Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

[GM74]

So, I have had this board for more than a month now and i keep having trouble with BSOD.

So far:

1. I ve run memtest on all sticks together as well as individually, found no problems.

2. Set DRAm voltage, speed and CAS timings manually instead through the UEFI.

3. Just installed F6q, got a BSOD within the next half hour.

I was told in the G.SKill forum to manually set VCSA which my understanding is system agent voltage.

What kind of settings can I try?

The board's page says that F6 version is available but all links are broken.

[wazza300]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

im not 100% sure on haswell

but max safe on ivy was from stock 1.05v to 1.2v

you could try around 1.10v-1.15v and see if it helps also enable x.m.p memory profile if that ram supports it,you'll find it in the bios

[Acebmxer]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Gigabyte uses offset voltage for system agent on haswell. Default is 0.820v max is 1.25v on air/water. So 1.25v-0.820= 0.430v is max offset to use. this was done with dmm not much vrdrop, vdroop, or vrise fairly close.

First with haswell since it can run High memory speeds easily and voltages are very touchy its hard to say what will work. My samsung 1600 ram max out around 2200mhz - 2300mhz and needed around 0.250v where as my gskill 2133 ram will do 2800mhz at 0.120v. they are only 8gb kits

Before fore you try and get 32gb ram kit to run 2400mhz I would first set ram to 1600mhz and sys agent to auto and make sure cpu is fully stable. What cpu/uncore speed are you trying to run? Please give full details of your bios config including voltages.

Some times over volting will harm stability. For instance my cpu does not like 1.95v vRin (vccin) at 4.7ghz 1.330v but is perfectly stable at 1.800v-1.850v vRin(vccin).

Once you no cpu is fully stable with 32gb ram at 1600mhz then try manually setting sys agent and testing to see what you need for 1600mhz at default timings for 2400mhz. Then once you found that increase ram speed upto 2133 and test and adjust sys agent as needed then try 2200 then 2400. I would try in 0.010v or 0.020v increments.

[GM74]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Thanks for your answers. I am afraid I am a newb in the overclocking thing - and even though I want to take a gander at it- that's not my priority. My priority is running memory according to spec -which is 2400mhz- so I haven't yet touched default settings for the CPU.

Initially, I simply changed the XMP profile, but I faced instability. Then I read that it's preferable to alter settings manually rather than with XMP, so that's what i was doing ever since.

Right now, my processor runs unacceptably hot when testing with prime95, so it's not possible to test for stability that way. The trick I ve found - which is actually near real use conditions- is to turn virtualbox on and have a couple of videos playing in a continuous loop on both host and client. When I do that, I get a BSOD anywhere from 15 minutes (like I did when I flashed f6q) and 3 hours when I was using f5.

So, what settings should I try changing?

[sherpa25]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Could it be possibly related to what others are also encountering with bsod's when using 4 sticks at the same time? I've learned of some not encountering this though using Kingston rams, so it appears that even if a set is in the QVL, it may still cause the problem.

[Acebmxer]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Its all a voltage game. Some CPUs have a better memory controller then others and can run 32gb ram easier then others and or at higher speeds. They may still be adjusting voltages but not letting that info out.

[sherpa25]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Its all a voltage game. Some CPUs have a better memory controller then others and can run 32gb ram easier then others and or at higher speeds. They may still be adjusting voltages but not letting that info out.

Not to hijack the thread but more for continuity.... do you recommend the higher i7 cpu's if planning to run 32Gb? So for stability, is it feasible to just set XMP for stock settings, and I presume all boards have that? Thanks.

[Acebmxer]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

With Haswell each cpu is so far from each other and they are so sensitive to voltages that setting XMP and leaving all settings on auto may not work. It make work for some cpus but all cpus.

From what I have seen the I7's do tend to clock better then the I5's but it still a hit or miss. You can one cpu that will do 4.5ghz at 1.2v while another one from the same batch will need 1.3v for 4.5ghz. While the cpu that can do 4.5ghz at 1.2v may only be able to run 16gb of ram at 2400 while the one that needs 1.3v at 4.5gh could do 32gb at 2400. One cpu may be able to do it with lower volts some might need more voltage.

Just remember the memory controller is still only rated for 1600mhz so trying to get 32gb 4 sticks to run at 2400 is asking quite a bit. Thats alot of stress on the IMC.

[GM74]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

I am happy to report that after setting cpu agent voltage to 0.05 and loosening up cas timings to 10-13-13-32, I ve managed to go 10 hours plus without a BSOD, which is the most I ve managed to do.

I am still not certain I reached stability, but I guess these are the settings I can toy with.

Now, I should try prime95 for 24 hours or so? On blended mode?

[GM74]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

I am afraid a couple of hours after I wrote my post, I had my system freeze up again. Not BSOD, but the mouse wouldn't move and the screen went black after a while so I had to press the reset button. Afterwards, I increased system agent voltage to 0.010, I got a BSOD a couple of hours after that.

I also think I gave acebmxer's initial post short thrift when I first read it:

Gigabyte uses offset voltage for system agent on haswell. Default is 0.820v max is 1.25v on air/water. So 1.25v-0.820= 0.430v is max offset to use. this was done with dmm not much vrdrop, vdroop, or vrise fairly close.

