tonymacx86's Haswell mATX: GA-Z87MX-D3H - i7-4770K - HD 4600

[Stork]

If you've followed this thread, you know that we've been discussing memory for the Z87 motherboards, not just the Z87MX-D3H.

I came across this blog post on Corsair's site and thought I'd share it with you. Food for thought.

Haswell Real World Performance: DDR3-1600 is Not Enough​

With Haswell I continue to be convinced that DDR3-1866 is the new entry level, and that DDR3-2133 is really the sweet spot. Performance improvements from DDR3-2133 to expensive DDR3-2400 are less consistent, and Haswell’s IMC itself starts to get a little shaky there.

So, our 1600 memory maybe sooo Ivy Bridge. I'm gonna look for some 1866 & 2133 memory on sale. However, unless you're pushing your system, 1600 is OK for general purpose computing, IMO.

Bottom-line: for those of us with the Z87MX-D3H,

• make sure you use memory on Gigabyte's list of supported memory; OR
• keep the BIOS XMP parameter on Default and be prepared for freezes.

 

[Kiuruja]

I am a bit confused here. I just ordered Crucial Ballistix BLS2C8G3D169DS3CEU Sport XT 16GB (8GBx 2) 240 Pin DIMM DDR3-1600 PC3-12800 Memory Module which is recommended in the buyer's guide. I can't find it on the Qualified Vendors List (QVL) -pdf linked above though.

Am I just missing it from the list, or should I cancel my order and buy another RAM instead?

EDIT: I've been reading this thread now more thoroughly, and keep getting mixed messages about the RAM. I guess I'll just have to try it out.

 

[Stork]

You should be fine with the Crucial Ballistic Sport 2x8GB DDR3-1600 memory sticks. Keep the BIOS XMP parameter set to Default and the BIOS will read the memory correctly.

Most of the problems occur with some memory 1600 and higher, and setting XMP to Profile1; older memory (4GB) sticks are causing freezes, too.

Finally, make sure your BIOS is up to date; as of this date/time, the current BIOS version is F6.

 

[Kiuruja]

Oh, that's a relief. Thank you Stork.

 

[Chimpur]

I have two questions.

1. Is there any benefit or even reason to use the F7a beta firmware? What is it supposed to fix or do better than the current F6?
2. I'm using the MacPro 3,1 System Definitions. I've seen others using the iMac 14.2 ones. Is there any reasoning behind this? Or should i stay put and not much around with things? I was thinking that I might get more p states for the CPU or GPU perhaps.

 

[Stork]

I have two questions.

1. Is there any benefit or even reason to use the F7a beta firmware? What is it supposed to fix or do better than the current F6?
2. I'm using the MacPro 3,1 System Definitions. I've seen others using the iMac 14.2 ones. Is there any reasoning behind this? Or should i stay put and not much around with things? I was thinking that I might get more p states for the CPU or GPU perhaps.

1. I personally would stay away from Beta BIOS unless you are an experienced PC user and want to take the risk of experimentation, and, if I were you, I'd stay away from any BIOS verion FXa;

2. The MacPro3,1 System Definition is a good SysDef to get your system installed. The only reason to change it would be to use AirPlay Mirroring or for some other reason which a different SysDef, like iMac14,2, would provide.

 

[Chimpur]

1. I personally would stay away from Beta BIOS unless you are an experienced PC user and want to take the risk of experimentation, and, if I were you, I'd stay away from any BIOS verion FXa;

2. The MacPro3,1 System Definition is a good SysDef to get your system installed. The only reason to change it would be to use AirPlay Mirroring or for some other reason which a different SysDef, like iMac14,2, would provide.

Yeah, I didn't think it was a good idea to update the firmware unless it was an official regular release. And I was wondering how to get AirPlay working! I think I'll try that to get the AirPlay to work. I'll post back and let everyone know how it goes.

 

[Cubist]

I'm using the memory listed below and the only way I can get my system to freeze is to spend time in iTunes. Doing multi-gigabyte library imports is an example. Also, if I use iTunes for extended periods of time, I'll also get a freeze. I've posted a number of times with this issue but this is the first time I've seen others complaining of similar issues. While I'm sorry to see others are having this problem, I'm also looking forward to seeing the problem identified and solved.

Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CML16GX3M2A1600C10)

 

[Stork]

I'm using the memory listed below and the only way I can get my system to freeze is to spend time in iTunes. Doing multi-gigabyte library imports is an example. Also, if I use iTunes for extended periods of time, I'll also get a freeze. I've posted a number of times with this issue but this is the first time I've seen others complaining of similar issues. While I'm sorry to see others are having this problem, I'm also looking forward to seeing the problem identified and solved.

Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 1600 MHz (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (CML16GX3M2A1600C10)

Your memory is not on the Gigabyte memory list for this motherboard. Is your BIOS XMP set to default?

 

[Cubist]

Is there a place on TonyMac to find the latest preferred settings for Multibeast for specific motherboards? TonyMac's displayed settings at the beginning of this thread date from prior versions of both Mavericks and Multibeast. I'd like to update multibeast but I don't want to make a change without being sure if it's correct or not. Thanks.