Is this a sign for needing more voltage?

I built my current PC in January, 2012. Initially, I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. Every month or, sometimes, every few months, I would experience a BSOD. I just thought it was a bad install of Windows. Now, I did a fresh install of Windows 8 Pro 64-bit (on March 1, 2013) and just experienced my first BSOD in Windows 8.

Everything is stock in my PC. No overclocking. When I did build my PC, I had some BSODs (quite frequently). I turned out to be a bad RAM stick. I did an RMA and got new RAM. However, note that when I discovered the bad stick of RAM, I removed it and used my PC with 3 sticks for about a year. While the BSODs where not as frequent as when I had bad RAM (which was every week or every few weeks), I still did experience a BSOD every month or every few months.

Today I ran Memtest86+ and it showed errors.

This is with my new "RMA'd" RAM. However, when it showed errors (and it was quite early on in the test), I quit and started it again. It again found errors but at different MB "positions" (i.e. first it was at around 9xxx MB and the second time it was around 15xxx MB). I then quit and upped my RAM voltage from the stock 1.5 volts to 1.525 volts. Ran Memtest86+ again and the errors disappeared.

I'll see how this goes for a while but is this a sign for more voltage? RAMGUY suggested I use 1.55 volts because I told him that my PC BSOD'd when I first installed my new RAM but I thought it was just a bad Windows installation so I decreased it back to 1.5 volts.

This is with my new "RMA'd" RAM. However, when it showed errors (and it was quite early on in the test), I quit and started it again. It again found errors but at different MB "positions" (i.e. first it was at around 9xxx MB and the second time it was around 15xxx MB). I then quit and upped my RAM voltage from the stock 1.5 volts to 1.525 volts. Ran Memtest86+ again and the errors disappeared.

Yes, this would be a sign that you need a little more voltage . There are a lot of MB's that tend to undervolt the memory so adjusting them manually is a way to compensate for that.

I would try 1.55v first and then rerun memtest. You may need to go as high as 1.6v if necessary. But if the errors don't quit with that amount of voltage then something else is wrong.

Are you using XMP?

Thanks.

I am running at 1.525 volts but will increase it to 1.55 volts like you said. Yes, I am using XMP.

By the way, what is the difference between RAM voltage at VTT? What is each used for? My VTT is at the stock 1.05 volts but XMP shows it should be at 1.20 volts.

By the way, what is the difference between RAM voltage at VTT? What is each used for?

RAM voltage is just that. The voltage supplied to the sticks them selves. VTT could be either memory controller voltage or CPU voltage depending on exactly what the rest of VTT is mention in the BIOS. Sometimes it's called CPU VTT or something similar. but could be related to different settings. Your owners manual should be able to clear that up for you.

My VTT is at the stock 1.05 volts but XMP shows it should be at 1.20 volts.

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Then this would be memory controller voltage and is needed to run your memory at 1600mhz. You could try lowering it and then test with memtest to see if it's still stable or not. If you lower it to the point memtest fails, then simply raise it some.

RAM voltage is just that. The voltage supplied to the sticks them selves. VTT could be either memory controller voltage or CPU voltage depending on exactly what the rest of VTT is mention in the BIOS. Sometimes it's called CPU VTT or something similar. but could be related to different settings. Your owners manual should be able to clear that up for you.

 

 

Then this would be memory controller voltage and is needed to run your memory at 1600mhz. You could try lowering it and then test with memtest to see if it's still stable or not. If you lower it to the point memtest fails, then simply raise it some.

My VTT is at 1.05 even though XMP wants 1.20. XMP couldn't change the VTT so it is still at its default setting. Should I manually increase it to 1.20 or just leave it at 1.05 and see how 1.55 RAM voltage turns out first?

Just noticed something. I have a GIGABYTE motherboard and for the RAM/memory settings in the BIOS, there are three settings for "Performance Enhance": Normal, Turbo, and Extreme.

The default is Turbo and I assume this is what is causing problems. I set it to Normal and reduced the voltage back down to 1.50. Lets see how this turns out.