Where can I find a good guide for overclocking the MSI Vector 16 HX AI laptop CPU & RAM?

[Owner of Vector 16 HX AI]

See again the link I gave you. You can find that kit on Amazon.

I couldn't find this kit in stock on Amazon or Newegg or anywhere. For reference, the kits I think you are referring to are the CL52 6400Mhz Crucial kits. Please share the link to buy it if you think I am not seeing it, because for the life of me, I can't find it for sale.

drek4:
He would be better off with the CL52 DDR5 6400Mhz, in your provided link, since they are single ranked 1Rx8.

Thanks. Didn't know this about the single ranked thing.

 

[RemusM]

I couldn't find this kit in stock on Amazon or Newegg or anywhere.

If you read again you'll see that I was talking about the 2 x 32GB DDR5-5600 kit.
This one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLTG7TN6/?th=1

 

[Owner of Vector 16 HX AI]

If you read again you'll see that I was talking about the 2 x 32GB DDR5-5600 kit.
This one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLTG7TN6/?th=1

oh i see now. i missed that later comment. thanks.

i'm still on the hunt for CL52 6400MHz before I give up

CSODIMMs can achieve it

 

[drek4]

Arrow Lake (Intel Core Ultra) CPUs are capable of 2 x 64GB DDR5-5600 at 1.1V

Amazon.com

This would be my option in case 4K editing, VMs, Docker, etc

Yes I agree that would be amazing for the purposes you cited, but, the OP said he was also a gamer, the 32, 48, 64GB modules are 2Rx8 Dual ranked,
so this will impede his gaming performance, so the sweet spot would be 2x 16GB 1Rx8 Single ranked, or wait for the 6400Mhz, that would be the best of both worlds.
If we take in account both sides of the coin.

 

[Owner of Vector 16 HX AI]

I’ve learned a lot from you guys. Based on what you’ve said, I think I may have found a good solution.

two sticks of this:
SK Hynix Original 24GB DDR5-6400 (PC5-6400B) CSODIMM Memory Module RAM, 1.1v, 262 pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered

- Brand is a good. (On @drek4 ’s MSI-compatible list)
- 48GB (24GBx2) total capacity is good for video editing.
- 6400MHz is great for gaming.
- 1 rank x8 (better for gaming than “2 rank”)
- 1.1volts (not 1.35v like the Kingston fury I originally shared)
- CSODIMM sticks

I’m just not 100% sure what the CL is. But it’s gotta be higher than the CL38 in the Kensington FURY sticks due to being CSODIMM and only 1.1v

What do you think?

 

[drek4]

I’ve learned a lot from you guys. Based on what you’ve said, I think I may have found a good solution.

two sticks of this:
SK Hynix Original 24GB DDR5-6400 (PC5-6400B) CSODIMM Memory Module RAM, 1.1v, 262 pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered

- Brand is a good. (On @drek4 ’s MSI-compatible list)
- 48GB (24GBx2) total capacity is good for video editing.
- 6400MHz is great for gaming.
- 1 rank x8 (better for gaming than “2 rank”)
- 1.1volts (not 1.35v like the Kingston fury I originally shared)
- CSODIMM sticks

I’m just not 100% sure what the CL is. But it’s gotta be higher than the CL38 in the Kensington FURY sticks due to being CSODIMM and only 1.1v

What do you think?

Looks good to me, you have the link?
Is the store legit, or is it on Ali or Ebay?

Because for example, if you look at this link, you see a laptop RAM 262 pin, then scroll down and see the seller specs of the RAM, it now states 288 pin?

SKhynix Original 24GB DDR5-6400 CSODIMM Memory Module RAM for laptops gaming | eBay

Buy new third party solutions directly from the manufacturer! This will not affect functionality. SK hynix Original. If you receive a defective product, we will replace it with a working one or give your money back.

www.ebay.com

 

[electrostingz]

I thought lower latency timings were incompatible with this laptop? Per @drek4's post here where he said:

Technically not accurate, the 275HX CPU memory controller is quite capable and will benefit from lower timings just like the desktop versions, Intel have also tried to optimise this processor for gaming / overclocking and out of the box it supports XMP 3.0 provided the laptop vendor hasn't locked this feature.