First with haswell since it can run High memory speeds easily and voltages are very touchy its hard to say what will work. My samsung 1600 ram max out around 2200mhz - 2300mhz and needed around 0.250v where as my gskill 2133 ram will do 2800mhz at 0.120v. they are only 8gb kits

Before fore you try and get 32gb ram kit to run 2400mhz I would first set ram to 1600mhz and sys agent to auto and make sure cpu is fully stable. What cpu/uncore speed are you trying to run? Please give full details of your bios config including voltages.

Some times over volting will harm stability. For instance my cpu does not like 1.95v vRin (vccin) at 4.7ghz 1.330v but is perfectly stable at 1.800v-1.850v vRin(vccin).

Once you no cpu is fully stable with 32gb ram at 1600mhz then try manually setting sys agent and testing to see what you need for 1600mhz at default timings for 2400mhz. Then once you found that increase ram speed upto 2133 and test and adjust sys agent as needed then try 2200 then 2400. I would try in 0.010v or 0.020v increments.

I keep reading it again and again so I can try to digest it. It's very useful, thank you. I am confused by the last part though.

You re telling me in effect that I should loosen my 1600mhz timings to those I am going to use for at 2400 mhz and once I get it stable at that frequency to increase it until I reach 2400 mhz. This means that CAS timings are affected by system agent voltage, correct?

Why shouldn't I do the opposite though? Why don't I start with loose timings at 2400 mhz, find a level where the system is stable then find the timings where instability is introduced and then start toying with system agent voltage? Does this make sense or am I way off here?

Again thanks, and sorry if I am being redundant some times, I am new to this thing and it's a process until I grapple with it.

[Acebmxer]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

You re telling me in effect that I should loosen my 1600mhz timings to those I am going to use for at 2400 mhz and once I get it stable at that frequency to increase it until I reach 2400 mhz. This means that CAS timings are affected by system agent voltage, correct?

Why shouldn't I do the opposite though? Why don't I start with loose timings at 2400 mhz, find a level where the system is stable then find the timings where instability is introduced and then start toying with system agent voltage? Does this make sense or am I way off here?

Again thanks, and sorry if I am being redundant some times, I am new to this thing and it's a process until I grapple with it.

You can try it either way... I just find it easier to start off slow and work faster. Just like when overclocking your cpu, you should see what volts you need to run stock first before you try and push a 4.5ghz or higher overclock.

Also alot of users posting that they can run high memory speeds but not at the same time of high cpu speeds.

With memory I am far from a expert when when it comes to overclocking. But Memory speed and timings, vdimm and system agent will have a impact.. Now when trying to ram at rated speed then its more system agent as you should bee setting vdimm to its rated setting. Some boards may not push 1.65v when you set 1.65v so you may need to set 1.67 or something.

Overclocking and testing was easier on Ivy as the BSOD error codes could point you to the correct voltage to adjust. With Haswell 0x124 for vcore,uncore and ram then you throw in win8 and they dont give you error codes like win7 so it makes things alot harder. This another reason to play with one subsystem vs the whole thing at once.

[GM74]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Actually, I still use Win 7, not that I would know what to do with the various codes.

A week later and I still haven't reached stability in rated speed. I did run memtest for 40-45 passes and 50-60 hours or so last weekend and it didn't find anything. I was able to keep the system stable with fairly tight readings at 1600 mhz for more than 24 hours before I stopped, but getting the system stable at rated speed is still a tall order; after 10-12 hours, the system freezes or gets a bsod. I ve upped system agent voltage to 0.160 right now. I still can go as high as 0.43 right? Sigh.

PS. Btw, I also think it's better to set voltages through bios rather than UEFI. With UEFI, the system seems far more unstable and crashes sooner.

[GM74]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Ok, yet another update, As i still havent managed to solve this.

1. I ve tried almost every system agent and cpu io analogue and digital voltage setting i could think of and still got bsod every 16 hours or so. I could be wrong, but as far as i know, there s no voltage setting that can make the system with this memory at its rated speed run stable.

2. I also played with c3 states and such while trying to only load from bios not uefi. No dice.

3. Also tried higher memory voltage, up to 1.75. No luck.

4. I lowered speed to 1600 mhz, using the same fast timings as the 1600 model from the same trident series uses. I got a bsod after 50 hours.

5. After that, i had enough and i rmaed the sticks. I then used my 4 old gskill sticks, 2gb, each rated at 1333mhz. Got no bsod for more than a week that i used those sticks.

6. I got my new sticks yesterday, i changed xmp profile, system voltage, set to rated 2400mhz and 1.65v. I got a bsod after 6 hours.

7. I am now rynning memttest for 6 hours, no errors found so far.

8. Throughout most of these experiments, i used bios version f8b. After this, i will download the latest bios version which has memory enhancements.

9. If this doesnt work, i am going to take a ****ing hammer and break the board to pieces. enough is enough.Most wasted summer ever.

[wazza300]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

have you tested with just 8gb or 16gb? 32gb@2400mhz is a big ask imo

[GM74]

Re: Ga-z87x-ud3h & 32gb f3-2400c10q-32gtx

Yes, i have. For the couple of days i tried each stick, it worked, although i cant be sure because maybe it needs some days to get a bsod.

As far as being a big ask, it s literally, the latest and best technology, this memory is on the qvl, if it doesnt work on this cpu, at the rated speed, without overclocking, where is it supposed to work?