OCZ RAM. More voltage, less stability?

[moforila]

I ran a mem86 with my OCZ PC4000 EL gold VX @ ddr400 2-2-2-6, 3.3 volts after 30 passes it had 2 errors. I ran the test again same settings except for the volts, this time I lowered it to 3.2 volts after 35 passes it had no errors.

 

I always thought that the higher voltage the more stable the ram was and that the only downside to using more voltage was heat and that to much heat could burn out your ram.

 

As my VX ram has a lifetime warranty running at 3.5 volts heat at these voltage settings shouldn’t be a issue but I did put a 8cm Antec fan on top of the sticks.

 

I got the ram running at 2-2-2-5 after it managed 3 passes with no errors I’m going to do a 12 hours test tonight. I did try to run it with 2-2-2-5 @ 3.5 volts and it would get thousands of errors per pass, so far to me its looking like less voltage is giving more stability.

 

I’m having trouble finding any articles on the relationship between voltage and ram latency.

 

What you guys think about this?

[internetrush]

Well theres a good thing and a bad thing to voltage, if you think of voltage in practical terms its the SPEED at which the signal can travel to point A from point B. So that means tha thte timeing can be tighter at a higher rate of Mhz which is the rate of travel between two points also.

 

 

Now if you incorporate Amps and Ohms into the equation, as well as the fact that the pipelines in the ram are only SO insulated, you firgure out that the ram will get hotter at higher volts and the amps will start leaking out of the wires, causing "leakage" and making it LESS overclockable.

 

Once you understand this concept you can understand why the Venice core is such a big deal with the new insulation technology.

[loc.o]

Could very well be your Tref settings. I had simular problems in Memtest using higher voltages, set me Tref to 1168 and now its doin fine, no more errors.

[Smoken Joe]

Heat is another issue too hot and it wont fly it just seems somthing to play with.

[internetrush]

Yea as i pointed out, heat + leakage = bad. So keep your voltage low as possible. If it works why change it? the thing about overclockins is to provide the max speed while keeping ur computer still feasible. Which means SOO much heat + voltage + instability = why have a 5 ghz processor if you cant run it for more hten 5 mins.

 

Just keep it at what it will prime95 for a long time and keep those settings.

[Ubermann]

Also try trfc in bios to 16.

[moforila]

yeh i have every thing apart from the timmings set to auto, internetrush i see what your saying about heat but ocz give a life time warranty on their product without any cooling.

 

so any thing under 3.5 shouldnt be causing heat realated issues.

[loc.o]

Anything under 3,5v shouldnt be causing heat related issues that kill the RAM, thats true. This doesnt mean using 3,5 should be error free in memtest. The heat 3,5 gives can cause the errors although yr not over the max voltage for RMA.

 

Btw, OCZ does recommend active cooling when using high voltage on yr dimms.

[racinjimy]

Errors are not just "errors" in memtest............

 

Test #5 are mostly over o/c errors related, in other words pushing FSB too high given current voltage/timings.

 

Test #2/#6 errors are TREF related.

 

When I bumped my VX to 3.4V I had a bunch of #2/#6 errors fixed by modifying TREF settings. It makes little sense but that's my experience.

[jbuckley21]

interesting point. What are test 7 errors indicative of?

[fooit]

interesting point. What are test 7 errors indicative of?

 

Have you broken in your memory before giving it 3.2V?

If yes, then failure in test 7 most likely means RMA. Seriously.

 

Anyway, if you have not broken in your memory then you have to do it - start with 2.8V and 2-3-3-8 for like 12 hours - you should get no errors in memtest86+.

 

Then raise DRAM voltage to 3.2V and run it another 12 hours with 2-3-3-8 - you should get no errors.

 

And the last step is to set 2-2-2-6 with 3.2V and run memtest86+ for another 12 hours - you should get no errors.

 

If on any step above you got errors then talk to OCZ to RMA your memory.

[slayer899]

Test #2/#6 errors are TREF related.

Interesting, I'll have to see what that does for my stability...anyone else got comments on the meaning of memtest errors?