[SOLVED] RAM Overclocking on Defiance IV 17.3" (Advisable? Answer: No, don't)

[Duvet]

Hey PC People,

I have some questions about the RAM in my November 2017 Defiance IV 17.3" laptop, key specs:
> Chassis & Display: Defiance Series: 17.3" Matte Full HD 120Hz LED Widescreen (1920x1080) [Clevo PA70Hx]
> Processor (CPU): Intel® CoreTM i7 Quad Core Processor 7700HQ (2.8GHz, 3.8GHz Turbo) [Kaby Lake, HM175]
> Memory (RAM): 16GB Corsair VENGEANCE 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (2 x 8GB)
> Graphics Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 - 6.0GB GDDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1

First, my fundamental question is, should I try to overclock my RAM? My laptop runs fine, I'm just wondering if it's possible to squeeze extra performance out of it that might help with load times in games for example. My RAM should be capable of a 2400MHz clock rate, but I believe the actual rate is much lower. I don't know if the RAM clock varies, like the CPU increasing its clock rate under load, and maybe I'm just seeing low values because it's not doing anything.

Now I think it should be possible to use an XMP profile to increase the speed of my RAM; despite having had the laptop just over two years, I hadn't heard of XMP until recently. I do have options in the BIOS for XMP Profile 1, and XMP Profile 2 (as well as Default and Custom). Unfortunately the BIOS doesn't seem to accept the XMP profiles; I can select the option for Profile 1 and Profile 2 in the dialog, but upon pressing the enter key to confirm, the dialogue closes and menu option still reads Default. Does this indicate that my RAM does not support XMP? Could it be because the sticks aren't part of the same kit? (One of the RAM modules was replaced due to being faulty).

And if it is possible, and sensible to do so, are there any guidelines on what values to use? I tried initially following this How-To Geek guide, and used the DRAM Calculator for Ryzen to get values for the custom profile. The names didn't entirely match up, so there was a bit of guesswork, and low and behold... the laptop didn't post afterwards. I had to use Fn + D to reset CMOS.

In summary my questions: Can I? Should I? How?

In case it's helpful, I'm going to include some choice screenshots from CPU-Z below. If anyone is particularly knowledgeable in this area, I would be grateful for their assistance.

With thanks,
Graham

 

[SpyderTracks]

The motherboard determines RAM timings and frequencies and there is no option in the BIOS to overclock.

it wouldn’t be advisable anyway in a laptop, they just don’t have the cooling to manage the increased voltages.

 

[Scott]

The XMP profile 1 should be the 2400Mhz advertised. Normally the default will be the base speed of the motherboard (2100 I would imagine). XMP1 should be 2400 and XMP2 may be 2666mhz or possibly 2400 with advanced timings.

If XMP1 doesn't work or hold, it must be a BIOS issue I imagine.

However, the RAM speed shouldn't make any odds to game load times. That's all down to the storage that the game is held on. No matter how fast your media storage your RAM will ALWAYS be faster, it can only fill as fast as your storage can feed it and it can only empty as fast as your processor can process it.

I very much doubt the RAM in your laptop would be the bottle neck of your gaming experience.

 

[Oussebon]

And if it is possible, and sensible to do so, are there any guidelines on what values to use? I tried initially following this How-To Geek guide, and used the DRAM Calculator for Ryzen to get values for the custom profile. The names didn't entirely match up, so there was a bit of guesswork, and low and behold... the laptop didn't post afterwards. I had to use Fn + D to reset CMOS.

No kidding. You used a calculator for AMD Ryzen systems,

As above, the benefits would be microscopic, if any, if even possible, and not remotely close to worth the time you'd spend even investigating this or writing the post above. And it won't help game load times.

What storage do you have in the system?

 

[Duvet]

The motherboard determines RAM timings and frequencies and there is no option in the BIOS to overclock.

There most certainly is!


However I've misunderstood something about the way RAM actually works. It already is operating at 2400MHz. In that 3rd CPU-Z screenshot I posted, under the Memory tab, the Timings group shows the value for DRAM Frequency to be ~1200MHz; but it's DDR RAM, Double-Data Rate, so you're getting two operations per clock cycle, so the effective rate of operations is the full 2400MHz that I expect.

Though one thing that is clear is I can't use XMP presets because there aren't any. I should've noticed before, above the setting I was trying to toggle, that the columns showing the XMP presets are all zeros. The motherboard obviously supports XMP, but it doesn't seem as though the RAM does, which might be because the RAM sticks were not originally paired or because the RAM I have was never meant to support XMP.

So the RAM is running at the rate it's meant to, there's nothing to change, and I feel we've all walked away a little bit wiser.

 

[SpyderTracks]

There most certainly is!
View attachment 14961

However I've misunderstood something about the way RAM actually works. It already is operating at 2400MHz. In that 3rd CPU-Z screenshot I posted, under the Memory tab, the Timings group shows the value for DRAM Frequency to be ~1200MHz; but it's DDR RAM, Double-Data Rate, so you're getting two operations per clock cycle, so the effective rate of operations is the full 2400MHz that I expect.

Though one thing that is clear is I can't use XMP presets because there aren't any. I should've noticed before, above the setting I was trying to toggle, that the columns showing the XMP presets are all zeros. The motherboard obviously supports XMP, but it doesn't seem as though the RAM does, which might be because the RAM sticks were not originally paired or because the RAM I have was never meant to support XMP.

So the RAM is running at the rate it's meant to, there's nothing to change, and I feel we've all walked away a little bit wiser.

The XMP’s are provided by the manufacturer. It’s not something the user can edit. If it’s not provided with xmp then there’s no way of overclocking.

just to add what’s already been stressed, your memory is running at its max capability on that board of 2400MHz and even if it wasn’t, overclocking on that chipset would offer a minute increase in performance.

 

[ubuysa]

However I've misunderstood something about the way RAM actually works. It already is operating at 2400MHz. In that 3rd CPU-Z screenshot I posted, under the Memory tab, the Timings group shows the value for DRAM Frequency to be ~1200MHz; but it's DDR RAM, Double-Data Rate, so you're getting two operations per clock cycle, so the effective rate of operations is the full 2400MHz that I expect.

What actually happens with DDR is that an operation is performed on both the leading edge and the trailing edge of each clock pulse (which is a square wave).