The G.Skill Pi Series goes a completely different route, than other high-end memory today. Instead of pushing the envelope on voltage, it gives you some crazy performance at default or close to default DDR2 voltage.
A-DATA is pushing the performance envelope with their Turbo series of CF cards. The series goes up to 16 GB and aims to give you the best possible performance - if you are willing to pay for it.
There are not many manufacturers offering such massive kits, but Winchip has made some waves before with unique offerings. Their 667 MHz 4x 4 GB kit runs at CL5. Such a large capacity kit is intended for very specific scenarios. We try to showcase some of these.
A-DATA is one of the few companies, which offer 32 GB Compact Flash cards. We take a look at the unit and also give it a go as a hard drive, as it certainly has the size for such a scenario.
The A-DATA X-Series is available in DDR2 and DDR3 flavors. Their DDR3 1600 MHz is set at a solid CL7 and comes with graphite colored heatspreaders in a very elaborate package. If 1600 MHz is not enough, you may go for the 1900 MHz version instead.
The OCZ ReaperX HPC memory series is the newest variant of the heatpipe cooled memory available from the manufacturer. Its new design improves on the cooling with dual heatpipes and finer fins to keep the parts cool. In our testing we saw excellent performance going all the way to DDR2-736 at 3-3-3-12.
Crucial has updated their successful Tracer line-up with the Ballistix Tracer 4 GB Dual Channel kit. Despite stock ratings at 800 MHz with CL4 timings at 2.2V this kit is capable of reaching 1120 MHz stable at CL5 and 2.2V. In addition, the Ballistix Tracer Reds were completely stable at stock speed and timings with only 1.8V, making this a great kit for those with limited voltage options. That said, the entirely red LED accented theme and great performance from these high density 2GB modules is sure to please.
Cellshock has begun offering their high-end DDR3 memory modules with blue heatspreaders. Their new 1866 MHz CL8 is a speed demon in disguise and has plenty of reserves, pushing our P35 board to the limit. It manages CL7 at the advertised rating and should also be able to break the 2 GHz barrier at CL8.
Aeneon is entering the DDR3 market with their X-Tune brand. This series is aimed at the gamers and their first offering is set at 1333 MHz with CL8. It comes with very nice looking black heatspreaders and a unique, blue PCB
The Ballistix DDR3 1600 MHz CL8 Kit is Crucial's only enthusiast DDR3 offering at the moment and as such it has been placed right in the middle of the MHz and CL rating spectrum. The memory kit does actually manage speeds of almost 2 GHz and tighter timings at the stock speed of 1600 MHz.
Cellshock is a newer brand which offers uncompromising quality. This can already be felt and seen when you take a close look at the massive heatspreaders which use real thermal paste and are secured by hex screws. The 1066 MHz kit features black spreaders, while top top of the line 1150 MHz offering utilizes red ones.
GeIL broke into the market with the Golden Dragon Series in the past and have now "resurrected" the dragon in form of the Black Dragon DDR2 line. The memory features a gorgeous looking PCB with a golden dragon head with bright red LEDs as the eyes. The entry level CL4 variant looks quite promising and performs just as well.
Crucial's Newegg Lanfest 2K7 Special Edition memory kit is an extreme overclocking kit at its best. With stellar looks and the potential to simply shatter the rated specifications, this kit definitely won't fail to please the overclocking needs of any PC enthusiast and at a great price to boot.
OCZ's new DDR3 1800 memory kit is geared towards early adopters, overclockers and enthusiasts that always want to have the latest and the greatest. We tested the 2 GB kit and were surprised how well balanced overclocking is. You are free to run aggressive CL5 timings at lower clocks or go full out, up to 1850 MHz.
A-DATA is joining the band wagon of 1200 MHz memory with their Extreme Edition memory. Many manufacturers have displayed memory at these speeds at Computex this year. The kits are available in 1 or 2 GB variants and come with the new, cleaner heatspreader. This Extreme Edition memory is the first to manage 1200 MHz at default voltage with no problems at all.
DDR3 P35 boards and the new memory standard were a big topic at CeBIT and all major memory manufacturers showed DDR3 up and running at Computex. One of these companies is Winchip with their DDR3 1600 MHz CL8-8-8-15 memory. We take a first look at the new memory to let you know, what it holds in store.
Mushkin is well known for the solid memory kits they make. Today we have the Mushkin XP2-6400 2 GB on our test bench. These modules are specced to run at DDR2-800 at CL4. With a price of $150 for 2 GB this kit is sure not the cheapest, but it comes with Micron D9 memory chips. In our testing we saw very nice voltage scaling up to DDR2-1136 at CL5.
Winchip is a well known brand in Asia and is now entering the European market with their memory products. The company has a long history in the OEM sector, while the heatspreader of their PC2-9600 memory looks quite unigue. The 2 GB memory kit, which costs $199, can manage an impressive 1240 MHz at CL5-5-5-15 on our testbed.
Today we take a look at the Ballistix Tracer PC2-6400 2GB kit from Crucial Technology. For those who haven't heard of the Tracer range, these modules feature eye catching blue backlighting and activity LEDs, making this RAM an excellent choice for making your PC really stand out! With most modern games using more and more memory and at the same time needing loads of bandwidth, this memory would be great for high-end gaming systems.
Mushkin's XP2-8500 4 GB DDR2 memory is the only kit on the market that can run DDR2-1066 in a 4 GB configuration. While other manufacturers have to use CL6 @ 800 MHz, Mushkin can use CL5 @ 1066, at around 2.30 V. Having 4 GB of system memory may soon be the recommended configuration when running the memory-hungry Windows Vista. The only drawback of this memory is its price: $679.
OCZ's XTC Memory Cooler is a plug-on cooling module for your motherboard's memory modules. With people pumping more and more voltage through their memory, temperature becomes a concern and often limits the maximum overclock. In our testing we saw about 20°C decrease in memory temperature and increased overclocking capability.
The A-DATA Vitesta DDR2 1066+ 2 GB memory kit is an excellent choice for overclockers who are looking to maximize their clock rates and performance. Even though it is specified to run at CL5, we had no problems running at CL4 above DDR2-1000 - CL3 is possible as well at reduced clock rates. What makes this versatile memory kit even more attractive is its fair price of $365.
When deciding on components for a new system, users are often worried about incompatibilities with the memory of their choice. OCZ has teamed up with ATI to bring you CrossFire certified memory. This means that you can install this memory on any CrossFire certified motherboard and it is guaranteed to work. In our testing the modules performed very well over a wide range of timings from CL3 to CL5. To distinguish this memory from their other products OCZ colored the heatspreader in a beautiful ATI red which looks mighty good.
The G.SKILL F2-6400CL6D-4GBMQ are one of the first 2x 2 GB DDR2 memory kits that let you run high frequencies, DDR2-800 in this case. In our review we will point out the difficulties you will experience when installing 4 GB of memory on 32-bit platforms. Is this $500 memory kit the solution to a smooth Windows Vista experience?
Crucial has always been highly thought of by all serious overclockers. They have catered well for the enthusiast market with their Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer range of memory. Today we take a look at the Crucial Ballistix PC2-5300 2 GB kit, which has given us some stunning benchmark results! Reaching speeds of over 1 GHz, and breaking the 10,000 MB/s barrier in Everest Read.
