Whether DDR4 or DDR5, main memory, the so-called RAM, can be operated and overclocked in different ways. Which option do you prefer? Whether the memory in your own system is operated with the standards specified by JEDEC, “humane” overclocking or “real” RAM OC depends heavily on the use case.
In particular, the numerous requests for help in the RAM sub-forum suggest that many readers unknowingly operate their RAM with the additionally stored JEDEC profile for DDR4-2133 instead of loading the XMP profile and thus the specifications and information advertised by the manufacturer.
The respective XMP profile, which can be used both for the Core i series from Intel and for Ryzen processors and APUs from AMD, can be activated directly via the BIOS/UEFI of any computer system.
Community member “Ned Flanders” pointed out this fact and thus gave the impetus for this Sunday question.
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JEDEC, XMP or RAM OC?
While it is usually sufficient, especially for occasional gamers who otherwise use their PC for other purposes, to load an XMP profile that is suitable for the platform and not too homeopathic, or even to only consider the JEDEC standards, experienced gamers and overclockers rely on it rather to completely manually explored clock frequencies and timings and ultimately get even more FPS and frame times from memory.
JEDEC standards, XMP profile or RAM OC, how do the ComputerBase readers operate the main memory in their systems?
In the meantime, the world record attempts with DDR5 memory are already at more than 10,000 MT/s arrived, MSI and Kingston recently reached with the help of liquid nitrogen, the so-called Liquid Nitrogen (LN2), with 5001.8 MHz the new record of DDR5-10004 CL72-126-126-126.
Just a few days ago, Gigabyte countered with even more impressive DDR5-10044 CL46-58-58-46.
- DDR5-10044 CL46
- DDR5-10004 CL72
- DDR5-9560 CL127
- DDR5-9513 CL50
- DDR5-9002 CL42
The fastest DDR4 memory module to date was operated at 3,600 MHz or DDR4-7200 and a CAS memory latency of 58 clock cycles. DDR4 hits a hard clock wall at 7,200 MT/s in many cases and only the best overclockers can reach even higher memory frequencies.
- DDR4-7200 CL58
- DDR4-7191 CL58
- DDR4-7156 CL58
- DDR4-7072 CL58
- DDR4-6990 CL31
DDR4-2133 to DDR5-7200
Most gamers are much more humane in everyday life, regardless of whether they use a lighter or stronger RAM OC based on the JEDEC standards and CPU specifications using the XMP profile or manual adjustments. But which memory clock or standard do the community members use?
Users who don’t know what specifications they are running their RAM with can use the system tools ZenTimings or HWiNFO, for example, to read out information such as memory clock and timings.
BIOS, tool or manual work?
Users who run RAM-OC usually do so for a variety of reasons. In addition to sometimes higher results in various synthetic benchmarks and not insignificant performance advantages in memory-intensive applications, gamers also benefit from RAM-OC.
Overclocking the main memory can increase the number of frames per second, especially in CPU limit, and above all increase the minimum FPS in games.
When it comes to RAM OC, there are also many ways to get there. While one user relies on OC and system tools as well as Auto-OC in the BIOS, the other explores the memory clock, primary, secondary and tertiary timings and resistances completely by hand.
What do the community members from the ComputerBase forum think?
Participation is expressly desired
The editors would be very happy to receive well-founded and detailed reasons for your decisions in the comments on the current Sunday question.
Readers who have not yet participated in the last Sunday Questions are welcome to do so. Exciting discussions are still going on in the ComputerBase forum, especially regarding the last surveys.
The Last Fifteen Sunday Questions
You have ideas for an interesting Sunday question? The editors are always happy to receive suggestions and submissions.
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