which it means after searching through the web for those unlisted codes, that the cpu is kaput.

I talked to the Intel warranty replacement technical support and gave him of of the specs of my system. I told him that I was running my ram at 3200hz. He let me know that the 5930k and even 5960k run at 2133hz and that why I have killed two 5930k.

I talked with Raja in the Asus X99 Deluxe motherboard forum and he really could not answer my question if it was a board problem or you really shouldn't run the memory at 3200hz. I have it set for 3200hz on XMP but set to 2133hz for the memory setting.
Click to expand...

These were the kinds of posts that made me originally post this thread as I'm currently choosing all the parts to order for my X99 build. Did Intel replace the CPUs for you or were you left with the bill? Sounds like they replaced them for you even though they told you that you killed them by using out of spec ram? So even after supposedly killing 2 CPUs with high speed ram you still opt to use it? Are you just going to run your ram at 2133 from now on to avoid future issues? With so many other people running 3200mhz ram without problems do you think you just got a bad board?

I'm actually looking at the Geil Super Luce ram simply because I like the LEDs on the sticks but the options available at online retailers are only 2400 and 3000 although I did contact Geil and they said if I want a specific set they will have Newegg add it. I'm just trying to figure out what the fastest ram I can get for the 5930k while being reliable and giving me the highest possible OC on the CPU. If I can just get a 3000-3200 rated kit and just underclock it without any trouble then to me that seems like the best option since the prices of the kits from 2400-3000 are all basically the same so why get a 2400 kit if 3000 can run at those speeds as well as higher speeds if you so wanted too.
 
To answer your questions, The ram was in spec. it is listed in the Asus X 99 Deluxe QVL. At the time this 16G kit was the fastest I could find for my system.

I paid for shipping the first cpu back to Intel. The second time they sent me a prepaid shipping label. I was totally pissed the second time calling the Intel. I explained to the technical support rep that I was never told by the first support rep never told me about the 2133mhz limit. He told me it is on the box and on the website. I told him that was great, so why in the hell would all the producers of ram manufacture ram at speeds higher than 2133mhz. He got to singing me this song and dance about XMP not being the best option when configuring your bios for ram. I told him that it was totally unacceptable that Intel would sale their top of the line cpus with bullshit limit of 2133mhz. This was when the 5930k-5960k where the top of the line. He then put me on hold to talk with his supervisor and I got the prepaid label. I think Intel knew that there was a problem with the limit of 2133mhz on X-99 boards. That is why skylake runs faster and better with the ram I guess.

I now have XMP 3200mhz but to the cpu I have it set up for 2133mhz. The second cpu only overclocks to 4.5Ghz . I think if you buy the higher rated kits of 3000-3200mhz and underclock it . You will be fine.
 
Isn't that the same issue that already existed in X79 with XMP profile in some kits putting to much voltage in the IMC that would actually degrade the cpu?
 
5GHZ+ said:
Isn't that the same issue that already existed in X79 with XMP profile in some kits putting to much voltage in the IMC that would actually degrade the cpu?
Click to expand...

You always want to check your memory voltages after turning XMP on to ensure that the voltages are in line with specs. Turning XMP on and hoping for the best isn't a good idea.
 
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