OCZ EL PC2-8000 XTC: Low Latency PLUS DDR2-1100
by Wesley Fink on April 3, 2006 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Memory Test Configuration
We have reviewed several Intel 975x motherboards that overclock well and provide the kind of stability needed for a DDR2 memory test platform. However, OCZ PC2-8000 offered a unique challenge in that it is the first DDR2 memory we have tested rated at DDR2-1000. In addition we fully expected this memory to go well beyond DDR2-1000. We mention this only because most current motherboards are notoriously unreliable as platforms supporting memory speeds above DDR2-1000.
After talking with OCZ, Corsair, and several other enthusiast memory manufacturers, the consensus was that testing above DDR2-1000 would require an ASUS P5WD2-E motherboard. We had one memory test setup with the ASUS board, but our second test bed used another motherboard. To make sure we extracted all the performance possible from this OCZ PC2-8000 EL XTC, the main memory test bed was updated to the ASUS 975x test bed.
The Intel Pentium 955 Extreme Edition CPU, a 1066MHz FSB dual core solution containing 2MB of L2 cache onboard, was continued as our standard memory test CPU. The EE chips have the advantage of operating at 1066FSB, or 266 base, which raises the 1:1 memory to DDR2-533 instead of the DDR2-400 that is the 1:1 match for 800FSB.
The ASUS P5WD2-E supports a very wide range of memory speeds and FSB options. It also actually runs at all the supported settings. If you look closely at the table you will see that a 1066FSB CPU (or overclocked setting) is needed for support of DDR2-889 and DDR2-1067. It is therefore important to use a 1066FSB CPU when testing memory like the OCZ PC2-8000 which can operate at DDR2-1000 and faster. For additional information on the ASUS board, you can read our full ASUS P5WD2-E Premium review.
Our memory test bench uses the following components:
The OCZ EL PC2-8000 is based on the newest Micron memory chips, which are a variant of the Micron D die. The recently tested Mushkin DIMMs are based on Elpida chips. The other three memories - both Crucial DDR2 and the OCZ EB PC2-4200 - are all based on the now discontinued Micron fat-body D chips. The OCZ is based on early Micron DDR2 chips, while both Crucial Ballistix memories are based on later fat-body D versions.
We have reviewed several Intel 975x motherboards that overclock well and provide the kind of stability needed for a DDR2 memory test platform. However, OCZ PC2-8000 offered a unique challenge in that it is the first DDR2 memory we have tested rated at DDR2-1000. In addition we fully expected this memory to go well beyond DDR2-1000. We mention this only because most current motherboards are notoriously unreliable as platforms supporting memory speeds above DDR2-1000.
After talking with OCZ, Corsair, and several other enthusiast memory manufacturers, the consensus was that testing above DDR2-1000 would require an ASUS P5WD2-E motherboard. We had one memory test setup with the ASUS board, but our second test bed used another motherboard. To make sure we extracted all the performance possible from this OCZ PC2-8000 EL XTC, the main memory test bed was updated to the ASUS 975x test bed.
The Intel Pentium 955 Extreme Edition CPU, a 1066MHz FSB dual core solution containing 2MB of L2 cache onboard, was continued as our standard memory test CPU. The EE chips have the advantage of operating at 1066FSB, or 266 base, which raises the 1:1 memory to DDR2-533 instead of the DDR2-400 that is the 1:1 match for 800FSB.
The ASUS P5WD2-E supports a very wide range of memory speeds and FSB options. It also actually runs at all the supported settings. If you look closely at the table you will see that a 1066FSB CPU (or overclocked setting) is needed for support of DDR2-889 and DDR2-1067. It is therefore important to use a 1066FSB CPU when testing memory like the OCZ PC2-8000 which can operate at DDR2-1000 and faster. For additional information on the ASUS board, you can read our full ASUS P5WD2-E Premium review.
| Memory Configuration Options/ASUS P5WD2-E Premium Motherboard | ||||||||
| FSB/RAM | Auto | DDR2-400 | DDR2-533 | DDR2-667 | DDR2-711* | DDR2-800* | DDR2-889* | DDR2-1067* |
| FSB 1066 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| FSB 800 | X | X | X | X | X | |||
| FSB 533 | X | X | X | |||||
Our memory test bench uses the following components:
| Memory Test Bench Specifications | |
| Processor: | Intel 955 Extreme Edition at 13X Ratio (3.46 GHZ dual core 65nm CPU) |
| RAM: | OCZ EL PC2-8000 XTC (2x1GB) Mushkin XP2 DDR2 PC2-5300 (2 x 1GB) Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 (2 x 1GB) Crucial Ballistix PC2-5300 (2 x 1GB) OCZ Platinum EB PC2-4200 |
| Hard Drives: | Hitachi 200GB SATA2 Seagate 7200.9 ST3500641AS SATA NCQ - 16 MB Cache |
| Video Card: | ASUS 7800GTX TOP 256MB - set to 490MHz/1.3GHz EVGA 7800 GTX KO 256MB - 490MHz/1.3GHz |
| Video Drivers: | NVIDIA ForceWare 84.21 |
| Power Supply: | OCZ PowerStream 520W PC Power and Cooling Turbo-Cool 850-SSI |
| Operating System(s): | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
| Motherboard: | ASUS P5WD2-Premium |
| BIOS: | AMI version 0304 February 22; 2006 |
The OCZ EL PC2-8000 is based on the newest Micron memory chips, which are a variant of the Micron D die. The recently tested Mushkin DIMMs are based on Elpida chips. The other three memories - both Crucial DDR2 and the OCZ EB PC2-4200 - are all based on the now discontinued Micron fat-body D chips. The OCZ is based on early Micron DDR2 chips, while both Crucial Ballistix memories are based on later fat-body D versions.
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plewis00 - Monday, April 3, 2006 - link
If Half-Life 2 was producing anomalous results why didn't you replace it when you suspected a problem with some other game instead. Because haven't you now voided your HL2 benchmarks effectively?Wesley Fink - Monday, April 3, 2006 - link
The HL2 Lost Coast results were consistnet for this round of tests, but they did not compare well to earlier test results. We have now discovered the benchmarking issue and the HL2 results will be updated as soon as testing is complete.Earlier tests were run with HDR (High Dynamic Range) enabled, while current tests were run with HDR disabled. We are now testing with HDR enabled.
Avalon - Monday, April 3, 2006 - link
You guys need to do something about those memory setting charts. The ones where you display the different timings you could achieve at different FSB settings for a particular memory...mainly, the part where you have "highest performance" I find misleading, because you have increased the CPU speed, so it almost makes it look like the performance results you have next to the settings are getting a huge boost in performance by going from one setting to the next, when it's really the CPU speed causing that.Maybe make a note on the chart stating that at highest performance mode, the CPU speed has been increased.
Other than that, not a bad review. Good memory, it seems.
Wesley Fink - Monday, April 3, 2006 - link
The information on which values were overclocked was already in the table, but we revised the chart to try to make the Overclocked values stand out more and to clearly identify the stock performance speeds and values.SnoMunke - Monday, April 3, 2006 - link
Interesting article...now about the grammar..."OCZ EL PC2-8000 is the best performing DDR2 memory we have ever tested, clearly outperforming any DDR2 that has been tested at AnandTech."
Wesley Fink - Monday, April 3, 2006 - link
An edited sentence and the original sentence got accidentally combined. Thanks for pointing this out. It is now corrected.