Intel Performance Test Configuration

The Corsair TwinX1024-4400C25 was also tested in our standard Intel Pentium 4 Memory testbed. The hardware is the same used in our earlier reviews of DDR400 and faster Memory. All test conditions were as close as possible in these tests over time on the Intel test bed. We also eliminated from our charts any known memory that has been discontinued.

 INTEL 875P Performance Test Configuration
Processor(s): Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz (800MHz FSB)
RAM: 2X512MB Corsair TwinX1024-4400C25 (DS)
2X512MB G. Skill TCCD (DS)
2X512MB PQI 3200 Turbo (DS)
2X512MB OCZ PC3700 Gold Rev 3 (DS)
2X512MB Geil PC3200 Ultra X (DS)
2X512MB Crucial Ballistix PC3200 (DS)
2X512MB Kingston HyperX PC3200 L-L (DS)
2X512MB Mushkin PC3200 Level II V2 (DS)
2X512MB OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 (DS)
2X512MB Corsair 3200XL PRO (DS)
2X256MB Samsung PC4000 (SS)
2X512MB Buffalo FireStix PC4000 (DS)
2X512MB Shika XRAM PC4400 (DS)
2X512MB OCZ PC4400 EL Gold (DS)
2X512MB OCZ 3700EB (DS)
2X512MB OCZ 3500EB (DS)
2X512MB Mushkin 2-2-2 Special (DS)
2X512MB PMI4200 Gold (DDR533 DS)
4X256MB Samsung PC3700 (DDR466 SS)
2X512MB Kingmax DDR500 Hardcore Series (DS)
2X512MB Kingmax DDR466 Hardcore Series (DS)
2X512MB Corsair XMS4400v1.1 TwinX (DS)
2X512MB OCZ PC4400 DC Kit (DS)
2X512MB OCZ 4200EL(DS)
2x512MB Mushkin PC4000 High Performance (DS)
2X512MB Corsair TwinX4000 PRO (DS)
2X256Mb Adata DDR450 (SS)
2X512MB Adata PC4000 (DS)
2X512MB Corsair PC4000 (DS)
2X512MB Geil PC4000 (DS)
2X512MB OCZ PC4000 (DS)
Hard Drives 2 Western Digital Raptor Serial ATA 36.7GB 10,000RPM drives in an Intel ICH5R RAID configuration
PCI/AGP Speed Fixed at 33/66
Bus Master Drivers: 875P Intel INF Update v5.00.1012, SATA RAID drivers installed, but IAA not installed
Video Card(s): ATI 9800 PRO 128MB, 128MB aperture, 1024x768x32
Video Drivers: ATI Catalyst 4.10
Power Supply: Vantec Stealth 470 Watt Aluminum
Operating System(s): Windows XP Professional SP1
Motherboards: Asus P4C800-E (875) with 1016 Release BIOS

We have found the fastest performance on Intel 865/875 to be achieved at Cycle Time or tRAS of 5, or the fastest tRAS setting that is stable with the tested memory. Intel platform benchmarks were therefore run with the fastest stable tRAS timings that we could achieve with the Corsair 4400C25.

Test Settings

We ran our standard suite of memory performance benchmarks. The following settings were tested with the Corsair DDR550 memory:
  1. 800FSB/DDR400 - the highest stock speed supported on 875/865 and K8T800/nF3/SiS755 motherboards. The rated speed of both G. Skill TCCD and PQI 3200 Turbo.
  2. 866FSB/DDR433 - a speed rating that we have used in testing other low-latency DDR400 memory.
  3. 933FSB/DDR466 - a standard memory speed also specified as PC3700.
  4. 1000FSB/DDR500 - a standard memory speed used in testing other high-speed memory and the rated speed of OCZ PC4000 Gold Rev. 2
  5. 1066FSB/DDR533 - a standard memory speed included for comparison
  6. Highest Stable Overclock - the highest settings that we could achieve with this memory and other memory that we have tested.
These are the same general settings used in benchmarking other DDR memory in the past year. DDR400, DDR500 and Highest Memory Speed have been used for all benchmarking. DDR433 and 466 were also used for testing other DDR400 2-2-2 modules, so we also ran benchmarks at these timings for comparisons. We also included test results at DDR533, since many TCCD memories have reached that speed and beyond.

AMD Performance Test Configuration Test Results: Corsair XMS4404v1.1
Comments Locked

23 Comments

View All Comments

  • DonCornelius - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link

    Can anyone tell me why we can't get 2-2-2 timings on 1GB size DIMMs? The only DIMMs I see with this timings are 512MB and 256MB. Is this marketing or a limit on the technology?
  • Live - Thursday, January 6, 2005 - link

    If what PrinceGaz is sayimng about memory on the AMD platform is true I think it would warrant some clarification from Anandtech. If money is an object what gives best bang for the buck. Cheap memory and faster CPU or the other way around?
  • PrinceGaz - Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - link

    from #20- "#19 - The $82 PQI Turbo stuff at newegg is 2.5-3-3 timing RAM. The cheapest you can get a 2-2-2 512MB stick of RAM at newegg is the Patriot for $107."

    Given that we've already got a 2.5-3-3 timings with the PQI, and it was the module that at most was 3% slower on memory-bandwidth bound applications with the Athlon 64, I think that answers my question about why budget memory has not been covered.

    You may as well save still more money and get brand-name value-products for an AMD box, unless you are going for a high-end overclocking system with an FX-55 where every component is the best in it's class. Even if overclocking you aren't going to suffer because there is no such thing as an asynchronous memory frequency with an Athlon 64 (there is no Northbridge between the CPU and memory) so just set the budget memory to "DDR333" and you'll be fine for overclocking up to about DDR500.

    Actually when you combine the S939 Athlon 64's lack of dependence on memory bandwidth with it's onboard memory controller that ensures any memory speed is equally efficient; when building a mid-range Athlon 64 box you may as well just get cheap brand-name DDR400 and run it at what ever speed it is happiest with after overclocking your CPU. Which makes all these high-end memory review articles pointless for all except extreme overclockers.
  • eetnoyer - Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - link

    #19 - The $82 PQI Turbo stuff at newegg is 2.5-3-3 timing RAM. The cheapest you can get a 2-2-2 512MB stick of RAM at newegg is the Patriot for $107.
  • kmmatney - Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - link

    With NewEgg having PQI turbo 3200 at $82, I thinks that's the best deal, probably worth the extra $10 or so over value RAM. In this review it performed almost as well as the top of the line stuff.
  • Googer - Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - link

    Correction:

    the standard JDEC complient ram does not need to be included in the overclocking tests.
  • Googer - Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - link

    All memory should be tested agains JDEC Standard Ram
    using JDEC standard Timings For DDR400. Standard ISSUE Crucial (not ballistix) should also be included as a base compairson for all DDR400 Tests.

    When it comes to overclocking the JDEC complient ram
    does not need to be tested becuase that was never the intent of its design.
  • Fricardo - Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - link

    #'s 6,12,14,15

    Here here. I couldn't care less about timings...it's not worth the cash to get ever so slightly more performance. I'd just like some decent RAM that'll let me overclock an A64, nothing fancy.
  • miketheidiot - Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - link

    Cheap memory review! Enough of this expensive junk.
  • JustAnAverageGuy - Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - link

    #13

    I think he was thinking more along the lines of say Kingston\Corsair ValueRAM which runs for around $65-70 for a 512MB stick.

    Zebo did something similar (see CPU & OC forums), but I've been waiting for the AnandTech review.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now