CPUs maximum Voltage + MHz tolerance.

[T.N.Tee]

I made an inquiry yesterday at intel's official site...asking about what would be the maximum safe voltage of RAM tolerated by the i5-2500K specifically... and anyway this is the conversation:

[email protected]: hello there
Daniel: Hello. Thank you for using the Intel Customer Support chat service. We are glad to be of service. How can I help you today?
[email protected]: well i have a question
[email protected]: regarding the voltage that socket 1155 intel i5-2500k can tolerate
[email protected]: the voltage of RAM that is...
[email protected]: what is the maximum voltage that the RAM has to be in order for the processor to be...safe
[email protected]: ?
Daniel: Since the memory controller is built into the processor, it will take a maximum of 1.5V DDR3 1066 1333 Mhz
[email protected]: what?
[email protected]: maximum of 1333 MHz of RAM ?
Daniel: correct, check the following website:
Daniel: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=52210&code=Intel®+Core™+i5-2500K+Processor+(6M+Cache,+3.30+GHz )
[email protected]: i thought the processor was refering to gamers and pc enthusiasts in general :S
[email protected]: hmmm ok...let me ask something else then..
Daniel: go ahead
[email protected]: what happens if i use a 1.5v of higher frequency?
[email protected]: it simply won't do any difference on performance?
[email protected]: make any difference*
Daniel: you will damage the memory controller on the cpu, the system will stop working eventually
Daniel: you will cause damage to the system when using memory rated at higher voltages
[email protected]: but like i said
[email protected]: it will be 1.5v
[email protected]: the frequency alone..will be higher
[email protected]: that would still dmg the processor?
Daniel: ?
Daniel: Again,
Daniel: you can only use 1.5V, not higher or lower, plain 1.5V rated memory exclusively..
[email protected]: mate...the voltage will BE 1.5 v
[email protected]: but it will be 1600 MHz
[email protected]: or 2000 MHz
Daniel: sorry but that will not work, the controller will operate at 1333MHZ or not operate at all
Daniel: we don't recommend that , is up to the customer's risk
[email protected]: uhuh...does intel actually have a processor able to handle 2400 MHz anyway?
[email protected]: no need to point out a specific one..
Daniel: no.
[email protected]: ok ok.. well then all the companies that actually create RAMs and specifically mention that are compatible and even especially made for the 2nd generation intel processors...
[email protected]: but function at higher frequencies than the CPUs
[email protected]: what would be the point?
Daniel: I will suggest forwarding your inquiry to the different memory manufacturers.
[email protected]: uhuh..i understand
[email protected]: i ll do that

I was quite socked to see that he said something like "sorry but that will not work, the controller will operate at 1333MHZ or not operate at all "...that means that if you use any differently MHz frequenced RAM the system will fail and not work. I mean while searching for the best DUAL RAM-kit possible for gaming use...i've never been told or read anything about that part...everyone suggested 1600 MHz ++ without any mentioning anything about that. How true is what he told me actually? I mean i'm already sure that my warranty will go void if i don't "play by these rules" ...but still if it's perfectly fine to abide these rules and use what's actually best for performance (without killing my rig and having malfunctions of course)...then the hell with that.

 

[pwnmachine]

tbh they NEVER know what they are talking about, I always take their advice with a HUGE grain of salt.

 

[Deathntaxes]

Your post kinda freaked me out so I did some investigating. I just spoke to a rep at Kingston and he pretty much said that its BS. He's never heard of any issues with there 1.65v i5/i7 compatible RAM. There are tons of users out there with this stuff so, I'm not really concerned about it. Plus, running hardware at there designed limits doesn't effect the warranty. As long as I'm covered for the memory and CPU, I'm fine with it. (I just built a comp with 1.65v RAM and the i5 2500k)

 

[redduc900]

Officially the nominal Vddq (DRAM voltage) for the i5-2500k is 1.50V, w/ the recommended max. at +5% = 1.575V according to the Intel datasheet. So the official response you got from Intel was in line w/ their recommended nominal Vddq for the 2nd gen. series chips.

http://download.intel.com/design/processor/datashts/324641.pdf

 

[jason4207]

Intel only "officially" supports DDR3 1066 & 1333 on P67, but you can buy mobo's that aren't made by Intel that can run faster RAM.

Speed doesn't kill, voltage does, so as long as you keep the voltages low you should be fine at any RAM speed that the CPU+mobo will allow. On X58 you want to keep the QPI and DRAM voltages w/n 0.5v of each other; not sure if there is a similar rule for P67.

TBH, Intel chat support is the last place I would go w/ a question like that. It's not like you get to chat w/ an Intel Engineer or anything...it's just CS.

 

[mrmdtek]

i have a ram that the voltage is 1.35v and the frequency is 1600mhz there is any problem?
i should put the voltage to 1.5V and the frequency to 1333mhz to have a difference between the vccio and the ram voltage?

 

[Janus67]

There isn't directly a problem, it is just out of the design spec that Intel has listed for their chips.