If you buy something, you want it to fulfill its proper function, whether that's cleaning
your toilet, mowing your lawn, or giving you a dining experience similar to what's
indicated by the picture on the menu. So if you've ever bought memory for your computer, you might be slightly incensed to
discover that it doesn't run at the speed indicated on the packaging.
But don't worry, your RAM isn't to blame. This happens because motherboards will often default to running the RAM at a frequency
approved by JEDEC, which sets standards for memory speeds.
So after building a new PC or upgrading your previous one, you should go into your BIOS
and see what speed your memory has defaulted to.
From there, you can change your speeds and timings manually to match what's on the packaging
or do what many folks do and simply use a pre-loaded XMP profile.
If you're not familiar with it, an XMP profile allows you to quickly select a pre-determined
setting on your motherboard that matches the speed that's advertised on your RAM sticks.
Easy frickin' peasy. But hold on a minute, there have been reports that AMD and Intel can void your processor
warranty for using an XMP profile. And I'd just like to ask why.
Because you're using a feature that's one supported by your motherboard, two is focused
on your RAM, not your CPU, three gets your RAM to run at the speed the manufacturer says
it will, and four was designed by Intel in the first place.
So here's what's up. Each CPU is rated to operate with memory running up to a certain speed.
And if you're not sure what that speed is, you can easily find out through the CPU product
page if you're using an AMD chip and on Intel's Arc database if you've got something from
Team Blue. XMP can be used to bump up your memory speed to match that number if your motherboard defaulted
the RAM to a lower speed, but where things get a little dicey from a warranty perspective
is if you exceed that number, even if the memory kit itself is rated for a higher speed.
You see, although XMP does involve speeding up your memory, your RAM still has to talk
to your CPU through the CPU's built-in memory controller.
So even if you're running your RAM at the speed that it says on the box or on the sticker
on the RAM stick itself, Intel and AMD still consider it as running your processor out
of spec, just as if you overclocked your CPU.
Therefore, some people have reported that the processor manufacturers have refused to
honor warranties if users send them diagnostic data that indicates the running memory at
speeds beyond what's listed on the CPU's product page.
Of course, this doesn't sit well with many users given that Intel actively advertises
both XMP and processor overclocking and then turns around and denies warranty coverage.
Come on! We explained this policy in more depth in this video, but in a nutshell, AMD and Intel,
at least in most places in the US, are legally allowed to use disclaimers about how overclocking
will void the warranty even if they advertise overclocking capabilities.
Weird. But should all this dissuade you from running your memory at a speed faster than the man
wants you to? The answer is...probably not, as long as you're not putting tons of extra voltage through
your RAM. In fact, AMD's new Ryzen series seems to benefit a fair amount from faster RAM, so definitely
consider turning up the speed a bit if you're rocking a team-read CPU.
And of course, you could always just, you know, not tell AMD or Intel that you overclocked
your memory if you ever need their support. I mean, is it still alive if you just tell part of the truth?
I don't know. And that's beyond the scope of this video. Thanks for watching this video, guys.
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