For Adobe video editing, if its working on CPU for edits and encoding on GPU you will likely want to maintain the boost as high as possible for all the P-cores. But monitor the cores when you are using the program and see what's being used and how it boosts under the specific tasks. XTU will also show you how much power it's using / when the cores hit the limits. For example if you do try the 60/75 PL1/PL2 limits you will see that under most heavy tasks the CPU is capping itself, in other words you are losing performance.

Gaming is very dynamic but max frequency is usually the way to go, single core performance tends deliver better performance.
Don't be afraid to run a sustained CPU temp of 80 Deg C, peak temps for max performance stay under 95 Deg C.

Otherwise you will be running base clock frequencies (2.7GHz) all day long so what is the point of having a fast CPU if you are never going to benefit from it. . I understand heat might be a problem so if the laptop cooling is simply not up to the task of keeping things cool you will have not choice but to limit performance to avoid thermal throttling.

 

[RemusM]

SK Hynix Original 24GB DDR5-6400 (PC5-6400B) CSODIMM Memory Module RAM, 1.1v, 262 pin, Non-ECC Unbuffered

I agree with @drek4 : it looks good, but we need to see the source (link).

But it’s gotta be higher than the CL38 in the Kensington FURY sticks due to being CSODIMM and only 1.1v

That Kingston Fury kit is using overclocked and overvolted DDR5-5600 chips. That's why it needs 1.35V for 6400 with CL38.
This Hynix kit (if valid) is a native DDR5-6400 kit (CL52 at 1.1V).

 

[drek4]

Technically not accurate, the 275HX CPU memory controller is quite capable and will benefit from lower timings just like the desktop versions, Intel have also tried to optimise this processor for gaming / overclocking and out of the box it supports XMP 3.0 provided the laptop vendor hasn't locked this feature.

For Adobe video editing, if its working on CPU for edits and encoding on GPU you will likely want to maintain the boost as high as possible for all the P-cores. But monitor the cores when you are using the program and see what's being used and how it boosts under the specific tasks. XTU will also show you how much power it's using / when the cores hit the limits. For example if you do try the 60/75 PL1/PL2 limits you will see that under most heavy tasks the CPU is capping itself, in other words you are losing performance.

Gaming is very dynamic but max frequency is usually the way to go, single core performance tends deliver better performance.
Don't be afraid to run a sustained CPU temp of 80 Deg C, peak temps for max performance stay under 95 Deg C.

Otherwise you will be running base clock frequencies (2.7GHz) all day long so what is the point of having a fast CPU if you are never going to benefit from it. . I understand heat might be a problem so if the laptop cooling is simply not up to the task of keeping things cool you will have not choice but to limit performance to avoid thermal throttling.

If you do a benchmark with an i9, I agree I would increase higher than 75W for the CPU Benchmark, but a Benchmark lasts a few minutes.
If I play 3 hour straight gaming at 157W, it would thermal throttle constantly and a stutter fest after 1 hour, so reducing the power until the sweet spot of minimal thermal throttling,
with good performance in games was 75W, of course if you are comparing a i9 in a desktop, then those constraints are not an issue, this goes only for laptops!

Could you inform us of your i9 laptop that you did tests with?
I do not see in your signature any laptops listed, all I see is a water cooled desktop and an AMD to boot, not saying AMD is not great, but Intel do not perform the same,
mine are listed in my signature, so you will see my i9 I did tests on, this is why I came to the results I post!

By the way here are the specs from intel for the i9 275HX and i9 1950HX.

Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 Processor 275HX (36M Cache, up to 5.40 GHz) - Product Specifications | Intel

Intel® Core™ Ultra 9 Processor 275HX (36M Cache, up to 5.40 GHz) quick reference with specifications, features, and technologies.

www.intel.com

Intel® Core™ i9-13950HX Processor (36M Cache, up to 5.50 GHz) - Product Specifications | Intel

Intel® Core™ i9-13950HX Processor (36M Cache, up to 5.50 GHz) quick reference with specifications, features, and technologies.

www.intel.com

 

[drek4]

Technically not accurate, the 275HX CPU memory controller is quite capable and will benefit from lower timings just like the desktop versions, Intel have also tried to optimise this processor for gaming / overclocking and out of the box it supports XMP 3.0 provided the laptop vendor hasn't locked this feature.

