ASRock Extreme6+ Memory Problem ?

Tenkei wrote: PetrolHead wrote: I'm not really familiar with Intel's current architecture. However, I am under the impression that it's better to get a pair of big memory modules instead of four smaller ones. I think it's easier for the IMC to handle, although I'm not sure if this is fact or urban legend - especially in the case of the Skylake architecture. If you're going for DDR4 memory, I doubt it really matters which speed you end up getting. However, you should check out different reviews and tests so that you'll have a better idea of what you might be buying. Start here, for example: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8959/ddr4-haswell-e-scaling-review-2133-to-3200-with-gskill-corsair-adata-and-crucial Personally, I'd probably use the "don't buy the slowest or the quickest"-approach and then see if I could OC the modules a bit. I also think that getting a pair of big memory is better than four smaller ones. It also helps to keep the overall temperature lower and reduces the power consumption a bit. Here's an interesting video about RAM speed and gaming performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er_Fuz54U0Y I've noticed that RAM speed starts to shine in CPU intensive games like Elder Scrolls Online. Due to the poor optimization, the game uses only 1 CPU core@95% load, even if there isn't much happening on the screen. The difference between 2133Mhz stockspeed and 2800Mhz OC RAM was about 5-10 FPS, which is quite impressive, considering that I've bought the one of the cheapest DDR4 RAM on the market.

What about an X99 mother board, that has four memory channels? Four smaller sized DIMMs, one for each channel, will have greater speed than two larger DIMMs in only two channels.

I know, you are talking Skylake processors and  100 series chipset boards, with two memory channels. Something is only relative to a specific situation.

Power usage of memory caused by differences in memory configuration (like using one or two DIMMs per channel) is an interesting subject. There should be some power savings using one DIMM instead of two per channel, since the unused slot will be power gated (shut off), but there is more to it than just that.

Larger capacity DIMMs must have larger capacity chips, and more of them. So a single large capacity DIMM may use less power than two smaller DIMMs of the the same total capacity, but that is not where most of the power savings can be had.

Lower power usage of memory in Intel platforms is similar to processor power savings. Unused memory is power gated in multiple ways and at multiple levels, like the processor C States.

Memory is organized into what are called ranks. Each memory channel has a maximum of four ranks available. Ranks are the largest piece of memory that can be power gated, besides an entire unused slot. Two DIMMs of the same capacity can have one or two ranks, depending upon the size and number of memory chips used in a DIMM.

If your board's UEFI/BIOS has the appropriate options, you can turn on or off some of the memory power saving features. If you can find a Tri-State option and enable it, that will cause less power to be used by the memory.

My discussion here only hints at what if happening with current memory power management.

Memory speed causes fairly significant differences in memory power usage. Intel states with DDR4 memory, going from 1866 to 2133 will cause up to 400mW (1000mW = 1 Watt) of extra power usage per channel. The amount of memory being used was not specified. If the power usage increase is linear for each increase in memory speed was not mentioned. Intel stops at 2133 for DDR4, the max memory speed per specification for Skylake. I have my Skylake system memory running at 3600.

If the memory power usage readings I get from HWiNFO are correct, the six, 4GB DIMMs I use in my X99 board have used between ~4.5W and ~7.5W total, at 2133, 1.2V. That is with a little over 2GB being used.

Yes, you can move the fan and it shouldn't impede cooling performance. If anything it may improve temps slightly on the RAM side of things as they will now have air being drawn over them rather than being blocked from airflow by the fan cowling. 

Go into the BIOS and if a 2133MHz XMP Profiles exists, change to that and report back after playing WoW for some time.

If there isn't a 2133MHz Profile and you don't know how to manually set them to 2133, post back that you don't. We'll give ya a hand doing it.

At this point I only want to check/see that they behave at 2133 for a spell there.

peroni wrote: did you try upping VCCIO and VCCSA as I suggested earlier?  You currently have a value of 0.96 for VCCIO and 1.06 for VCCSA, these are on the low side as I suspected. Set 1.1v and 1.15 respectively and see if you get the same problems.

I have changed like you suggested aswell .