How far should I push BH5 ram with active cooling?

[craig588]

I have a fan blowing on my mushkin level 2 pc3500 ram, and I currently have it at 3.1v, and thats enough to get me to ~232MHz at 2-2-2-11.

My mobo (DFI lanparty B) can go up to 3.3V on the ram.

How high should I take it? will 3.3 be realitively safe with active cooling?

 

[CCW]

It wont exactly be safe as the margin of safety is within -/+ 10% and you are way past 10%. having said that, with some good air blowing over it you should be OK.

Craig

 

[Drisler]

...Memory on system ram really needs no cooling..It certainly does not need active cooling memory kits. At 3.2v my 'nekkid' mushkin L2 ARE COOL/slightly warm to touch.

I plan on suspending a case fan over my memory slots away...



[edit]

And don't bother with cooling so much...Even if you get your memory REALLY cool...too much voltage WILL STILL damage it.

BH-5 ram generally can withstand 3.3v and lower for 24/7 use. I woudn't use higher than for 24/7 use. I'd do higher than 3.3v for testing though.

 

[craig588]

active cooling memory kits.

Kits? Bah, I make my own! I have a 80MM suspended by wires blowing on the ram.

I guess I'll take it to 3.2 and find the limits. (No need to take it to 3.3 unless the memory cant reach 240 with 3.2 because the mobo craps out at ~240.)

 

[Grandpa Dan]

I'm putting 3.15v to mine. Under full load(memtest) they reached in excess of 125 F(checked with a laser thermometer). I've mounted a 40mm fan from a vid card across the two sticks. Temps do not exceed 100 F now. Too much voltage can still damage it and too much heat will increase the chances.

 

[CCW]

The thing with memory is that often giving it extra cooling will not allow you to overclock it further, all it does is extends the memorys life by keeping it cooler.

Craig

 

[dgk]

I guess that I shouldn't be worried about taking my Lvl2 to 2.9 volts then?

 

[craig588]

nah, 2.9V is nothing.

Mines running 3.2 without any problems right now.

 

[larva]

The only thing I would add is that I don't recommend S3 suspend (suspend to ram) mode beyond 2.8V. Without the case fans running it appears to scramble my BH5's brains to sit there at 3V with no case airflow. Personally, I'm pretty quick to go up to 3.1V if it helps the OC, but slow to move beyond it.

 

[Cow2kie]

my mobo maxes at 2.9.. (nf7-s) there is no way to up the voltage even more w/o soldering? I didnt understand the soldering thing at motherboardfaq

 

[Susquehannock]

[B.........
And don't bother with cooling so much...Even if you get your memory REALLY cool...too much voltage WILL STILL damage it.
........ [/B]

That's the important thing to remember.
I'd be willing to bet that far more modules are damaged
by overvolting than from overheating.

Those fancy metal heatspreaders are
such a waste.

 

[Grandpa Dan]

my mobo maxes at 2.9.. (nf7-s) there is no way to up the voltage even more w/o soldering? I didnt understand the soldering thing at motherboardfaq

See if you can use some smd grabbers like the volt mod for the Asus P4C/P4P mobo's.

 

[Grandpa Dan]

That's the important thing to remember.
I'd be willing to bet that far more modules are damaged
by overvolting than from overheating.

Those fancy metal heatspreaders are
such a waste.

Honestly, beyond that I'll bet more are killed esd than by both volts and heat combined.

 

[Como]

the NF7-S will only do 2.9? guess i shouldnt be worrieng about how hight to bring up my 3500 voltage, then...(when i get the baord, word had it it just shipped and its on 2nd day)

 

[Cow2kie]

what do you need to buy to do the vdimm mod.. and detail instructions!