October 8th, 2008
Core i7 sensitive to RAM voltages over 1.65V
Performance enthusiasts take note. Pushing DIMM voltages beyond 1.65V on an X58 motherboard fitted with a Core i7 CPU can seriously damage the processor.
The warning was revealed when XFastest published some photos of the retail-packaged Asus X58-based P6T Deluxe motherboard. In the photos, the DIMM slots are covered by a sticker (pictured) reading: ‘According to Intel CPU spec, DIMMs with voltage setting over 1.65V may damage the CPU permanently. We recommend you install the DIMMs with the voltage setting below 1.65V.’
Now, 1.65V is quite a bit higher than the DDR 3 voltage spec of 1.5V, but there is a wrinkle here - some RAM manufacturers are already selling DDR 3 modules that need as much as 2.0V in order to be able to run a maximum speed. Another issue that could see people trashing their new Core i7 chips is the fact that ASUS has confirmed that it won’t be limiting DIMM voltages to a safe level on X58 boards.
I can see this resulting in trashed Core i7 chips.
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)
Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.
Subscribe to Hardware 2.0 via Email alerts or RSS.
