OCZ VX Memory + DFI nForce4 = DDR533 at 2-2-2
by Wesley Fink on March 4, 2005 6:45 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Test Results: OCZ EL PC4000 VX Gold
To be considered stable for test purposes, Quake3 benchmark, UT2003 Demo, Super PI, Aquamark 3, and Comanche 4 had to complete without incident. Any of these, especially Super PI, will crash a less-than stable memory configuration.| OCZ EL PC4000 VX Gold (DDR500) - 2x512Mb Double-Bank | |||||||
| CPU Ratio at 2.4GHz | Memory Speed | Memory Timings & Voltage |
Quake3 fps |
Sandra UNBuffered | Sandra Standard Buffered |
Super PI 2M places (time in sec) |
Wolfenstein - Radar - Enemy Territory fps |
| 12x200 | 400 DDR (Stock V) |
2-3-2-6 2.6V 1T (Stock V) |
567.4 | INT 2856 FLT 2998 |
INT 6130 FLT 6082 |
81 | 119.3 |
| 12x200 | 400 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.0V 1T |
572.6 | INT 2920 FLT 3065 |
INT 6150 FLT 6098 |
80 | 120.3 |
| 11x218 | 436 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.1V 1T |
580.6 | INT 3077 FLT 3253 |
INT 6538 FLT 6467 |
80 | 121.4 |
| 10x240 | 480 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.2V 1T |
600.5 | INT 3234 FLT 3404 |
INT 6804 FLT 6727 |
78 | 123.4 |
| 9x267 | 533 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.5V 1T |
601.5 | INT 3477 FLT 3679 |
INT 7143 FLT 7056 |
77 | 124.9 |
| 9x269 (2.42GHz) |
Highest 1T Mem Speed 538 DDR |
2-2-2-6 3.6V 1T |
602.3 | INT 3477 FLT 3683 |
INT 7169 FLT 7106 |
77 | 125.2 |
| 10x250 (2.5Ghz) |
Rated Speed 500 DDR |
2-2-2-6 3.2V 1T |
612.2 | INT 3364 FLT 3557 |
INT 7093 FLT 7009 |
75 | 128.4 |
| 10x267 (2.67GHz) |
Highest CPU/MEM Performance | 2-2-2-6 3.5V 1T |
645.0 | INT 3470 FLT 3629 |
INT 7554 FLT 7461 |
71 | 135.8 |
The top row of Performance results at 2.6V is included as a performance baseline. While VX cannot achieve 2-2-2 timings at stock voltage at DDR400, it can easily be coaxed into 2-2-2 performance at DDR400 with more voltage. With these modules, we reached an extremely stable DDR400 2-2-2-6 at 3.0V. We then maintained 2-2-2-6 timings all the way to DDR538, which required 3.6V for complete stability. The voltage requirements from 3.0 to 3.6 volts were very linear to Memory Speed.
The important results here are rows 1 to 6, where CPU speed is kept at 2.4GHZ and only the Memory Speed is varied. The performance differences that you see in that range are a result of Memory Speed only. In the case of VX, where memory timings also remain constant, the true impact of just memory speed can be seen. It is not a huge difference in real-world benchmarks, but the increase is real nonetheless.
However, speed from 400 to 533 is not the only thing that is important with OCZ VX. Please take a look at VX performance in our later performance comparisons. Look at each of these speeds, comparing VX to the best AMD TCCD and other memory that we have tested, and you will see something very interesting. VX is faster at every speed than competing memory that we have tested. This means that all 2-2-2 is not created equal, as VX is faster at every speed than the competition at 2-2-2.
| OCZ EL PC4000 VX Gold (DDR500) 2x512Mb Double-Bank |
||||
| CPU Ratio at 2.4GHz | Memory Speed | Memory Timings & Voltage |
Everest 1.51 READ |
Everest 1.51 WRITE |
| 12x200 | 400 DDR (Stock V) |
2-3-2-6 2.6V 1T (Stock V) |
5941 | 2639 |
| 12x200 | 400 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.0V 1T |
5996 | 2661 |
| 11x218 | 436 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.1V 1T |
6338 | 2756 |
| 10x240 | 480 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.2V 1T |
6977 | 2894 |
| 9x267 | 533 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.5V 1T |
7455 | 3043 |
| 9x269 (2.42GHz) |
Highest 1T Mem Speed 538 DDR |
2-2-2-6 3.6V 1T |
7466 | 3055 |
| 10x250 (2.5GHz) |
Rated Speed 500 DDR |
2-2-2-6 3.2V 1T |
7236 | 3018 |
| 10x267 (2.67GHz) |
Highest CPU/MEM Performance | 2-2-2-6 3.5V 1T |
7603 | 3160 |
We have looked at Aida 32 results in the past, and found them very useful in examining read/write performance and memory latency. Aida 32 is now available as Everest Home Edition and can be downloaded for free from www.lavalys.com. It is very interesting to look at the real impact of memory speed on write performance compared to memory read performance. As we raise the memory speed from 200 to 267 (DDR400 to DDR533), keeping the CPU speed constant, memory Read increases over 25% while memory Write over the same range shows just a 14% increase. That means that while all operations benefit from memory speed increases, operations more dependent on memory Read will benefit much more from memory speed boosts than those that are memory Write dependent.
