Friday, September 12th 2008
Memory Overclocking Could Pose Risks and Limits on Nehalem
Intel's upcoming Nehalem architecture brings in a host of changes. One of the most important of them is that the processors now carry memory controllers. From what is known so far, the upcoming Nehalem processors come with official support for DDR3 800 MHz and DDR3 1066 MHz though talk is that it just could slip in DDR3 1333 MHz support on an official scale. Here's a complication: Some of the computer enthusiasts with plans of retaining their current DDR3 1800/2000/beyond may have severe problems running the memory at their rated frequencies on a Nehalem chip. They might not work on their rated frequencies at all.
The reason behind this is that Nehalem has processor and memory voltages synchronized. Fresh studies suggest that a voltage of 2.0 V can fry a Nehalem processor. It was earlier noted that this voltage limit was 1.60 V to 1.70 V. It would need extreme caution for you to set the core to run at even 1.8 V since at that voltage the processor could start degrading and finally cease to work. The conclusion is that the Nehalem platform, with its synchronized CPU and memory voltages, will be limited by the DDR3 modules ability to reach high frequencies at lower voltages. This could have implications on the kind of memory kits that come out in the near future. Manufacturers could offer high-end kits that function well within 1.6 V with the supposedly high frequencies albeit loose timings, just to keep the memory and processor operating safely.
Source:
NordicHardware
The reason behind this is that Nehalem has processor and memory voltages synchronized. Fresh studies suggest that a voltage of 2.0 V can fry a Nehalem processor. It was earlier noted that this voltage limit was 1.60 V to 1.70 V. It would need extreme caution for you to set the core to run at even 1.8 V since at that voltage the processor could start degrading and finally cease to work. The conclusion is that the Nehalem platform, with its synchronized CPU and memory voltages, will be limited by the DDR3 modules ability to reach high frequencies at lower voltages. This could have implications on the kind of memory kits that come out in the near future. Manufacturers could offer high-end kits that function well within 1.6 V with the supposedly high frequencies albeit loose timings, just to keep the memory and processor operating safely.
49 Comments on Memory Overclocking Could Pose Risks and Limits on Nehalem
I'm just thinking of the integrated memory controller on AMD CPU's.
Maybe they'll do the damn ratio deal here too eventually like we do now with FSB/RAM.
A Nehalem of equal cost is no comparison to a Core2 or Quad overclocked.
this makes me wonder if this is to stop overclocking on lower-end chips, maybe the EEs will have unsynced voltages.
In any case I wouldn't put 1.6v through my E8400, let alone a brand new $600+ set up.
For me the problem with believing this news is this, say ASUS makes a motherboard for Nehalem.... what would keep them from having separate voltages for the memory and CPU (it's not a very hard thing to do.... look at AMD CPUs and motherboards). I'm still trying to search on google for the DDR3 driver circuit details but haven't found much one way or the other. I'm not saying it's impossible for Intel to go down this path, I just think it's very unbelievable.
Synchronizing vmem and vcore is a move that could only be made by someone as dense as a neutron star. Even Intel's current most hardcore processor uses 0.85v by default if you get the best of the best. If you get the worst of the worst, it uses 1.3625v by default. If LGA775 used this synchronized vcore bullshit, that processor would be toast, almost garunteed. The standard voltage for DDR2 is 1.8v, and most kits use 1.9v at least; high performance kits use 2.1v or above. Unless you've got Liquid Nitrogen 24/7 don't even think of using any LGA775. If you've got DDR3, the standard is 1.5v, a little more bearable, still needs the best of the best aircooling or even water to handle this.
The DDR3 voltage standard is 1.5v. High performance DDR3 geneally uses 1.9v-2.0v. Sure Nehalem may be able to handle more voltage, but I think it's a bit rediculous to be forced to pump 1.5v through your processor all the time. And that's with a weak-ass kit. Want a high performance DDR3 kit? Well you're running 1.9v-2.0v through your shiny new Nehalem processor all the time. It would blow up before it even started. A retardedly reverse-innovative move. Or, much more likely, FUD.