New RAM won't let me overclock the CPU

[darkertint]

6gb DDR3 Mushkin redline ram with a Gigabyte board and I7 920 cpu. Witht the 3gb of generic memory I had in before I could overclock to 3.7ghz and be 100% stable. Now with this new RAM I can barely get the computer to run stable at 2.7ghz. I have tried manually inputing the latency settings recommeneded by Mushkin by that doesn't help. Anything over 2.7ghz gives me a blue screen and anything past 3ghz won't even boot the BIOS. Does Mushkin RAM suck or what am I missing?

[JLK03F150]

You might need to either lower the FSB:RAM Divider, or increase the DRAM Voltage, or both. Use the CPUZ Memory tab (actual memory settings) and SPD Tab (RAM spec) to see if the memory is being over/under clocked & if the timings meet spec.

[ShyguyXPC]

unless things have changed in past years, Mushkin's RAM has always been pretty good. back in the DDR days, they had some of the best stuff on the market. (was able to OC my DDR366 stuff to 500MHz with ease, on my old Athlon 64 Socket 939 system, that Ram was already running over stock at 400MHz to match the speed of the other sticks I had)

as far as I can tell, Mushkin is still some pretty good stuff now days, granted it doesn't get the Hype and Publicity Corsair, Crucial, OCZ, and Gskill get these days.

[darkertint]

It's 800mhz ram and I have overclocked it to 850mhz but no matter what the RAM is at (I've tried between 500-850mhz) I still can't overclock the CPU.. Every one says Mushkin is a good brand but my generic ram outperformed the mushkin at less then half the price.... I definitely won't ever buy Mushkin again... also there technical support it horrible. I tried asking their support this and they acted like they didn't know anything about computers.

[ShyguyXPC]

if its running at its rated speed, then there aren't any issues to really hold against them, if your disappointed about its Overclocking potential, then thats a completely separate issue.

Ram, like CPU's and GPU's, will vary, so as long as its running at its Marketed, stock speeds, you can't really give it a con because it won't run faster, its just one of the downsides and "risks" people take with OCing.

Some Motherboards also hold back what you can OC, either by limitations in the Bios, or lack of enough voltage to components to allow it to OC, its possible the Mushkin stuff might need more voltage to run at those speeds than your Mobo can supply.


I've had "value" RAM run with a greater OC than "dedicated" Overclock Memory, that stick of Mushkin I had with my old Socket 939 System, I also had a stick of DDR 333 Value RAM, Micron/Crucial brand, and was running at 400MHz with ease, and even OC'd to 500MHz that I was able to get it too (DDR 500), with no voltage increases, etc.

going from 333 to 500MHz was a bigger jump than 366 to 500. and the Mushkin I had though lacking heat spreaders was obviously intended for OCing since it had an Odd Speed rating of 366MHz. I've also had Value RAM, that wouldn't OC much beyond its stock settings, despite being the same chips or at least brand of chips, and officially rated speeds, just a different manufacturer of the sticks.