Corsair and OCZ: New Standards in Fast DDR2
by Wesley Fink on August 4, 2006 5:50 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Corsair CM2X1024 6400C3 Product Specifications
Corsair is the most widely recognized brand of enthusiast memory in the world. It is widely distributed, making the Corsair brand easy to find just about anywhere you might be located. Corsair has been manufacturing high-speed memory since 1994, and as a result the company has supplier relationships with many computer manufacturers. Corsair maintains an extensive line of memory, ranging from their Value Select brand of low-cost memory to their top-end XMS line.
The Corsair 6400C3 is a member of the top-end XMS family, based on specially-binned Micron DDR2 memory modules with Corsair's new EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) SPD which can set highest performance timings on NVIDIA motherboards designed to work with EPP. When Corsair first talked with us about this new memory, we were told it was their absolute best DDR2 performer - capable of tighter timings and higher speeds than their other high-end DDR2 products.
The CM2X1024 6400C3 was supplied as a 2GB kit with a matched pair of 1GB DIMMs. Corsair claims theses modules are 100% tested as a pair at 3-4-3-9 timings at 2.2V. The DIMMs feature black heatspreaders and distinctive purple and yellow XMS2 packaging. Product information shows the 6400C3 only available as a 2GB kit; the Corsair web site does not list a 1GB kit with similar performance.
Additional Information on these super high-speed DIMMs is available in PDF form at the Corsair website. Corsair offers a Lifetime Warranty and support is available in many forums.
OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 Product Specifications
In recent years OCZ has won respect from enthusiasts as an innovator in memory and power supplies. Those innovations include their EL (Enhanced Latency) memory, their high-voltage VX line, and the very successful line of high-power OCZ power supplies.
OCZ was the first memory manufacturer to produce and ship new memory kits based on the latest Micron memory chips. We reviewed the OCZ EL PC2-8000 XTC in early April, and while there are many competing kits based on Micron memory these days, those early OCZ DDR2-1000 DIMMs still compete very well with any memory on the market.
OCZ has also been hard at work with some very unique binning of Micron DDR2 memory chips, but with a very different goal in mind. OCZ manufactured a very well-received DDR memory called VX that was designed to perform at very high DDR voltages to deliver unheard-of memory speed to the DDR market. OCZ has applied a similar binning philosophy to Micron DDR2 memory chips and has recently released the Titanium Alpha VX2 series of memory.
VX2 is guaranteed to operate at 2.4V +/- 5% without stability issues and without voiding the OCZ Lifetime Warranty. That translates into allowed voltages up to 2.525V. This basically equates to running DDR2 at DDR voltage.
Test DIMMs were a 2GB kit composed of two 1GB DIMMs rated at DDR2-1000. DIMMs have a really unique rainbow colored XTC heatspreader. Ti Alpha VX2 is available only as a 2GB kit or as individual 1GB DIMMs. Ti Alpha is also available as a low latency DDR2-800 kit without the VX2 designation.
Both members of the Titanium Alpha family feature the multi-colored heat-spreader.
Corsair is the most widely recognized brand of enthusiast memory in the world. It is widely distributed, making the Corsair brand easy to find just about anywhere you might be located. Corsair has been manufacturing high-speed memory since 1994, and as a result the company has supplier relationships with many computer manufacturers. Corsair maintains an extensive line of memory, ranging from their Value Select brand of low-cost memory to their top-end XMS line.
The Corsair 6400C3 is a member of the top-end XMS family, based on specially-binned Micron DDR2 memory modules with Corsair's new EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) SPD which can set highest performance timings on NVIDIA motherboards designed to work with EPP. When Corsair first talked with us about this new memory, we were told it was their absolute best DDR2 performer - capable of tighter timings and higher speeds than their other high-end DDR2 products.
The CM2X1024 6400C3 was supplied as a 2GB kit with a matched pair of 1GB DIMMs. Corsair claims theses modules are 100% tested as a pair at 3-4-3-9 timings at 2.2V. The DIMMs feature black heatspreaders and distinctive purple and yellow XMS2 packaging. Product information shows the 6400C3 only available as a 2GB kit; the Corsair web site does not list a 1GB kit with similar performance.
| Corsair CM2X1024 6400C3 Memory Specifications | |
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 DS |
| DIMM Size | 1GB |
| Total Memory | 2 GB |
| Rated Timings | 3-4-3-9 at DDR2-800 |
| Rated Voltage | 2.2V |
Additional Information on these super high-speed DIMMs is available in PDF form at the Corsair website. Corsair offers a Lifetime Warranty and support is available in many forums.
OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 Product Specifications
In recent years OCZ has won respect from enthusiasts as an innovator in memory and power supplies. Those innovations include their EL (Enhanced Latency) memory, their high-voltage VX line, and the very successful line of high-power OCZ power supplies.
OCZ was the first memory manufacturer to produce and ship new memory kits based on the latest Micron memory chips. We reviewed the OCZ EL PC2-8000 XTC in early April, and while there are many competing kits based on Micron memory these days, those early OCZ DDR2-1000 DIMMs still compete very well with any memory on the market.
OCZ has also been hard at work with some very unique binning of Micron DDR2 memory chips, but with a very different goal in mind. OCZ manufactured a very well-received DDR memory called VX that was designed to perform at very high DDR voltages to deliver unheard-of memory speed to the DDR market. OCZ has applied a similar binning philosophy to Micron DDR2 memory chips and has recently released the Titanium Alpha VX2 series of memory.
VX2 is guaranteed to operate at 2.4V +/- 5% without stability issues and without voiding the OCZ Lifetime Warranty. That translates into allowed voltages up to 2.525V. This basically equates to running DDR2 at DDR voltage.
Test DIMMs were a 2GB kit composed of two 1GB DIMMs rated at DDR2-1000. DIMMs have a really unique rainbow colored XTC heatspreader. Ti Alpha VX2 is available only as a 2GB kit or as individual 1GB DIMMs. Ti Alpha is also available as a low latency DDR2-800 kit without the VX2 designation.
| OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 Memory Specifications | |
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 DS |
| DIMM Size | 1 GB |
| Total Memory | 2 GB |
| Rated Timings | 4-4-4-15 at DDR2-1000 |
| Rated Voltage | 2.3V (Warranted to 2.4V+/-5%) |
Both members of the Titanium Alpha family feature the multi-colored heat-spreader.
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epsilonparadox - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
That also is your opinion. To me an elitist is someone who demands a higher standard that the common folk. An elitist to me in the computer industry is someone who buys items that he/she knows will raise the level of standards among his peers. The items this person purchases doesn't necessarily have to be the most expensive but usually demands a higher premium because of the proven value.yacoub - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
Alas, labeling one an "elitist" has a distinctly negative connotation to it, and that is not an opinion, that is simply how it is (fact, if you will).So by discussing the term elitist, you further the point that those who seek the best bang for the buck are certainly not elitists in the commonly accepted sense. Not to mention your comment regarding a price premium also goes against the core ideology of the overclocker - ie, those who look for what is most cost-effective and NOT premiumly priced. Generally speaking they are items that (at least initially) are lesser-known and often rather cheap because their real potential is commonly unknown. If anything the nature of the overclocker is the opposite of your elitist, in that they are interested in taking common things and making them into superstars, instead of just buying premium-priced items that supposedly have better performance according to the manufacturer's marketing department.
rjm55 - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
I want, therefore I have.araczynski - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
thanks for a good read, i agree that the overclocking scale is looks like its designed by some marketing group, stop using that kind of junk.when shown in real scale those small differences are nothing.
jmke - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
Would be cool to see the charts start at scale 0, which would show the rather small impact of overclocking/getting higher rated memory modules. With a scale starting close to the min. score, the increase shown in the chart is not quite realistically represented ;)Did you run into weird results with: DDR2 PC4200 low timings vs DDR2 PC5300 medium/high timings ?
Spacecomber - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
Your comment beat me too it. I also was going to chide Anandtech for producing charts that dont have a scale starting from 0. You should stick to tables, if all you are trying to do is show the number of points difference between one speed to the next.Wesley Fink - Friday, August 4, 2006 - link
Tables are already included as a summary of results for each tested memory. The Corsir table is on page 4 and the OCZ on page 5. The charts are there to show the impact of memory speed scaling on performance, which is not well-illustrated in the table or in our common bar charts. We added a paragraph explaining that scales are reduced to better show the small differences in performance between these two memories.You are both right that charts using zero-based scales will make the differences appear smaller than the reduced scale charts, but we were trying to compare the small differences in the Corsair and OCZ. We do prefer zero-based charts and an explanation was definitely needed.
Googer - Saturday, August 5, 2006 - link
With the performance of these DIMMs being about the same it really comes down to price, warranty, and reliablity as the deciding factors when you are shopping for RAM.