So I'm currently running an Intel Core i7 2600K @4.6Ghz with an ASUS P8Z77-V Pro and 8GB of G.Skill @1600mhz 7-8-7-24.
I was just watching the new inbox video and I noticed that Logan mentioned that you should always get the lowest voltage memory for your system in order to get better overclocks. My ram runs at 1.65 volts; Logan was saying to run 1.5 and lower. I've been noticing that my CPU is going to have to take a significant increase in voltage in order to get above 4.6Ghz, and it's already at 1.4V. Could this be because the ram runs at 1.65V? Would getting lower voltage RAM improve my CPU overclock?
I wouldn't think so... but there is an easy way to test this, toss voltage at your CPU and try to get it to stabalize, when its ALMOST stable, but still a bit unstable, then drop the memory to 1.25V at 1333MHz, see if there is any increase in stability.
With the 2nd/3rd gen Intel chips I've worked with, I generally find there is a hard stop point with those chips, pretty much no matter how much voltage you throw at it, it won't be stable at a certain mark. With my last build, the i7 3770k I had wouldn't stabalize at 4.8GHz no matter what I did, threw it up the voltages far beyond what I should have but it still wouldn't stabalize, but I drop it for 4.7GHz and it stabilized fine at 1.275V... So you very well may have just hit the dead point of your chip. Remember you can have those things burning at about 100C with prime95 and it should still be ok.
I don't think so. When Sandy Bridge came out, 1.65 volt ram was still in pretty much in every pc, so it was rated to work with 1.65, so I do think you can oc with those volts. Just do what Cloud said. You can undervolt the memory, so try that out. A friend of mine got the same chip to 5.0Ghz on the core with a 1.45 voltage. Maybe you can too with a bit of luck.
Yeah, maybe. I did almost have 4.8Ghz stable at 1.44V on my old MSI board that I ended up having to replace. I had to adjust the base clock with that board to get it that high too, because the board would throttle the CPU if I took the multiplier above 47. I'll probably tweak things a little more when I have time just to see if I can get a little higher. The only worry I have is that my temps will sometimes hit between 80 and 82 when I'm running Prime 95, even with my H100 and SP120 Performance fans in push/pull at my current voltage of 1.4 which worries me a little. It usually stays in the 60's and 70's though. That's one reason I really want to get a custom water loop going once I get the money together.
Oh, and when I say 4.8 was nearly stable, I mean that one worker failed in Prime 95 after around 12 hours of stress testing, and my computer would crash after playing Civilization 5 for around 2-3 hours.