Timing Problems, Overvoltage Lights... Help!

Hey everyone,

I very recently build a new computer, and it's been a few years since my last build and I'm pretty new to the newer hardware.

My build is:

Windows 7 x64 Ultimate
Core i7 920
Gigabyte X58A-UD3R
6 GB (3x 2GB) GSkill DDR3 1600
ATi 5850
Western Digital Black 1TB, SATAII


I'm having trouble getting my system to run smoothly in general. The main problem is that windows is very sluggish, but will act differently based on how I set my timings. The RAM is supposed to be 9-9-9-24 1600, but if I change those settings and leave everything else the same in BIOS, I get yellow overvoltage lights for both the CPU and RAM. This worries me, so I have tried other settings on the RAM. Some settings will make the voltage lights go away, but still make the system run sluggish in general. If I let XMP set up the memory, I get red voltage light for RAM and yellow for CPU.

I haven't changed any voltage settings on either the RAM or CPU from what they defaulted at.

Any advice is greatly apreciated!!! Thanks!!!

The DDR15V default is 1.5V for the RAM, so any voltage higher than that will cause the Overvoltage LED to be lit. Assuming the default DRAM voltage for your particular RAM is >1.5V (probably 1.6 - 1.65V at 1600MHz), when DRAM voltage is set to Auto or the DDR2-1600MHz XMP Profile is selected, the BIOS reads the SPD / EPP data from the DRAM modules and adjusts the voltage accordingly. With DRAM voltage set to Auto, enter the PC Health Status screen and read the current DDR15 voltage and Vcore. When Vcore is set to Auto, the BIOS / vREG regulates the core voltage automatically depending on the VID (.80V-1.375V for an i7 920), then compensates for any overshoot in voltage by adding Vdroop. Unfortunately software like Core Temp and Real Temp can't read the VID of an i7 because Vcore supply is by it's on-die PCU.