BonzaiDuck Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 I've had enough experience -- with Corsair (DDR), Crucial (DDR2) and those G.SKILL RAMs -- to be very careful with the voltage settings. This is especially important if there is a known bias and difference between "set" voltage and "monitored/reported" voltage. On my Striker Extreme (680i) motherboard, the reported RAM voltage is about 0.05V higher than "set," and some people argue that even the reported value is understated by as much as another 0.05V (but they can't confirm, and they don't really "know.") I've updated my Striker Extreme to a BIOS version posted early this month (Aug 2008) -- to resolve a problem with temperature monitors for Penryn processors, and even the proper recognition of the modules. ABOUT MY QUESTION: I bought the TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX modules because they were recommended by Corsair for this motherboard, and the latency settings of 4-4-4-12 @ [DDR=] 800 offer the sort of performance I want and need. When Corsair says that the modules "were tested @ DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 and 2.1V," does this mean that 2.1V is the warranty maximum allowable voltage, or is the warranty maximum higher than that? My modules will arrive this afternoon, and I'm trying to get a clear idea what the rules and limits are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted August 19, 2008 Corsair Employees Share Posted August 19, 2008 Yes 2.1 Volts would be the Maximum and just set the memory Voltage to 2.1 Volts in the BIOS most MB's will vary the Voltage depending on the chipset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonzaiDuck Posted August 20, 2008 Author Share Posted August 20, 2008 Thank you for your speedy response. Even if we engage in "enthusiast over-clocking," we may want to do so with the RAM at its spec speed and voltage. We may risk damaging hardware, but we want to limit the risk to specific components -- such as the CPU. With that in mind, I'll be running these DHX DDR-800's at DDR=800, [4-4-4-12-2T] and 2.1V or less. ["Less" is better . . . .] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted August 20, 2008 Corsair Employees Share Posted August 20, 2008 Just set them to 2.1 Volts and less voltage can be as bad as not enough over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonzaiDuck Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 No electrical engineer or physics major I . . . I'm guessing that too little voltage, in addition to causing the RAM to fail in stress-testing, may mean a bigger amperage draw or excessive heat? I'll keep that in mind. I came back to this thread to ask -- if Corsair had "tested" the modules at 4,4,4,12 DDR=800 at 2.1V, if they might actually run at a slightly lower voltage stably without error if I "got lucky" in my purchase. I'll make my own decisions and accept the consequences, but does the warranty still cover the modules if I hold the voltage at 2.1V, loosen the timings, and run them (if at all possible) at a faster DDR speed? Equal chance that I may just run them at spec, because the processor -- a 3.0 Ghz E8400 @ 3.6 Ghz -- requires an uncomfortable voltage increase to go higher. But I thought that I would ask, anyway . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsair Employees RAM GUY Posted August 21, 2008 Corsair Employees Share Posted August 21, 2008 These modules are tested at 4-4-4-12 at 2.1 volts before they are packaged. You can run them at any settings you like, but going over 2.1 volts would VOID the warranty of the parts. I would suggest that you run memtest.org to make sure your settings are stable, and the same goes for dropping the voltage. As long as you are passing memtest.org then your settings should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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