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Quanticles - Sunday, March 6, 2005 - link
Wesley, it's disturbing that you refuse to re-test other memories on the same test set-up that you used for this memory, or make some other effort to do a fair test set-up.Anandtech really shouldnt be making any assumptions. I dont want to bash... but... how can anyone take these tests seriously? How do we know that OCZ didnt *ask* that this memory to be tested on the DFI board for boosted results? I dont want to say such things, but you're leaving yourself open to these questions.
Wesley Fink - Sunday, March 6, 2005 - link
#38, #40, #41 -In the review we never stated that the other memory chips were tested on the DFI. We pulled the results from our earlier benchmark, since we have already established that the nF3 and nF4 perform virtually the same, and the AGP and PCIe perform virtually the same. In fact, if you check closely, the DFI was a very average performer at stock speeds, so the DFI is not the reason for higher speeeds.
As much as it goes against the grain of many peoples thinking, 2-2-2 on one memory has never performed the same as 2-2-2 on another chip. There are performance differences that can only be explained by difference in the memory chips.
We would have tested on the MSI Neo2 had it supported the voltages needed by VX, but it can't supply them. We do not have a DDR Booster at present so we could not test on another motherboard, so we tested on the only production motherboard to supply voltages needed by the VX.
The 71.80 drivers ARE a bit faster than the 61.77 used for some earlier tests, but the difference is still small and does not change the performance pattern seen in this review. I have posted those benchmarks earlier in these comments.
bigtoe36 - Sunday, March 6, 2005 - link
#44BH5 is about the same speed as VX is
JoKeRr - Sunday, March 6, 2005 - link
I know most BH5 or BH6 will do 250fsb 2-2-2- timing as well with like 3.3Vs. Wesley, how does the BH5 at 250 2-2-2 compare with VX at 2-2-2 250? is bh5 slower or just as fast?? (since u mention "If we had results from older BH5 chips you would likely have seen BH5 perform between Samsung TCCD and OCZ VX", would that be at ddr400? or ddr500? Thankq for the great review, btw when are we goin to see the review for the 24'' and 20'' widescreen dell lcd??JoKeRr - Sunday, March 6, 2005 - link
Rand - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
Wesley, I understand the DIMM's are using the same chip and hence unsurprisingly they perform similarly.What I am finding hard to believe is that all of the DIMM's perform identically on two different motherboards, using different graphics drivers.
In every single test the bandwidth never deviates by even 1MB/s or so much as 0.1 FPS.
I would imagine the odds of two different platforms never devaiting in anything by even the sammest margin is bordering on non-existent.
cryptonomicon - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
this smells like winbond, especially the settings where it settled best around tras 5 or 6. that is unique to BH5/6. also the voltage is unique to BH5/6 only.a winbond chip if ive ever seen one.
slashbinslashbash - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
#35 - That's not what #34 was asking. It's no surprise that sticks of RAM using the same chips will perform similarly.What IS a surprise is that the PQI 3200 Turbo gave 512.9 FPS in Quake 3 Arena in a DFI nF4 motherboard with nVidia 71.80 drivers, and it also happened to get 512.9 FPS in Quake 3 Arena in an MSI nF3 motherboard with nVidia 61.77 drivers (as shown in your January 4th review of the Corsair PC4400). This exact sameness in benchmark numbers is the same down the line, with every type of RAM and every benchmark -- both gaming and synthetic. I checked every single number.
There's no need to re-test all of the 7 types of RAM in the DFI board with the newer drivers. Just a couple, say the Crucial and the Geil, so we can know that the conclusions are valid.
frodin - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
"With nForce3 motherboards, we achieved the fastest performance on AMD Athlon 64 chipsets (nForce3, VIA K8T800 PRO) at Cycle Time or tRAS of 10."Are you saying there are nForce3 motherboards out there with VIA chipsets? ;-) I know it is probably a typo, nevermind.
However, i thought the tras 10- thing was a odd behaviour of the nforce2/3 chipsets only, not the VIA K8T800 PRO too.
Otherwise, good review, as always. These chips would be something to look for here in Norway, considering the fact that vx3200- ram is no more expensive than TCCD- chipped ram.
ozzimark - Saturday, March 5, 2005 - link
#35-wes, you're right there, but it doesn't help explain the profound performance differencce seen in the gaming tests and unbuffered bandwidth... it all adds up to the dfi providing better memory/graphics performance in my mind.