What Voltage is 3600MHz RAM?
As a hardcore gamer and content creator, getting the most out of my RAM speed has become an obsession – feeding my RTX 3090 GPUs the data they crave! I took a deep dive on voltages for blazing fast 3600MHz memory. Let‘s get into it.
3600MHz RAM Offers Serious Speed for Modern Systems
Compared to baseline DDR4-2133, 3600MHz offers over 60% more memory bandwidth. And thanks to ever-improving memory chips, 3600MHz RAM with tight timings is more accessible than ever.
Higher frequencies translate directly to snappier performance in games and production:
- Faster load times in open world titles like Cyberpunk 2077
- Higher minimum FPS from reduced bottlenecking
- Greatly reduced rendering times in Blender/AE when editing 8K video
It‘s no wonder gamers and creators are flocking to 3600MHz. But driving these bleeding edge memory speeds requires higher voltages…
Stock vs. XMP Voltages for DDR4 RAM
The official DDR4 specification mandates RAM sticks run at 1.2V. But in practice, most off-the-shelf RAM exceedsstock settings with XMP profiles:
| Speed Grade | Specified Voltage | XMP Voltage |
| DDR4-3200 | 1.2V | 1.35V |
| DDR4-3600 | 1.2V | 1.35-1.4V |
So why does 3600MHz RAM need the extra voltage? Higher frequencies make memory chips more difficult to drive. Additional voltage maintains stability.
Let‘s look at some top-tier DDR4-3600 options and their XMP voltages…
Reviewing the Top 3600MHz DDR4 RAM Kits
From budget modules to cutting-edge Samsung B-Die, here are my favorite 3600MHz RAM kits for overclocking on Intel Z690 & AMD X570:
| RAM Kit | XMP Timings | XMP Voltage |
| Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro SL | 18-22-22-42 | 1.35V |
| G.Skill Trident Z Neo | 16-16-16-36 | 1.4V |
| TeamGroup Xtreem ARGB | 14-15-15-35 | 1.5V |
The TeamGroup sticks trade blows with my beloved G.Skill in synthetic benchmarks with their tight 14 CAS latency. But they require an eye-watering 1.5V for XMP compared to the others!
Let‘s talk about tuning these kits beyond XMP…
Guide to Overclocking 3600MHz RAM
Using G.Skill‘s DDR4-3600 C16 RGB kit as an example, here is my step-by-step guide to overclocking past XMP on an MSI Z690 Carbon motherboard:
- Enable XMP in BIOS to load the 1.4V profile
- Set memory multiplier to 3733MHz for 184MHz overclock
- Bump DRAM voltage to 1.45V to enhance stability
- Tighten primary timings to 15-15-15-28 and stress test!
Monitoring with HWiNFO64, my tuned G.Skill kit now delivers over 52GB/s memory bandwidth! Not too shabby.
I‘m still benchmarking the limits of this RAM kit. Many Z690 boards can support 4000MHz+ with enough tinkering. Just be mindful of temperatures as you push voltage for those record-setting speeds!
The Dangers of Excessive RAM Overvolting
While moderate voltage increases to 1.45V are generally considered safe long-term, pushing past 1.5V enters risky territory:
- Voltage beyond 1.5V accelerates electrolytic degradation
- Leads to premature failure of IMCs and memory chips
- Watch for overheating! Burnt PCB smell = BAD
I killed a 32GB kit accidentally taking 1.7V for a suicide run past DDR4-5000. RIP. Most 3600MHz sticks hit scaling limits around 1.55V anyways.
Keep voltages reasonable and watch your DIMM temperatures when overclocking for 24/7.
Closing Thoughts
Well, that wraps up my deep dive on DDR4-3600 RAM voltages! Let me know your experiences tuning 3600MHz memory or if you have any other questions. I‘m keen to push things further with DDR5 builds when GPU prices normalize. Fingers crossed for 2023!
