1GB DIMMs: FAST 2GB DDR Kits from Corsair, Gigaram, and OCZ
by Wesley Fink on October 11, 2005 2:55 PM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Final Words
Many seem confused as to whether it is best to use the fast 512MB DDR DIMMs or the rapidly appearing 1GB DIMMs in their Athlon 64 system. Until recently, we advised buyers to go for the fast 512MB DIMMs, since those 2-2-2 timings on the low-latency A64 on-CPU memory controller usually more than made up for the 2T performance hit of the 4 DIMMs required for 2GB of memory. These three fast 1GB DIMMs are changing the rules.
All three 2GB kits sporting a pair of 1GB DIMMs performed very well and with complete stability at fast 2-3-2 DDR400 timings. If your needs are fast performance at DDR400 to DDR480, then the Corsair, Gigaram, or OCZ will each do a great job for you. You can make the selection based on price. This should not come as a surprise to anyone since all three 1GB memories are based on Infineon memory chips.
Beyond DDR480 to 500, the choices narrow to the Gigaram and OCZ, and while performance is similar, the system requirements are not. If you can provide up to about 3.1V for memory on your board, then choose between the OCZ and Gigaram based on price and the value to you of the Customer service you might appreciate or need. Either will do the job well, and the performance difference is small.
If you want a wide range of overclocking to DDR550, fast performance at DDR400, and voltages that never need to be higher than 2.7V, then the OCZ PC4000 1024MB EB Platinum is your best choice of the three memories that we tested. It provides fast 2-3-2 performance to around DDR440, which is not quite as good as the Corsair going to DDR456 at 2-3-2 timings. However, the Corsair tops out at DDR492 while the OCZ is still performing strong all the way to DDR550 at only 2.7V.
While we were happy with the performance of all three 1GB DIMMs, we would strongly recommend that those who plan high overclocks with 1GB DIMMs use a CPU with a recent Rev. E or better memory controller. 1 GB DIMMs are demanding and the more recent on-chip controllers handle the demands of 1GB memory modules better than older Clawhammer controllers.
Last, we will try to answer the question again about whether two 1GB or four 512MB DIMMs are the better choice for Athlon 64 DDR memory. If you plan to install 4GB of memory or upgrade to 4GB in the near future, then 1GB DIMMs are your only choice and we recommend the faster DIMMs like the 3 tested here - they cost about the same as slower 1GB DIMMs. If your choice in memory is flexible, there's no doubt that fast 1GB DIMMs like the three tested here remove the complaint that 1GB DIMMs are slower and will compromise performance compared to fast 512MB DIMMs. The 1GB DIMMs are, however, a bit more costly - though the prices have been dropping rapidly. If the 2GB kits fit your budget, then by all means, go for one of the fast 2GB kits like these from Corsair, Gigaram, and OCZ. If the price is a big concern, then carefully compare prices of some of four fast 512MB modules to two 1GB DIMMs and buy what fits your budget.
Many seem confused as to whether it is best to use the fast 512MB DDR DIMMs or the rapidly appearing 1GB DIMMs in their Athlon 64 system. Until recently, we advised buyers to go for the fast 512MB DIMMs, since those 2-2-2 timings on the low-latency A64 on-CPU memory controller usually more than made up for the 2T performance hit of the 4 DIMMs required for 2GB of memory. These three fast 1GB DIMMs are changing the rules.
All three 2GB kits sporting a pair of 1GB DIMMs performed very well and with complete stability at fast 2-3-2 DDR400 timings. If your needs are fast performance at DDR400 to DDR480, then the Corsair, Gigaram, or OCZ will each do a great job for you. You can make the selection based on price. This should not come as a surprise to anyone since all three 1GB memories are based on Infineon memory chips.
Beyond DDR480 to 500, the choices narrow to the Gigaram and OCZ, and while performance is similar, the system requirements are not. If you can provide up to about 3.1V for memory on your board, then choose between the OCZ and Gigaram based on price and the value to you of the Customer service you might appreciate or need. Either will do the job well, and the performance difference is small.
If you want a wide range of overclocking to DDR550, fast performance at DDR400, and voltages that never need to be higher than 2.7V, then the OCZ PC4000 1024MB EB Platinum is your best choice of the three memories that we tested. It provides fast 2-3-2 performance to around DDR440, which is not quite as good as the Corsair going to DDR456 at 2-3-2 timings. However, the Corsair tops out at DDR492 while the OCZ is still performing strong all the way to DDR550 at only 2.7V.
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The three 2GB kits that we tested are all winners, but the OCZ PC4000 EB Platinum Edition stood out from the crowd. The OCZ performed at fast 2-3-2 memory timings at DDR400 to 3-3-2 at DDR550 and never required more than 2.7V to maintain complete stability in our memory testing. It is rare to find a memory with this wide range of performance that is perfectly happy with voltages available on most any motherboard that you can buy. In fact, the OCZ 1 GB modules do not seem to really like voltages beyond about 2.8V. |
While we were happy with the performance of all three 1GB DIMMs, we would strongly recommend that those who plan high overclocks with 1GB DIMMs use a CPU with a recent Rev. E or better memory controller. 1 GB DIMMs are demanding and the more recent on-chip controllers handle the demands of 1GB memory modules better than older Clawhammer controllers.
