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
OCZ PC4000 1024MB EB Platinum Edition
OCZ is a well-known brand of enthusiast products - memory, power supplies, flash memory and more. In the past two years, OCZ was normally at or near the top of roundups and reviews of high-performance memory. After struggling several years ago, OCZ fought back and, today, is regarded as top-quality memory with some of the best Customer Service in the business.
Specifications
OCZ rates their 2GB high-speed kit at DDR500, in-between the spec for Corsair 433 and Gigaram 533.
We also see a low voltage requirement with the OCZ 2 GB kit - very similar to the voltage specified by Corsair for their 2GB kit.
Test Results
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, and in particular Super PI, will crash a less-than stable memory configuration.
OCZ did not reveal to us the manufacturer of the memory chips used in their 500EB 1GB DIMMs. There was also nothing on the DIMMs to help us in identifying the memory manufacturer. However, after running our full benchmarks on the OCZ PC4000 EB Platinum, we would be very surprised if the memory is other than Infineon. Performance from DDR400 to DDR480 is virtually identical to Corsair even down to the low voltage requirement, but performance continues on to DDR550 while still only needing the same very low 2.7V memory voltage.
Like the Corsair, this is a memory that does not need a special board with super high voltages to get the best from the memory. You can get the best from these 1GB with almost any decent motherboard, since we never needed more than 2.7V for stable performance at any speed.
We would really be interested in exactly which Infineon chips are used in this OCZ memory. It is either a slightly different chip than the Corsair, since it goes much higher in overclocking, or OCZ is doing some interesting binning of Infineon chips - something that would also not surprise us.
OCZ is a well-known brand of enthusiast products - memory, power supplies, flash memory and more. In the past two years, OCZ was normally at or near the top of roundups and reviews of high-performance memory. After struggling several years ago, OCZ fought back and, today, is regarded as top-quality memory with some of the best Customer Service in the business.
Specifications
OCZ rates their 2GB high-speed kit at DDR500, in-between the spec for Corsair 433 and Gigaram 533.
| OCZ PC4000 1024MB EB Platinum Memory Specifications | |
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 DS |
| DIMM Size Total Memory |
1GB 2GB |
| Rated Timings | 3-3-2-8 at DDR500 |
| Rated Voltage | 2.6V |
We also see a low voltage requirement with the OCZ 2 GB kit - very similar to the voltage specified by Corsair for their 2GB kit.
Test Results
| OCZ PC4000 1024MB EB Platinum (DDR500) - 2x1GB 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 | 400DDR | 2-3-2-7 2.5V 1T |
545.1 | INT 2657 FLT 2715 |
INT 5970 FLT 5902 |
80 | 120.4 |
| 11x218 | 436DDR | 2-3-2-7 2.7V 1T |
552.4 | INT 2831 FLT 2974 |
INT 6222 FLT 6203 |
80 | 121.5 |
| 10x240 | 480DDR | 2.5-3-2-7 2.6V 1T |
560.5 | INT 2976 FLT 3100 |
INT 6447 FLT 6376 |
79 | 123.1 |
| 9x267 | 533DDR | 2.5-3-2-7 2.7V 1T |
564.7 | INT 3213 FLT 3292 |
INT 6684 FLT 6603 |
78 | 124.0 |
| 9x275 (2.48GHz) |
Highest MEM Speed 550 DDR |
3-3-2-7 2.7V 1T |
581.2 | INT 3351 FLT 3514 |
INT 6869 FLT 6774 |
76 | 127.6 |
OCZ did not reveal to us the manufacturer of the memory chips used in their 500EB 1GB DIMMs. There was also nothing on the DIMMs to help us in identifying the memory manufacturer. However, after running our full benchmarks on the OCZ PC4000 EB Platinum, we would be very surprised if the memory is other than Infineon. Performance from DDR400 to DDR480 is virtually identical to Corsair even down to the low voltage requirement, but performance continues on to DDR550 while still only needing the same very low 2.7V memory voltage.
Like the Corsair, this is a memory that does not need a special board with super high voltages to get the best from the memory. You can get the best from these 1GB with almost any decent motherboard, since we never needed more than 2.7V for stable performance at any speed.
We would really be interested in exactly which Infineon chips are used in this OCZ memory. It is either a slightly different chip than the Corsair, since it goes much higher in overclocking, or OCZ is doing some interesting binning of Infineon chips - something that would also not surprise us.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
40 Comments
View All Comments
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
;)