Both my GP66 12UGS, 12th Gen Vector and my GP68HX 13VH, 13th Gen Vector, do not have the option of XMP 3.0, so unless MSI decided to add it suddenly,
I doubt that it would be available on his Vector 16HX.

 

[Owner of Vector 16 HX AI]

Looks good to me, you have the link?
Is the store legit, or is it on Ali or Ebay?

You found it. Haha. To confirm, this is the RAM I'm looking at:
24GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/197046578688 <-- much better price per GB than 32GB.
32GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/205268752981

This is the only place I can find CSODIMMs in stock, unless I begin to shop outside the U.S. and at higher prices.

Before you judge me too harshly for shopping on eBay, let me share what I noticed with you.

First of all, seller has 27,000 feedback and 99.3% which is actually decent. It's not some Nigerian scammer. It's a legit business. So I can return it if it isn't what I expect.

Second, the price is amazing for the 24GB sticks ($83 each). The seller also sells 32GB sticks but they are $200 each! So I consider the 24GB to be a sweet deal, assuming it is what it I think it is. It makes me wonder if the 24GB are priced too low, based on the 32GB pricing.

I scoured over the page for quite a long time and cross-referenced thigs. As @drek4 pointed out (I noticed this too) the description says 288 pins (which is desktop memory), but the picture clearly shows 262 pin laptop memory (I literally counted the pins in the image LOL). Also, the listing for the 32GB memory correctly states 262 pins. So, chalk this up to typo on the 24GB listing.

However, the image itself shows "SODIMM" and not "CSODIMM" on the RAM sticker. That is the biggest red flag to me.

That begs the question: is this truly CSODIMM? After a lot of research, I think the answer is likely yes. Here's why. First of all, it's not 1.35 volts, which is what I would expect for 6400MHz if it weren't CSODIMM. Also, CSODIMM sticks contain an extra "client clock driver" module on them. (read more about this here: https://www.servethehome.com/what-is-different-with-a-cudimm-or-csodimm-micron-crucial/)

The CSODIMM clock driver is usually located here:

Here's another example of CSODIMM (for laptops) and CUDIMM (for desktops) where the clock driver is located:

So, now back to the eBay memory I found. If you look very closely on it, under the HK Hynix sticker (on the 24GB image), you can see what appears to be the "clock driver". (The sticker on the 32GB version of this memory from this seller is a little lower and fully obfuscates where the clock driver would be). I brightened up the image so it's easier to see:

I am not sure why they would omit the "CSODIMM" from their label and call it "SODIMM", but I have read that some companies might not label it.

Also, the label says "PC5-6400B". That "B" also seems to indicate it is not standard SODIMM memory and runs at a higher CL.

I couldn't locate any information at alla bout the Part Number listed on the RAM's sticker. It doesn't exist online. That was a bit unusual.

But I've decided that it most likely is CSODIMM based on the presence of the clock driver and being 1.1v with 6400MHz. If I'm wrong, then so be it.

Lastly, if what I receive isn't what I expected, I will return it. I am very familiar with using eBay, PayPal and their returns/claims processes, so this is no big deal to me. And the listing says 14 days to return for money back.

UPDATE: I messaged the eBay seller, asking him about the RAM. The seller responded to me, saying: "Yes, it is CSODIMM. There is a small buffered chip under the label. I believe it is CL52. It should work in Vector 16 HX AI A2XWIG. Your purchase comes with money back guarantee if there is a problem. Thanks".

So, it looks like I may have found a gem.

 

[drek4]

You found it. Haha. To confirm, this is the RAM I'm looking at:
24GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/197046578688 <-- much better price per GB than 32GB.
32GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/205268752981

This is the only place I can find CSODIMMs in stock, unless I begin to shop outside the U.S. and at higher prices.

