Tweaking for Speed

With testing out of the way, I endeavored to see if these sticks have any headroom. For Intel, I kept the same procedure I have been using: I used the XMP profile and increased the frequency until the system lost stability. After finding that limit, I manually tweaked for the maximum frequency and lowest possible timings. Voltage modification from stock is allowed. After all, this is overclocking!

The 11th Gen Intel Core processor paved the way for things to come. The introduction of the memory controller Gear Ratio allowed the system memory to run in synchronous 1:1 mode with the CPU memory controller, or 2:1 ratio. With the release of Intel's 12th Gen Alder Lake based processors came DDR5 support and the additional 4:1 ratio.

1:1 ratio generally falls between between 3600 and 4000 MT/s for Alder Lake CPUs. This is completely dependent on the CPU memory controller and supporting voltages. In rare instances, higher-end motherboards can increase this slightly and offer better overall compatibility. My Intel Core i9-12900K maxes out at DDR4 4133 MT/s, which is rare if going by the sheer number of forum posts about many struggling to reach 3800 MT/s. It is safe to say that anything greater than 3600 MT/s will require a bit of hands-on tuning.

With this information, Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake paired with DDR5 will gain the most from the highest-possible frequency without giving up the benefit of the increased bandwidth. Because DDR5 has a higher operational frequency and dual 32-bit data bus, synchronously operating it in 1:1 is unlikely. That only leaves 2:1 and above as a viable option for any DDR5-based setup. The motherboard should automatically switch to the 2:1 ratio. If all else fails, you can manually set this in the BIOS.

Those looking to overclock will generally find a hard barrier around 6600 MT/s on the Intel Z690 as many 4-slot motherboards do not support higher speeds. Only a handful of motherboards are designed to support 6666 MT/s and up. These are the ASUS Z690 Apex, Gigabyte Z690 Tachyon, MSI Z690 Unify-X, ASRock Z690 AQUA OC, and EVGA Z690 Dark.

Caution is advised with DRAM voltage over the rated XMP profile. Direct airflow or a waterblock may be necessary for long-term stability. This extends to the CPU as well. Raising the integrated memory controller voltage (vDD2), System Agent (SA), and VDDQ_TX may cause irreparable damage. Please proceed with care and do research before attempting this. Do not copy and paste values without understanding the impact first, especially if taken from screenshots posted on Discord or Reddit.


Requested by many, the DRAM thermal test is back. A standardized testing method has yet to be finalized, but for the time being, Karhu stress test software is used for 30 minutes, after which both DIMM temperatures from the SPD hub sensor combined are averaged. Testing was preformed with and without a fan at the XMP of 1.35 V and a overclocking voltage of 1.45 V. DDR5 SK Hynix memory ICs are susceptible to temperature as well. Since more voltage is necessary for higher frequency memory, I caution against overclocking without a fan directly placed on the memory, or at least good case airflow.

Intel Results

Following in the footsteps of the V-Color Manta XPrism DDR5-6200 memory review, I used the same frequencies and timings to start off and adjusted accordingly. Using the overclocking-orientated Gigabyte Z690 Tachyon, we start the overclocking sessions with a minor boost to the voltage. With 1.4 V, 6400 MT/s and 6600 MT/s was obtainable along with tighter timings over the base CL40. These primary timings of course can be lowered even further with more voltage. However, that will be completely dependent on the IC quality and amount of voltage one is willing to apply.

The next step was to raise the voltage even further and enter the elite enthusiast realm where only a handful of Intel Z690 based motherboards can properly run 6800 MT/s+ memory. Unfortunately, this wasn't a very exciting overclocking adventure. The Patriot Viper Venom DDR5-6200 memory immediately produced errors at 1.5 V regardless of the applied frequency. 1.475 V was iffy as well. The PMIC provided an inconsistent amount of stability as voltage dipped occasionally and caused lock-ups. Therefore, my overclocking was limited to 1.45 V for long durations. This in turn only allowed for up to 6800 MT/s with a slightly higher tRAS of 76 to compensate.

A DDR5 6800 MT/s overclock is still great for the first generation, but I've had better results with other SK Hynix M-Die kits. For newcomers, getting DDR5 overclocking stable is a bit complicated. To reach 6800 MT/s, adjustments to the System Agent (SA), vDD2 (memory controller), and TX VDDQ were needed. Mix in the uncertainty of this memory kit's ability to support 1.5 V, and it is better to keep away from the upper limit. From my testing, I personally suggest sticking with a 6600 MT/s overclock or lower with this Patriot Viper Venom RGB DDR5-6200 kit.

Note: All memory overclocks passed Karhu stress test 2000% or more.