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Sandy Bridge i7 2600k?

idata
Employee
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Hello,

I am building my first rig and decided to go with Sandy Bridge i7 2600K. I already have all the components and just read an article by a supposed expert in Max PC that indicates the Sandy Bridge cpu requires 1.5 v RAM. Well, I purchased Corsair Dominator RAM specifically because it said compatable with i7. The RAM has the following specs:

Corsair Dominator GT Dual Channel 8GB PC15000 RAM Memory Category:Desktop Memory Type:DDR3 Memory Speed:PC15000 Memory Speed MHz:1866MHz Memory Size:2048MB Total Memory Size:8GB Memory Modules:4 Memory Channels:Dual Memory Socket:DIMM Memory CAS Latency:9</...

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idata
Employee
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The max RAM voltage for Core i7 CPUs is 1.65, but I would recommend sticking to 1.5 for general use. If you've already purchased the RAM you described, you can run it at 1.5V, which is probably what it would boot to without BIOS changes anyway. If you need RAM, I recommend G.Skill Ripjaws X Series. NewEgg has F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL for $99 and it's currently $25 off. I use similar in my machine (the CAS 8 version, F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM that I got for $99). Also, if you're going to use XMP, better to use RAM designed for socket 1155 boards. For more info., see bit-tech's LGA1155 Overclocking Glossary: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/2 http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/07/how-to-overclock-the-intel-core-i5-2500k/2

idata
Employee
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Thank You Kruzer!

I have already purchased the RAM. I appreciate your response. I'll try it both ways if needed. Can I tweak the RAM I have down to 1.5v?

Thanks again?

tdhayes1

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idata
Employee
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Not a problem. It sounds like an excellent machine you're building. The Corsair Dominator RAM you have should work fine, but, to clarify, running it at 1.65V is the max supported by Core i7s. I'm not familiar with your perticular MoBo, but after installing the CPU and RAM, it will probably boot with the RAM already at 1.5V. You'll have to change it in the BIOS to run at full spec (1.65V), if you want. However, the RAM (CPU & MoBo Too!) may last longer if you run it at the lower voltage (1.5). Same is true for the CPU, overclocking it will decrease its lifespan... sometimes dramatically! Note that you can usually save "performance" settings in the BIOS and then switch to thse settings by toggling a single line item. This enables you to save your higher voltage settings for gamming and such, but then switch back to standard (lower voltage, etc.) settings for regular computing. Computers are so fast these days I feel there's rarely a need for overclocking, except for competition in gamming and benchmarking.

Your system should be very fast, indeed, especially if you run the SSDs in RAID 0 and install Win7 there. HDs are the current bottleneck in PC performance today, but my AMD Phenom II X6 flies with the OS on two OCZ Vertex SSDs in RAID 0! I plan on getting two Vertex 3 SSDs for my Sandy Bridge and can't wait to watch it take off with those puppies installed BTW, there's even more excellent general information available over on the forums at Tom's Hardware. Happy building;-)

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idata
Employee
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Thanks to Kruzer!

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idata
Employee
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1.65v memory killing a memory controler on 1155 sockets chips so do not go over 1.5v if You want to have working cpu.

THX

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idata
Employee
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Second generation of Sandy Bridge is designed to work with memory 1,35V there is no really any worning about that at all, my intel mobo set up a memory for 1.65 automaticly, by contacting intel that was propably the reason where my cpu is not working properly now, work only on one ram chanel second one stops computer from booting up. So whene You buying a secon gen of i7 with 1155 socet make sure You have a right memory.

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idata
Employee
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Sandy Bridge is a second generation Core i7 processor. Second generation Sandy Bridge processors are supposedly due out Q2 of 2011. The specifications for the memory controler of current Sandy Bridge CPUs calls for 1.5V RAM.

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idata
Employee
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Obviously, this falls under the category of overclocking, since Intel specs for their Core i7s memory controller state a max of 1.5V and if you fry your CPU this way, it is not covered by their warranty just like overclocking the CPU. However, tens-of-thousands of gamers probably set their RAM to over 1.5V without problems. I have also run high-speed RAM in my Gigabyte MoBo for several days under Intel's Extreme Memory Profile (XMP, which changed the RAM voltage to 1.65V) without any problems.

 

 

Running your RAM at greater than 1.5V can fry the CPU and maybe even damage the MoBo, but so can running your CPU faster than it's specifications (i.e. overclocking). If you have adequate cooling, you're much more likely to fry the CPU by overclocking - if you don't know what you're doing - than by running the RAM occasionally at 1.65V*, IMO. *Given that the RAM is on the MoBo QVL and designed to run at 1.65V.

In short, yes RAM at 1.65V can fry even a Sandy Bridge i7 2600K, but with proper cooling, etc. the odds of that happening are very slim and not covered by Intel's warranty.

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