RAM Support depends on CPU installed as RAM Controller is integrated into CPU.

So a Xeon E3-1230 v2 that supports 1600 can handle the ram even though the board manual says only up to 1333 Mhz? Even the memory compatibility list claims that anything above 1333 Mhz will be downclocked to 1333 Mhz.

"Model Name: H61M-S2PV DDR3 1600 (downgrade to DDR3 1333)"
https://download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Memory … 1b44005426468c6

Very confusing data in the Gigabyte manual.

Now I get it. The rev 1.0 of this board started in 2012 February and CPUs for it supporting 1600 Mhz RAM appeared a few months later.
Even though later revisions and BIOS updates of the board added Xeon E3-1230 v2 as a supported CPU (that launched 2 months after the GA-H61M-S2PV was released), they didn't update the memory list to include CPUs with 1600 Mhz, just copypasted outdated rev 1.0 data to all revisions without modifying a line. That's also the reason why the board officially supports 2 x 8 GB but there aren't 8 GB sticks in the ram list, barely a 4 GB.
Very sloppy customer service and unreliable data.

That's interesting as I have the exact same board but a Xeon 1240 V2 (I think... The sandy bridge one anyway, the board doesn't support the ivy xeons). I can only get my 2133MHz RAM to run at 1333 🙁 although this is 2x8GB

I've tested some generic 2x 8GB DDR3-1600 memory recently and I forgot the motherboard was set to run memory at 2133Mhz. It booted and run @2133 just fine even at faster latency then the 2133 Crucial memory 🤣

Guess I just got pissed since I've always taken motherboard manual data at face value because the #1 rule before upgrading was always checking the manual first.
I checked recent boards by Gigabyte and the manuals are much better now.

Whatever CPU/Memory is listed in board specs, is whatever a manufacturer tested with at the time of product launch or at a later date, as spec revisions and BIOS updates reveal.

Correct, what is causing this is you were using a ivy bridge CPU which supports DDR3 1600 on this supported board not the memory module and this happens because you have pair of DDR3 1600 in play on this combo. Also can use any modules that is 1333 or less on ivy bridge CPU too.

The CPU you were using is ivy bridge due to "v2" in the part number of this CPU; "Xeon E3-1230 v2".

Sandy bridge and prior were 1333 or less.

Cheers,

IBMFan wrote on 2023-02-16, 20:56:

Guess I just got pissed since I've always taken motherboard manual data at face value because the #1 rule before upgrading was always checking the manual first.
I checked recent boards by Gigabyte and the manuals are much better now.

Motherboard manuals are notoriously unreliable once the BIOS gets updated ort a new revision of the board gets released with the old revision manual ..lots of AIBs just throw old manuals into newer revision boxes with an addendum sheet of changes as it costs too much to print new manuals.

If the board runs the memory at 1600Mhz then it'll be because of a CPU that supports that memory speed manual be damned.

IIRC there are a few exceptions to this with later Intel chipsets and CPUs where the BIOS artificially forces you to run the memory at JDEC speeds rather than what its rated for..I believe this was Intels way of telling you to not be such a cheap ass and to go buy the chipsets that are not gimped by them.

Intel are such scum bags in this regard ..they are also back to selling software upgrades for their CPUs to unlock extra cores and cache ...fuckers.

IBM were infamous for that in the old days. They would sell you a fully functional computer, but with various components disabled. When you paid for an upgrade, the engineer would come over, toggle a few switches, then leave. There's your upgrade.

TrashPanda wrote on 2023-02-17, 04:21:

Motherboard manuals are notoriously unreliable once the BIOS gets updated ort a new revision of the board gets released with the […]
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IBMFan wrote on 2023-02-16, 20:56:

Guess I just got pissed since I've always taken motherboard manual data at face value because the #1 rule before upgrading was always checking the manual first.
I checked recent boards by Gigabyte and the manuals are much better now.

Motherboard manuals are notoriously unreliable once the BIOS gets updated ort a new revision of the board gets released with the old revision manual ..lots of AIBs just throw old manuals into newer revision boxes with an addendum sheet of changes as it costs too much to print new manuals.

If the board runs the memory at 1600Mhz then it'll be because of a CPU that supports that memory speed manual be damned.

IIRC there are a few exceptions to this with later Intel chipsets and CPUs where the BIOS artificially forces you to run the memory at JDEC speeds rather than what its rated for..I believe this was Intels way of telling you to not be such a cheap ass and to go buy the chipsets that are not gimped by them.

Intel are such scum bags in this regard ..they are also back to selling software upgrades for their CPUs to unlock extra cores and cache ...fuckers.

That's true, we have a Asus H81-M board that did this. Switching to OEM brand memory like Micron fixed this.

Also another good reason for sticking with Micron, Crucial, Hynix and Samsung helped with my computers' stability.

Cheers,