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Compatibility issue between CPU and RAM?

RYang22
Beginner
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For Black Friday, I bought all of the parts of the build that I've been looking at for the past few weeks. I saw a sale for RAM, and decided to get it and made the purchase. Only after, I saw this compatibility error on PCPartPicker:

  • G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory operating voltage of 1.6V exceeds the Intel Haswell CPU recommended maximum of 1.5V+5% (1.575V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.5V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the Intel recommended maximum.

Processor: Intel i5-4670K

RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 (1.6V Operating Voltage)

Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard

Should I replace my part or will my PC be fine? I'm nervous that this compatibility issue is going to break a part or slow down the performance.

Thanks!

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Kevin_M_Intel
Employee
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Hello JugglingPro,

At this point, the fastest memory speed that an Intel® Haswell Processor can run is up to 1600MHz since this is the maximum speed the controller can handle. Besides this specification, the memory should be running at 1.5 V.

Using a memory with higher specifications (clock speed & voltage) can damage the processor internal components slowing down the performance and decreasing the product life. My best recommendation is to get a compatible memory with your processor or getting a RAM capable of using profiles so you can downclock the memory to make it compatible with your system

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