Ram memory overclocking is it worth it?

Some will put their hands to their head when reading about overclocking RAM memory. The truth is that it is possible and it is a fairly widespread practice in the gaming world. However, you have to attend to the specific case because it is not always necessary to do it, so it depends a lot on the case. We fully analyze all the possibilities below.

Index of contents

Why overclock RAM?

Just as we do OC in processors to get the frequency up and improve performance, the same thing happens with RAM memories. We may have a big CPU, but the RAM is slow. Therefore, if we want a balanced PC, we have to optimize our RAM memory.

Therefore, overclocking our RAM memory can be a great idea to give our PC the "little push" it deserves. However, there are times when it is not necessary or far from absurd to do it, as well as dangerous. Mentioning that overclocking RAM is very cheap because memories typically don't need an additional heatsink to cool them down.

Here we must differentiate between the “ timings ” and the DRAM frequencies. Although motherboards have a lot to do in this matter because they usually support a maximum frequency in RAM.

Surely, many of you who read us have the equipment already assembled and just want to know whether to do OC or not. However, we recommend reading this entry to those who are going to set up a team.

When not to overclock RAM?

Mainly, when the controller of the integrated memory of our CPU cannot go faster or withstand a higher voltage. Also, our power supply may not be very powerful.

Anyway, without going overclocked, our memories are difficult to damage, if we do some basic configuration. So, we do not say that you have to do OC, but why not try?

Previous notes

First of all, if you have high performance RAM, the default values may not take advantage of the virtues of the memories. In this way, it is you who have to "touch" the memories to get the most out of it.

On the other hand, when we do OC in the processor, the RAM will be automatically overclocked, so it is better that this OC is done by us manually to have a more stable performance. This is because motherboards automate many procedures, when it is best to customize the settings.

Tell you that those computers powered by APUs (processors with integrated graphics) have better RAM performance because APUs use system RAM. Uses such as graphic design, video games, databases or virtual machines require an overclocked memory to get its full potential.

In the beginning, there are 3 ways to overclock our RAM:

Increasing the Base Clock of the board or BCLK. Increasing the frequency of the memory. Changing the "timings".

All 3 ways require raising the voltage to achieve stability. In case you have an unlocked processor, we always recommend doing the OC separately: RAM is one thing, CPU another.

DDR3 RAM and DDR4 RAM

We will focus on these types of memory because they are the most common and most usable of all. In the case of DDR3 RAM, at least we usually see 1333 Mhz; As for DDR4, it is usually 2133 Mhz.

In DDR3, the maximum frequency that we will see will be 2133 Mhz, while in DDR4 we can find memories of up to 4400 Mhz, but the normal thing would be to find a board with a maximum of 3600 Mhz.

Regarding the voltage, the DDR3 has a default voltage of 1.5V, so we could reach 2.0V if we overclock. In the case of DDR4, the voltage is usually around 1.2V, which means up to a 1.8V rise when the memories are overclocked.

The capacity of both memories must also be taken into account. In DDR3, capacity is smaller, while DDR4 is a full-blown advance.

In short, DDR4 will always be better than DDR3.

Timings

They appear as a combination of 4 numbers, such as 16-17-17-35, for example. Each number represents the time delay associated with an internal task and the order of these numbers is:

CL or latency. Refers to the delay between sending a column address to the memory controller and receiving the result. It is crucial in the performance of RAM memory, especially in gaming . tRCD (RAS or CAS). It is the number of frequency cycles that suppose to activate a data column (CAS) or a previously activated line (RAS). tRP. This is the delay between closing read / write access to one row of data and opening access to a different row. tRAS. The number of cycles required to successfully retrieve the data stored on a line.

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Each timing depends on each other, that is why it is so important to configure them correctly.

Voltages

The most important voltage value is DRAM Voltage / DIMM Voltage or it can be called differently. Normally, the default voltage in DDR4 is 1.2V; at DDR3, 1.5V. If you don't upload it too much, it's enough.

Be very careful when handling RAM memory voltages because, as with everything, you can damage them.

Worth?

The short answer is no. There are very few applications that appreciate that overclock, such as Adobe Premiere, for example. The best advice we can give you is to buy high frequency RAM memory to avoid unnecessary problems.

It is clear that it will depend on the case, there are people who need it. To find out if it's a significant performance change, use programs like AIDA64 and Cinebench r15 or r20 to check for improvement or not. From Professional Review, we recommend that, if you OC in your memories, you use MemTest Pro. Although it is paid, it is the most reliable program to check that our configuration is stable.

As I know that many of you are interested in the gaming aspect, tell you that we can scratch a few fps apart. Of course, to give you an example, uploading a DDR4 memory to 3000 MHz based on 3200 MHz, is not worth it. We will not notice the performance increase. Logically, playing with memories that work at 2133 MHz, compared to playing with others that go at 3000 MHz, there is a brutal FPS jump. At least, in Ryzen.

Ultimately, generally speaking, RAM isn't usually worth overclocking; in specific cases, yes. Therefore, if you are determined to take the step, here is a guide prepared by us on how to do it step by step in Ryzen, although for Intel it is also functional.