2133 8GB G-Skill Memory on ASUS M5A97 R2.0 EVO

[jimbob9713]

Hi,

I ordered this RAM, but forgot to check that it was compatible with my motherboard (Asus M5A97 EVO R2.0).

I googled "g-skill 2133 compatible with m5a97" or something along those lines, and there were lots of people asking the same question as me, but I couldn't find anybody saying "it worked".

On the specs page is does list "DDR3 2133(O.C.)" as being supported, but I was wondering what was meant by the (O.C.) bit.

If it can't run at 2133, will it automatically slow down to 1866/1600? or will I have to manually enter some figures into the BIOS? or is it just completely unusable?
I'm not bothered at all about it running much slower, but I'd rather it work out the box rather than having to start changing voltages and timings, etc, in the BIOS, unless it is just a case of reading off the 11-11-11-30 and the 1.5v off the stick and copying that in.
As I'm sure you can tell, I know very little about RAM

Thanks!
Edit: Processor is an FX-8320

[MrJim]

The 'OC' designation means that the stated speed (in your example, 2133Mhz) is not officially supported by the processor and / or chipset, but has been tested as working on your motherboard.

In my experience the 'compatibility list' of supported memory modules can be quite short & not updated all that frequently for a particular motherboard. Just because a memory kit isn't on the list, doesn't mean it won't work though - it just means it hasn't been verified as working. If you stick to good quality RAM from one of the bigger names like Corsair, Kingston, GSkill, Crucial etc, it should work in your motherboard, although occasionally incompatibilities do occur. Often a BIOS update with fix such issues, but you do need a working system to update the BIOS!

Memory these days has SPD settings (serial presence detect), which are default settings which the motherboard and BIOS 'reads', & should usually work. A module can have multiple SPD settings, at different speeds depending on the speed you've set in the BIOS. SPD settings generally are quite 'loose' though, and don't run the module at its maximum possible settings, since they are usually set for maximum compatibility. If you want to run your memory at their maximum rating, you either have to enable their XMP profile in the BIOS, or manually enter the settings in the BIOS. Overclocking memory also requires entering manual settings.

So to answer your question: yes, if your memory can't run a 2133, it should read the SPD setting for whichever speed it defaults to.

[jimbob9713]

Thanks for explaining all that!
So since it's advertised as "2133", does that mean that 2133 is the standard speed it would run out, if plugged into a compatible motherboard? Or does that still count as an overclock, it just means it will reach those speeds?

As far as my motherboard goes, I'll be happy just to get it working at 1600/1866

[kalniel]

Jimbob (senior) already gave the answer

If you want to run your memory at their maximum rating, you either have to enable their XMP profile in the BIOS, or manually enter the settings in the BIOS. Overclocking memory also requires entering manual settings.

If you just plug it in it's unlikely to run at 2133. You would need to enable something in BIOS, be that XMP/the AMD equivalent or manually enter settings. If you just plug it in it will work, but at something like 1600.

[jimbob9713]

Jimbob (senior) already gave the answer

Not just my senior, it sounds like he's divine as well! I'll have to live with my mere mortal username

Is XMP just for Intel boards then? Is it likely that this RAM will have/support the AMD equivalent?
Second question - This RAM is 11-11-11-30. If it down-speeds to 1600, will those timings stay the same? Therefore I'm guessing it would have been better just to get 'normal' 1600 RAM that was 9-9-9-24?

[MrJim]

Ha! Not divine no...'God' is a contraction of my surname

XMP is an intel specification, I believe. I think AMD have a similar spec., but it's not nearly so widely adopted. I know there are some AMD boards which support XMP profiles, but you'd probably have to check the manual for your particular one.

The SPD timings change according to the different speeds supported by each RAM module. If you download and install CPU-Z, it has a tab which shows the SPD timings for each RAM module installed:



Fast RAM will usually run happily at a slower frequency & with tighter timings, but you might have to add the numbers in manually. The problem is that if you enter too tight timings, you might prevent the system from booting; Asus provides a 'MemOK' button on most of their mothers in order to reset the memory configuration back to the default SPD timings, otherwise you'd just have to clear the CMOS and redo the whole BIOS configuration all over again.

[Bonebreaker777]

Agree with Jim.

Your memory modules should work happily at the stated frequency and the timings (can't imagine an ASUS board not to cope with commercially available modules). Overclock will be necessary cause default supported memory speed by FX 8320 is 1866Mhz. If you are really willing to overclock your modules, hopefully they carry XMP profile for 1866Mhz speeds (timings and voltage). If no XMP profile, set a standard manually like 1866Mhz at 1.5v with 9-11-9-29.

But higher speed and slightly worse timings are better that lower speed and tighter timings. If you can, overclock them, even if above 1600Mhz the actual benefits may be diminished. Or you can always play with your memory settings and find the best timings for 1866Mhz/2133Mhz manually and testing with memtest86. All my memory timings are different from default and tested, even so the actual benefits are within 5% performance difference in synthetic tests.