Does the W520 run DDR3L Memory at 1.35V?

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Carthik · #1 Post by **Carthik** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 5:05 am

I know DDR3L memory will still run at 1.5V, but I want to know if the W520 actually supports running low voltage memory at 1.35 volts.

Thanks,

Carthik

thinkpadcollection · #2 Post by **thinkpadcollection** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 12:08 pm

Be aware that DDR3L is 1.35V running on 1.5 makes chips run more warmer. Also getting 1.5V only sodimms are best thing to do.
Also matched sets are another proper manner to do.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

Carthik · #3 Post by **Carthik** » Mon Aug 24, 2015 5:16 pm

Still no answer to my question, anyone?

bit_twiddler · #4 Post by **bit_twiddler** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 1:14 pm

I seem to recall that you need Ivy Bridge or later to run DDR3L at 1.35V.

If you look on ark.intel.com for your processor, you'll see the recommended memory type listed.
e.g., for an ivy bridge you'll probably see something like "DDR3/L/-RS 1333/1600" as the recommended
memory type, whereas for a Sandy Bridge you'll probably see "DDR3 1066/1333."

jcvjcvjcvjcv · #5 Post by **jcvjcvjcvjcv** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:20 pm

My W520 is working fine with two sticks of 8GB Crucial 1.35V memory. Crucial specifically claims it works with both 1.5 and 1.35. No idea if it runs hotter or not.

A friend bought two sticks of 4 GB of the same for a T400, but that didn't work out. The memory itself worked though, just not in the T400.

CPU-Z reports that it runs at 9-9-9-24, which happens to be equal to what's in the SPD Table for 685 MHz. A lot of RAM has much lousier timings in the SPD than what they advertise it with, but not this Crucial set. The 800 MHz SPD slot is the advertised cl. 11

No idea on the voltage though, CPU-Z can't report current voltage. All the SPD slots have 1.35V though.

CPC464 · #6 Post by **CPC464** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:56 am

Hi, my X220 (same generation and chipset) runs fine with 16Gb Kingston hyperX DDR3-L

Surfrider · #7 Post by **Surfrider** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:47 pm

I, too, would be interested in this information. I've done a bit of web searching, but so far to no avail...

CPC464 · #8 Post by **CPC464** » Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:38 am

Here another one who has DDR3L both in W520 and in X220. 32Gb in my W520 and 16Gb in my X220.

By error (I've ordered one memory type and received another, but I didn't noticed it), my W520 was running for some months with mixed memory, two slots DDR3 and two DDR3L at the same time. It ran flawlessly and stable, and I only noticed it when I upgraded to 32Gb.

la0011 · #9 Post by **la0011** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:06 pm

Just tried to run 4 x 8GB GSkill DD3L modules in my W520. Initially all seemed well, but the modules got really hot and the machine starting crashing. Memtest showed plenty of errors.

Timing was CL10 at 1600mhz. I'm running coreboot though, with an IvyBridge CPU, and apparently there are some issues with raminit still. Modules were definitely getting hot though.

@CPC464 what brand and model of RAM do you use? Do you know what speed they run at?

thinkpadcollection · #10 Post by **thinkpadcollection** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 4:59 pm

W520 is sandy bridge and ivy bridge CPUs in W530 still utilize 1.5V ram modules. Any speed DDR3-1333 to 1600 is fine except Ivy bridge requires 1600 or 1866.

Buy from ebay: Micron (Crucial), Hynix, Samsung, Elpida or order from Cruical. Third party memory are a issue sometimes.

Cheers, thinkpadcollection

kfzhu1229 · #11 Post by **kfzhu1229** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 5:41 pm

I have my T530 with 2x8GB Kingston HyperX set (it was cheaper than normal DDR3 for some reason) and it runs just fine even after me trying that laptop with both Sandy Bridge (i5-2520m) and Ivy Bridge (i7-3720qm) CPU

la0011 · #12 Post by **la0011** » Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:15 pm

@thinkpadcollection

I'm aware of W520/W530 CPUs, with coreboot you can run IVB CPUs in a W520 just fine though. My ram is running @1333 right now, so 1600 is not requiered for IVB.

The W520 (and possible W530, not sure) could provide 1.35V for DDR3L with a resistor mod, nobody has tried yet though.

If possible, I'd rather wait for modules confirmed working.

Thanks for your suggestions though.

technopanda · #13 Post by **technopanda** » Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:58 pm

I've successfully ran 32GB of Kingston HyperX Impact 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3L CL9 memory (https://www.amazon.com/hyperx-impact-so ... B00KQCOTCM) without issue at 1600MT/s with v1.36 BIOS.

Shredder11 · #14 Post by **Shredder11** » Sat Sep 21, 2024 4:16 pm

Today I installed 32GB into my W520 and it went without a hitch, and the performance is noticably faster in every way. My BIOS was already at v1.46 which I gather is the recommended minimum for use with 32GB? I also already had a quad CPU and 64-bit O/S etc. The RAM sticks were less than half the price of all the other ones I have considered over the past six years. The links to where I bought them from are below; I'm in England (UK) so the first link applied to me. I got the option to buy as a pair. If I remember to do so, I will run CPU-Z and find out the other specification details.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08F7M219D? ... asin_title

https://www.amazon.com/Rasalas-1600MHz- ... r=8-1&th=1

Does the W520 run DDR3L Memory at 1.35V?

Does the W520 run DDR3L Memory at 1.35V?

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