Author Topic: Is overvolting RAM a bad idea?  (Read 3518 times)

annon

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Is overvolting RAM a bad idea?
« on: August 09, 2008, 04:11:23 PM »
Simple question. In my new rig I have RAM and a motherboard ready for overvolting. I'm just wondering if I should.

Code: [Select]
f(u,c,k,_,y,e,a,h)
{return u*u*u*u-u*u*u*_+u*u*y-u*e+a?k?f(u+1,c,k-1,_,y,e,a,h):0:putchar(u-c+h)==f(u+1,u,k-1,_,y,e,a,h);}
main(){return f(0,0,34,84,2423,26628,72864,98)<putchar(32)>f(0,0,40,125,5809,118995,906750,96)==~putchar(10);}

Spectere

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Re: Is overvolting RAM a bad idea?
« Reply #1 on: August 12, 2008, 04:47:42 AM »
The only time you should ever need to overvolt RAM is when you're overclocking your system.  If you're running a system at its stock clock rates, cranking up the voltage is only going to cause the components to generate more heat and die faster.

If you do intend to overclock, raise the clock rate (and, in the case of RAM, try pushing down the timings) before you raise the voltage.  It's hard to really say how far you can go since every single chip that rolls out of the factory is going to have different a different level of tolerance.
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annon

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Re: Is overvolting RAM a bad idea?
« Reply #2 on: August 12, 2008, 04:54:28 AM »
All right, thanks. I thought maybe it had something to do with latency, but I guess I was very wrong.

Code: [Select]
f(u,c,k,_,y,e,a,h)
{return u*u*u*u-u*u*u*_+u*u*y-u*e+a?k?f(u+1,c,k-1,_,y,e,a,h):0:putchar(u-c+h)==f(u+1,u,k-1,_,y,e,a,h);}
main(){return f(0,0,34,84,2423,26628,72864,98)<putchar(32)>f(0,0,40,125,5809,118995,906750,96)==~putchar(10);}

Spectere

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Re: Is overvolting RAM a bad idea?
« Reply #3 on: August 12, 2008, 05:10:33 AM »
In some cases, low-latency RAM does require additional voltage in order to run at the lower latency settings.  My RAM (Corsair DHX) is like that, it's designed to run at 2.1V and you won't be able to get anything to boot if you don't push it up that high.

If your RAM is working at the timings that are specified on the RAM manufacturer's site (you can use CPU-Z to find out for sure if you have Windows on that box) then you're already good.  The only reason you should overvolt it at that point is if you want to try to overclock it.
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Bobbias

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Re: Is overvolting RAM a bad idea?
« Reply #4 on: August 12, 2008, 09:23:49 AM »
Yeah, my processor is very lightly overvolted, so that it can stay OC'd at the speed it's at, and I know I need to overvolt a little bit more to achieve 3.0 GHz, but for small OCs you don't really need to overvolt much anyway.

Overvolting can be VERY dangerous to your computer, since it can burn out your CPU or RAM really quickly, and even if it doesn't burn them out, it causes them to generate more heat.
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