Before you judge me too harshly for shopping on eBay, let me share what I noticed with you.

First of all, seller has 27,000 feedback and 99.3% which is actually decent. It's not some Nigerian scammer. It's a legit business. So I can return it if it isn't what I expect.

Second, the price is amazing for the 24GB sticks ($83 each). The seller also sells 32GB sticks but they are $200 each! So I consider the 24GB to be a sweet deal, assuming it is what it I think it is. It makes me wonder if the 24GB are priced too low, based on the 32GB pricing.

I scoured over the page for quite a long time and cross-referenced thigs. As @drek4 pointed out (I noticed this too) the description says 288 pins (which is desktop memory), but the picture clearly shows 262 pin laptop memory (I literally counted the pins in the image LOL). Also, the listing for the 32GB memory correctly states 262 pins. So, chalk this up to typo on the 24GB listing.

However, the image itself shows "SODIMM" and not "CSODIMM" on the RAM sticker. That is the biggest red flag to me.

That begs the question: is this truly CSODIMM? After a lot of research, I think the answer is likely yes. Here's why. First of all, it's not 1.35 volts, which is what I would expect for 6400MHz if it weren't CSODIMM. Also, CSODIMM sticks contain an extra "client clock driver" module on them. (read more about this here: https://www.servethehome.com/what-is-different-with-a-cudimm-or-csodimm-micron-crucial/)

The CSODIMM clock driver is usually located here:


Here's another example of CSODIMM (for laptops) and CUDIMM (for desktops) where the clock driver is located:


So, now back to the eBay memory I found. If you look very closely on it, under the HK Hynix sticker (on the 24GB image), you can see what appears to be the "clock driver". (The sticker on the 32GB version of this memory from this seller is a little lower and fully obfuscates where the clock driver would be). I brightened up the image so it's easier to see:

I am not sure why they would omit the "CSODIMM" from their label and call it "SODIMM", but I have read that some companies might not label it.

Also, the label says "PC5-6400B". That "B" also seems to indicate it is not standard SODIMM memory and runs at a higher CL.

I couldn't locate any information at alla bout the Part Number listed on the RAM's sticker. It doesn't exist online. That was a bit unusual.

But I've decided that it most likely is CSODIMM based on the presence of the clock driver and being 1.1v with 6400MHz. If I'm wrong, then so be it.

Lastly, if what I receive isn't what I expected, I will return it. I am very familiar with using eBay, PayPal and their returns/claims processes, so this is no big deal to me. And the listing says 14 days to return for money back.

UPDATE: I messaged the eBay seller, asking him about the RAM. The seller responded to me, saying: "Yes, it is CSODIMM. There is a small buffered chip under the label. I believe it is CL52. It should work in Vector 16 HX AI A2XWIG. Your purchase comes with money back guarantee if there is a problem. Thanks".


So, it looks like I may have found a gem.

Well it's your call, most of us are here just to help you make a wise choice, you have the final decision on anything you want to proceed any further on.
But I would just give a call to your credit card company, just to know if they had any issues with this company, since Paypal has been useless for me at least,
in obtaining satisfaction in my last 2 transactions, so I no longer use Paypal, but I am thankful that the amounts were minimal.
Anyways best of luck and hope your find is the real deal!

 

[drek4]

You found it. Haha. To confirm, this is the RAM I'm looking at:
24GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/197046578688 <-- much better price per GB than 32GB.

Yeah well I do a lot of research on my laptops prior to purchase, including RAM, SSDs, wireless cards available for upgrade and their performance, specifications, issues,
of them and the laptop coveted, it's seem to be in my nature to gain as much knowledge as I can on my purchases, to not be deceived.

