Thread: Memory Tuning

Your must have come across numbers such as 5-5-5-15 or 4-4-4-12 or CL4 on memory modules. Do you know what these numbers mean? These are memory timings or the speed at which the memory processes certain data required by the processor. The higher these numbers, the longer the processor has to wait for the memory to respond and fetch data from it. Hence, the lower the memory's timings, the better it is. Therefore high end memory capable of running at faster speeds and tighter timings are more expensive than the regular entry level variants.



The series of four numbers separated by dashes are listed in the following
order: CL - TRCD - TRP - TRAS. Out of these the first number which is the CAS (Column Access Strobel Latency is the most important timing. In simple terms, this is the amount of time (number of cycles) that elapses between the memory controller sending a read command and time taken to read data from the module's pins. For optimal system performance it is recommended to set the memory speed and timings in the BIOS to the rated specifications listed by the manufacturer. If you install memory onto your motherboard and leave the memory speed and timings on automatic mode, it's quite likely that the memory will run at BIOS' optimal settings and not at the memory's rated specifications. Thus the memory may run at a lower frequency or looser timings thereby reducing your PC's performance. So here's a quick guide on how to configure your RAM and gain a performance boost.