Running Ram at 2600mhz on a Rampage IV extreme and x3960

[cytotek]

Hi All,

Been overclocking with this board for about 1 year now, Read all the guides etc, but im just confused why i cant get the board to boot at 2600mhz.

I have used xmp settings, tried entering them manually, Followed the guide written by Arne, Know Raja guide as i have read it about 10 times.

Only thing i have not tried is booting 1 stick, but the ram runs at 2400mhz cas9 with no problems, im using this quad channel kit http://www.gskill.com/en/product/f3-2600c10q-16gtxd

Im about to update the bios to the latest bios as i have been using bios 3504, i think that might be the problem.

The cpu can do 5ghz prime stable at 1.475v, but i have been using 4.9 1.415v, and only needs 1.175 vcca to run cas9 2400mhz, So i really dont get it, it cant be the IMC? or is it?

No matter what settings i use i cant get the board to boot at 2600mhz, i have tried everything, read every guide.

My last h ope would be a bios update, if that does not work, i think i will be selling these off and putting in my 8x2gb hypers back in which can run at cas7 2000mhz

7/2000 * 2000 = 7nano secs for the hypers and for hte g.skill at cas9 2400mhz its 9/2400 * 2000 = 7.5nano they are about the same, but for some reason i get better performance with the hypers when it comes to BF4, less FPS dips, i think it might be due to all the 8 sticks being installed compare to 4 sticks, Hence why its hard to run 8 sticks compared to four, more load on the IMC, meaning more performance.

Some input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to all in advance.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

Hi cytotek 🙂

It might be the IMC. Some CPUs just don't run anything over a certain frequency. Some do and I have seen 2666 run no problem on a RIVE so it's not a board limitation.

If anything I would say with a 3960X the earlier BIOS are better. Later ones more IBE-centric. In fact for me BIOS 1404 was the best for RAM overclock. You could flash that and see using the ERALL.ROM rename and flashback method. I had 1404 on one BIOS chip and 3501 on another for a while...swapping over meant waiting for iROG to update all the time but worked fine for me.

Have you tried using 125 strap?

[cytotek]

Hi Arne,

Tried using 125 strap, with no luck, i have not flashed the bios as of yet, i might go with the 1404 bios and see how it goes, i think the only thing i could try next is just a single stick at at time, and see if i can get it to boot at 2600mhz.

I was thinking that one stick out of the kit could be faulty, but i bought it second hand from a fellow oc'er and they ahd it running at 2700mhz on a z77 with no problem? so i dont see how it could be the ram.

I think it might be the IMC, just wont go above 2400mhz, i have tried 125 strap increasing the BCLK in windows and can only get to 128mhz before getting a hard lock.

I might go with the 1404 bios flash it on the rom 2 and leave the 3504 on 1

I searched the ERALL.ROM method and it seems straight forward, will try the 1404 bios and trying each ram stick, and will report back the results.

Thanks for the reply Arne, happy ocing mate 🙂

[Arne_Saknussemm]

cytotek wrote:
Thanks for the reply Arne, happy ocing mate 🙂

Cheers! I would wish the same for you...let us know if you have any better luck on 1404...

🙂

[cytotek]

Arne Saknussemm wrote:
Cheers! I would wish the same for you...let us know if you have any better luck on 1404...

🙂

Hi Arne,

updated to 1404 bios, cant get it to boot at 2600mhz, tried 125 strap, i get a hardlock when i try to go above 128mhz in windows, ram is only good on this cpu at 2400mhz cas9.

Im testing 2333 cas8 now, but i have noticed i can oc higher with this bios, so it was a good thing to go back to 1404 over 3504.

Thanks for the input, i guess some IMC are just not capabable of 2600 Quad channel, I might try 1 stick at a time and see what happens, will report back here when i do.

Cheers.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

Roger that. Yeah, seems some CPUs just don't do it. sandro c had a similar CPU just would not go above a certain frequency even raising VCCSA etc.

2400 is good at cas 9...you can get quite a bit of performance tightening second and third timings.

And yeah, binning your individual sticks you might find one or two of them can go higher than the others..

Later I'll post up some timings I managed to run at 2400....

[sandro_c]

Hi cytotek, Hi Arne,

True Arne, true, ..if the IMC of my CPU was running only @ 2400 i would give a party on the basis of house red wine and roast suckling pig!
Are two years that I try in every way to bring the clock of memory Corsair 2133-C9 beyond 2240 MHz but there is nothing to do. forever no boot or freeze after boot.
I am leaving surrendered to 2200 Mhz , fortunally with a god stability for an OC 24/7.
Ciao
sandro c.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

That would have been a good party! 😄

Tightest timings I got out of Samsung chips on DDR3

9-11-11-24-1T / 4-96-9-4-16-4-8 / 0-0-0-0-3-3-1-1-3-0 (RIVE BIOS order)

[sandro_c]

Ciao Arne,

what memories you mean with these timings Samsung?
sandro c.

[Arne_Saknussemm]

Some of the Trident X kits from G.Skill and some Dominator platinum kits had memory chips from Samsung and these kits were good overclockers...would OC frequency and accept tight timings...it depended on the version number of your kit who made the actual ram chips.

You can use rammon http://www.passmark.com/products/rammon.htm to find out what you have under the heat spreader...