 

[Owner of Vector 16 HX AI]

Yeah well I do a lot of research on my laptops prior to purchase, including RAM, SSDs, wireless cards available for upgrade and their performance, specifications, issues,
of them and the laptop coveted, it's seem to be in my nature to gain as much knowledge as I can on my purchases, to not be deceived.

do you really have 12 laptops? (your signature)

 

[Owner of Vector 16 HX AI]

Well it's your call, most of us are here just to help you make a wise choice, you have the final decision on anything you want to proceed any further on.
But I would just give a call to your credit card company, just to know if they had any issues with this company, since Paypal has been useless for me at least,
in obtaining satisfaction in my last 2 transactions, so I no longer use Paypal, but I am thankful that the amounts were minimal.
Anyways best of luck and hope your find is the real deal!

Appreciate the care and concern but I’m not in the least bit worried. I know how to handle eBay and PayPal with expertness. But I can already tell the company I’m dealing with is legit. Either way, I wouldn’t think of blaming anyone else for my purchases. Cheers

 

[electrostingz]

Both my GP66 12UGS, 12th Gen Vector and my GP68HX 13VH, 13th Gen Vector, do not have the option of XMP 3.0, so unless MSI decided to add it suddenly,
I doubt that it would be available on his Vector 16HX.

For mobile CPU's Intel have been restricting the use of XMP until now, the 200HX series supports it but it's dependant on the vendor enabling it.

Could you inform us of your i9 laptop that you did tests with?

Asus ROG Strix G16 i9-14900HX / RTX 4060 / 32GB 5600MHz Kingston Impact Fury PNP CL40

If you do a benchmark with an i9, I agree I would increase higher than 75W for the CPU Benchmark, but a Benchmark lasts a few minutes.
If I play 3 hour straight gaming at 157W, it would thermal throttle constantly and a stutter fest after 1 hour, so reducing the power until the sweet spot of minimal thermal throttling,
with good performance in games was 75W, of course if you are comparing a i9 in a desktop, then those constraints are not an issue, this goes only for laptops!

Maybe so but benchmarks are good guides and show how the system will behave under certain conditions, like if you were to run unigine valley benchmark, 3dmark: timespy, steel nomad, CPU test, these will actually push the system to the point that if you get the settings right you will be solid in most games. Cyberpunk is also a good one when maxed out and as to testing games, GPU + framerate has a massive impact.

EDIT: videos required to see this in action, will get done so its more accurate with what I'm showing.
For your recommendation of 60/75 if I leave the i9-14900HX on default settings with HT disabled and a game such as Once human at 60 FPS this is the result within a few mins.

Not great, the CPU is running a high Vcore because it is still allowed to run up to 5.8GHz per 2 cores. You will also see the power limits and the CPU is actually trying to push higher, meaning our cores frequency are not a steady frequency, it's jumping up and down. And the worse part, we are at 94 Deg C peak package temperature just for a few mins at 60 FPS and I was in a very low activity area.

If I do the same run but this time I set the max boost to 5GHz all cores and my negative voltage offsets.

The CPU is now at a lower voltage, much cooler, steady fixed Frequency on all cores and you will notice the package power is only 42.56W despite my 200/200 PL1/PL2 limit. Given the choice, it is better to limit the Boost ratio as this is directly linked to the Vcore Voltages and how much power it consumes, which is the main source of the heat. This current setup I'm using is still work in progress and I will write a more detailed comparison at a later date but its actually performing extremely well.

Note with just adjusting the power limits your CPU still has the ability to max out just 1 or 2 cores so given the right load it can still shoot up beyond 95 Deg C and will appear to run hot. 3DMARK CPU tests single core and 2 core thread tests will show this.

 

[RemusM]

To confirm, this is the RAM I'm looking at:
24GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/197046578688 <-- much better price per GB than 32GB.
32GB 6400MHz CSODIMM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/205268752981
This is the only place I can find CSODIMMs in stock, unless I begin to shop outside the U.S. and at higher prices.

Be aware: you need to buy a factory matched kit.
Buying 2 individual modules is gambling.
You might get into stability issues or you won't be able to boot up at all.
good luck

 

[drek4]

For mobile CPU's Intel have been restricting the use of XMP until now, the 200HX series supports it but it's dependant on the vendor enabling it.



