OC help request Extreme 7+ 6700K

A good and common over clocking technique is working on one thing at a time, and then move on to the next.

Since your CPU OC seems good, then you can move to the memory, which you are ready to do.

You could do this in two general ways, either one is fine and up to you.

First, you are aware of the ability to save UEFI/BIOS profiles that our board has, right? At the bottom of the main OC Tweaker screen.

If you haven't done so already, save your CPU OC settings in a profile. If you update the UEFI, any saved profiles will be removed, so be prepared for that. Clearing the UEFI won't remove your profiles.

Back to your memory, the two methods. After installing the 3200 speed memory, and clearing the UEFI, start the PC which will prompt you to go into the UEFI. Do so and at this point you can choose to either:

Keep the CPU at stock settings and apply the XMP profile.

Load your CPU OC settings with the profile, restart the PC into the UEFI, and apply the XMP profile.

But before you start, since you may be using the 3200 memory for the first time, just let it run at its default speed, likely 2133, for a test and/or some burn in time for the memory. Make sure it can boot into Windows at the default speed. Use it for a while, run a benchmark or stress test, even if using stock CPU settings, just to work out the memory for a while. Check the memory's actual timings and voltage with something like CPU-Z or HWiNFO64, just to see if they match the specs.

CPU-Z can show you the basic XMP settings in the SPD tab, like this:



If the 3200 memory works fine at its default speed (2133), then go into the UEFI and enable the XMP profile in DRAM Configuration. You'll need to Save and Exit the UEFI before those settings are applied. The board may shut off and start again when you Save and Exit after setting the XMP profile, that's Ok. You then will see if the PC boots with the memory at 3200 for the first time.

The XMP profile data will change things that are necessary for the memory to operate at 3200. That includes timings, DRAM voltage, System Agent voltage (VCCSA) and VCCIO voltage. You can see those voltages in the H/W Monitoring screen, and in some monitoring programs like HWiNFO64. You may find as I did that the value you set in the UEFI is not what you actually get according to the monitoring programs, and even what the UEFI itself reads as the voltage.

But before you Save and Exit, there is one option you will need to set yourself. At or near the very bottom of the DRAM Configuration screen look for the MRC Fast Boot option. Set it to Disabled if it is set to anything else.

Setting MRC Fast Boot to Disabled will cause what is called "memory training" to occur whenever the PC goes through the POST process, which happens on every cold start or restart. This will cause the POST time interval to increase, and overall start up time to be longer. The difference may not be more than 10 seconds, and may depend on the amount of memory being used.

What memory training actually does I cannot easily explain. All we need to know is that it helps memory achieve higher speeds. You may not even need to cause memory training to happen when running the memory at its rated XMP speed. I'm suggesting it as insurance in this case, and it won't hurt anything except cost you some time when the PC starts up. You can always turn it off by setting MRC Fast Boot to Enabled and see what happens. It may be nothing but a waste of a little time, but if it saves you the grief of the memory not passing POST, IMO it is worth it.

When I really began to OC my memory, meaning beyond its rated XMP speed (3200), I found that in order to run it at 3600 (meaning it boots and runs Windows) I had to keep MRC Fast Boot set to Disabled. I didn't spend much time tuning the 3600 speed, meaning increasing the DRAM voltage, among others, so I might be able to enable MRC Fast Boot again at 3600 if I tweak a bit.

Regarding all the other memory settings and options. They are almost endless, right? To run your memory at 3200, you should not need to modify any of them. Just knowing what each option does, and how it relates to others (and there are relationships and rules) is not simple to learn, it is almost a black art  . For example, even if I know what the ODT (On Die Termination resistor) values are, what is the point of changing their values, and in what way (more or less) for what purpose? Only memory over clocking enthusiasts bother dealing with these options. Again, over clocking memory means beyond their rated XMP speed.

See how using the XMP profile goes and if that is Ok and you are done, that's fine.

You mentioned monitoring temperatures, do you mean of the CPU or memory? My memory has temperature sensors that are shown by the HWiNFO64 program. It does not run hot at all, a few degrees above room temperature while typing this. Any idea if your memory can provide temperature readings?

Corsair Link software is notorious for its poor operation. I would avoid it like the plague.

Check Corsair's forums for Link software issues and updates. You'll see what I mean.

It uses a USB interface for its communication between the PSU, etc, and the software, correct? You're having problems with USB devices as soon as you install it, right? All that was missing from your information is the poor reputation of Corsair Link software.

The PC is not crashing the Link software, the Link software is crashing the PC. The things you must do to get the PC operating again are much more than is normal.

IMO, it is ruining your build experience. Ignore it for quite a while at least. When the PC is stable, then dare to try it again. If it's all back to square zero again, give up on it.

When I was using Corsair's AIO CLC coolers, the built in fan speed control was always having problems. I simply did not use it, connected PWM fans to the mother board for the CPU cooler, and that worked fine.

Stock CPU and DRAM settings should work fine, mine certainly do. If the PC crashes at stock settings with the Link software, what do you think it will do with potentially unstable/less stable OC setting?

Try setting the offset voltage back to Auto, and see what happens. A setting is wrong only if it does not work.

I had some problems with my G.SKILL 3200 memory in our board. Simply enabling the XMP profile did not seem to work. I had to use the DRAM Tweaker feature in the DRAM Configuration screen, to populate the timings it can work with. That fixed my problems with the 3200 memory.