Last, we will try to answer the question again about whether two 1GB or four 512MB DIMMs are the better choice for Athlon 64 DDR memory. If you plan to install 4GB of memory or upgrade to 4GB in the near future, then 1GB DIMMs are your only choice and we recommend the faster DIMMs like the 3 tested here - they cost about the same as slower 1GB DIMMs. If your choice in memory is flexible, there's no doubt that fast 1GB DIMMs like the three tested here remove the complaint that 1GB DIMMs are slower and will compromise performance compared to fast 512MB DIMMs. The 1GB DIMMs are, however, a bit more costly - though the prices have been dropping rapidly. If the 2GB kits fit your budget, then by all means, go for one of the fast 2GB kits like these from Corsair, Gigaram, and OCZ. If the price is a big concern, then carefully compare prices of some of four fast 512MB modules to two 1GB DIMMs and buy what fits your budget.
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walmartshopper - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
Thanks for the review. I've been toying around with 4 sticks of Ballistix pc3200, only to get them running at 480mhz with 2.5-3-3-8 2T timings (I got 530mhz with 2 sticks at 1T). It's not too bad, but after reading this, I decided to replace them with the 2x1024 OCZ pc4000. I actually have 5 sticks of Ballistix, and I'm hoping to sell them for 50$ each. Anyone interested?AkumaX - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
I think on Page 2 when you were comparing 2T vs 1T you also meant 2x1024mb vs 4x512mb, rather than 2x512mb vs 4x512mb right?cryptonomicon - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
no, he's comparing the same ram to show how the memory controller goes to crap after you load up more than two dimms. the sticks were both 512x2 plat rev IITheInvincibleMustard - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
Nice, well-written article, Wesley. It seems slightly ironic to me, though, that this review comes out just as I'm expecting a 2GB kit from G.Skill via NewEgg to arrive tomorrow to replace my el-cheapo 2x512 (3-3-3-7 at DDR400? ick)Minor nit: pg 8
"The performance differences will be that the NVIDIA 71.84 driver is a bit faster than the 61.77 and 71.84 drivers used in earlier memory reviews."
Umm ... unless the driver is somehow faster than itself, I'm hoping that's a typo of sorts.
-TIM
n7 - Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - link
I'm glad to see a review on 2x1024 MB; it was past due.I realize there aren't many DDR433 & up 2x1024MB RAM manufacturers, but i would have liked to have seen Crucial, Mushkin, Patriot, Geil, since they all make good DDR400 kits, & at least in Mushkin & Crucial's case, they also make DDR433 & up kits.
To make it simple, i'd like to see a review with a few more companies involved :)
rqle - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - link
Isnt it a little unfair to say one brand highest speed obtain @ 2-3-2-7 is lower then some other brand higest speed obtain is higher cause of 3-4-3-7? I mean, if you set corsair at a more lax timing AND higher voltage wouldnt it do better? Some one fill me in. Cause i remember back in the old days, memory i bought that can do 2-2-3-6 at 2.5v that was rated at 400DDR would overclock and do much better the same timing and voltage of some-old brand 533DDR+.Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - link
From p. 5 of the review:"Increasing voltage beyond 2.7V did not allow us to go any higher in overclocking, nor did more relaxed timings allow us to push higher. The limit is DDR492 - very close to DDR500."
We tried to go higher but DDR492 is the limit with the 1GB Corsair dimms we tested. As we stated in the review it is likely Corsair is using a different Infineon chip than OCZ and Gigaram, or they are binning for best performance in the DDR400 to DDR500 range. Gigaram and OCZ are probably also using different Inineon memory chips - or they are at the least using different binning methodologies.
ozzimark - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - link
wow.. wesley, long needed article. however, some silly mistakes that i think i see :Dfirst.. the gigaram oc'ing chart. max speed is put at 2-4-3-7.. are you sure it's not 3-4-3-7?
also, the second speed is curiously 2-2.5-2.. where 2.5-3-2 is exepcted
second, i know the difficulties of getting review samples, but where is the biggest name in 1gb sticks right now, crucial ballistix? i have seen many of these sticks do 280-300mhz.
last, i remember the value ram overclocking article you guys had a while back. plan on going the same for 1gb sticks?
Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - link
I went back to my test logs and corrected the misplaced values. DD436 is 2-3-2-7 and DDR556 is 3-4-3-7. The second value in all reported strings is RAS to CAS Delay in case anyone is confused by the notation.We hope to do a review of the Crucial Ballistix 1GB dimms in the near future. We haven't decided whether to do a Value 1GB roundup yet, but we will consider your suggestion.
Ender17 - Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - link
;)