Asus ROG Strix G16 i9-14900HX / RTX 4060 / 32GB 5600MHz Kingston Impact Fury PNP CL40


Maybe so but benchmarks are good guides and show how the system will behave under certain conditions, like if you were to run unigine valley benchmark, 3dmark: timespy, steel nomad, CPU test, these will actually push the system to the point that if you get the settings right you will be solid in most games. Cyberpunk is also a good one when maxed out and as to testing games, GPU + framerate has a massive impact.

EDIT: videos required to see this in action, will get done so its more accurate with what I'm showing.
For your recommendation of 60/75 if I leave the i9-14900HX on default settings with HT disabled and a game such as Once human at 60 FPS this is the result within a few mins.
View attachment 201471

Not great, the CPU is running a high Vcore because it is still allowed to run up to 5.8GHz per 2 cores. You will also see the power limits and the CPU is actually trying to push higher, meaning our cores frequency are not a steady frequency, it's jumping up and down. And the worse part, we are at 94 Deg C peak package temperature just for a few mins at 60 FPS and I was in a very low activity area.

1st you should do an undervolt of -100mv or -125mv (You did no undervolt so you are not optimal on voltage)
2nd PL1 and PL2 should be 65/75W not 60/75W, your PL1 is too low, this will create wild fluctuations, you have to keep the gap no more than 10W between each.
(I never suggested a gap of 15W, so I don't know where you got that information, even my i7 12700H performs best with a 7W gap, but that is an odd one)
3rd You did not cap your CPU speed, it should be capped with ThrottleStop Core 0/1 5.2/5.2, Core 2/3 4.9/4.9, Core 4/5 4.8/4.8, Core 6/7 4.7/4.7
(Again wild fluctuations because the gap between Sustained and Boost, is too wide, in most games you only need 1 or 2 cores, so cap the others more)
4th 94oC is nothing for an i9, if you want top performance, mine is between 95-98oC for the max temp, when it was at stock settings 98-101oC.

I always prefer using Benchmarks in the games I play, since I want my system to be optimal with my games, that's what matters to me.

If I do the same run but this time I set the max boost to 5GHz all cores and my negative voltage offsets.
View attachment 201472

The CPU is now at a lower voltage, much cooler, steady fixed Frequency on all cores and you will notice the package power is only 42.56W despite my 200/200 PL1/PL2 limit. Given the choice, it is better to limit the Boost ratio as this is directly linked to the Vcore Voltages and how much power it consumes, which is the main source of the heat. This current setup I'm using is still work in progress and I will write a more detailed comparison at a later date but its actually performing extremely well.

Note with just adjusting the power limits your CPU still has the ability to max out just 1 or 2 cores so given the right load it can still shoot up beyond 95 Deg C and will appear to run hot. 3DMARK CPU tests single core and 2 core thread tests will show this.

Much better, but...
1st your undervolt is too aggressive, try more like -100mv or -125mv maximum, you are restricting too much the CPU, good for temps, but not the best for performance.
2nd your speed mhz is too low, you are now performing the same as an i7.(Increase the first 2 cores and reduce the others as indicated previously)
3rd those settings would be great for a GPU intensive game, or a multiplayer game like WOW, but in a CPU intensive game especially shooters,
the performance would be subpar, similar to an i7.

 

[drek4]

I agree with @RemusM it's always better to purchase a Dual Channel kit for best performance, since you are sure you will be in Dual Channel that way.
But since you already set your mind to it...

 

[drek4]

do you really have 12 laptops? (your signature)

Yes I do, but sadly my GL62M 7RDX, has ended it's time with me last December, my Toshiba C650, ended in February last year also,
my Asus N71JQ, in 2014 if my memory is correct, my Toshiba A500, in 2013 and finally my Compaq Presario, in 2003.
But I still have my old desktop Asus P5Q Pro, that I setup as a video server, so I can view my older films and videos,
the most recent ones are on either the laptops or external HDDs under my TVs connected to the appropriate multimedia laptop.
My wife still has my Asus Eee that she uses for word and watching films.
My Dad still has my P5K and my P4T, the first he uses at his condo the second at his cottage, mainly for browsing and music.