The Memories
OCZ VX is unique in being the only memory available that is rated at 2-2-2 timings at DDR500. The memory is based on Winbond memory chips, most likely CH5 die. The downside is that this level of performance requires a rated 3.3V of memory voltage. The only production motherboards to supply this level of voltage are the new DFI LANParty nF4 SLI-DR and the lower cost sister, DFI LANParty UT nF4 Ultra-D. We reviewed these motherboards in
DFI nForce4: SLI and Ultra for Mad Overclockers. We also compared the DFI nF4 SLI-DR to other nF4 SLI boards in
nForce4 SLI Roundup: Painful and Rewarding.
The other 3 memories were chosen for comparison because they were top performers in our memory tests and they were representative of a memory chip or class of memory.
The OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev.2 is our Reference test memory. It has been a consistent top performer in Athlon 64 tests and is based on Samsung TCCD chips on a Brainpower PCB. This means that performance of the OCZ should be comparable to the similarly configured G. Skill, Corsair, Mushkin, PDP Patriot, PQI and Geil TCCD, which are generally rated at DDR400, but often perform to DDR600 or higher on the Athlon 64 nF4 platform.
The Corsair TwinX1024-4400C25A is also based on Samsung TCCD and the Brainpower PCB, but it is TCCD specifically binned for high-speed performance. This memory is representative of the performance of the best TCCD rated at DDR500 to DDR550. This memory is not always capable of 2-2-2 performance at DDR400, but the mid- to high-end memory timings are usually very good for TCCD-based memory.
Our final contender is Crucial Ballistix PC3200. The Ballistix is based on Micron chips, and the performance curves are similar to the now-discontinued OCZ EB memory, which was also based on similar Micron chips. After we completed testing, we learned that DFI had been working with Crucial to improve performance of Crucial Ballistix on the DFI nF4 motherboards. Therefore, for best performance of Ballistix, make sure that you are using BIOS version 310 (March 10, 2005) or later.
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renzokuken - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
Wesley, you've made my day. Thankyou for this follow-up review. The only thing I didn't like is the following statement "The Corsair did not do as well at the highest speeds on the DFI as it has done on other platforms, but that can likely be fixed with a BIOS revision". I'd love to know if/when this BIOS revision will be released and how much it will affect the Corsairs results.Btw, if anyone can tell me how to change the password required to post a comment I would be eternally grateful
arswihart - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
zebo, i have no idea what you tried to just sayJoKeRr - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
look at corsair and mushkin tccd (3200s) that doesn't use BP pcb, they almost never break 260 eitherJoKeRr - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
but I don't ballsitix uses BP pcb, if it does, it will prob. kill tccd.Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
Consistancy. It's not there. Just browse various forums.. some like us report kick arse performance some can't even get 220Mhz out of it w low timings.When you buy TCCD any moron can get at least 275Mhz out of it which is very appealing until you look past sisuck numbers. Also, in general, TCCD is more flexible because of that. Can run 2-2-2 @ 200 just like Ballistix but can also run up around 300Mhz and everything in between. I've never seen ballistix posting at anything above 275 w/1T.
Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
"anandtech is the biggest dfi propaganda site on the web"They use the best mobo in mem guides this is nothing new where you been? Back in NF3 days it's was MSI NEO2..Back w intel tests it was Asus..actually this is the first time I ever seen them using DFI which stand to raseon since it's the NF4 winnar.
ozzimark - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
#35-one thing i never understood. ballistix (more the micron -5b chips than ballistix itself) has an amazing performance/ocing to cost ratio. plus, it oc's at tight timings fairly well without much voltage. how come it was never very popular like BH-5/UTT and TCCD?
Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
Joker, Ballistix is essentially EB..so it likes up to 3.1 too but runs hot...need to cool it activly and have a mobo which staggers mem like DFI's.. i.e geographically in slots: Mem--Blank--Mem--Blank to allow air flow.I personally run 245Mhz 2.5-2-2 1T @ 2.8
But screwing around w/ volts I get 261 2.5-2-2 w/o error But since I'm a silence freak it's not for me.
Still this winbond UTT mem is better overall if you plan to send high volts to mem anywayz
Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
"TCCD isn't the holy grail of RAM anymore."It never was. It's loose arse timings always got whooped by Ballistix, and especially "old" BH-5 in the benchmarks running async with tight timings and moderate BW. This new ram is from co that brought you BH-5 and it's prolly better except it can't run 1.5 CAS.
arswihart - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
anandtech decides to focus on dfi and ocz as a magical combination, no matter what qualifications they make in the article they are still selling these specific products to readers. Its reflected in the forums and probably in sales. I don't like how anandtech's articles are beginning to constantly offer suggestions and declarations about the best this and that (often just based on what they have reviewed to date, not all that is available).