OCZ 512MB EL DDR Dual-Channel Kit
Stephen Cooper, August 4th, 2003
..:: Introduction ::..
Over the past few months, especially since the release of Intel’s i875P and i865PE chipsets, several of the high performance RAM manufacturers have been burning the midnight oil in an attempt to get working PC4000, and in some cases PC4200, out the door before their competitors. In the last week we’ve seen PC4000 announcements coming from the likes of Corsair, Kingston, OCZ Technology, and GEiL. With the overclocking capabilities of modern Intel and AMD motherboards based off of the latest chipsets, PC4000 speeds are not out of reach any longer, and both performance users and overclockers have been frothing at the mouth waiting for this RAM to debut. Today, we’ll be taking a look at a beta version of OCZ’s 512MB EL DDR Dual-Channel RAM Kit to see just how far we can take it on our Soyo P4I875P DRAGON 2.
..:: OCZ Module Specifications ::..
ULN Technology: (U)ltra (L)ow (N)oise shielded PCB
Copper Heat Spreaders
Lifetime Warranty
512MB ( 256MB x 2 modules) or 1GB (512MB x 2 modules) kits
Based on OCZ brand EL DDR IC
CL 3-4-4-8
250(500) Mhz
Optimized for dual channel operation
2.8 Volts
184 Pin Dimm
Unbuffered
OCZ Enhanced Latency PC-4000 Dual Channel optimized kits memory using state of the art ULN technology are capable of achieving outrageous speeds of up to 500 MHz at CL3*. In addition we have optimized the design to take advantage of the increased bandwidth of Dual Channel DDR platforms. Each module is hand tested and matched across a variety of motherboards to insure flawless performance on any motherboard. Our copper heat spreaders maximize cooling and extend the life of the module while increasing performance.
..:: OCZ Module Overview ::..
Before I start to go over some of the official features of the OCZ’s 512MB EL DDR Dual-Channel RAM, I want to reiterate that the module we are testing today is a beta module. This RAM is not yet widely available in the market, and the module we’re using here today is from the first batch produced. OCZ is currently testing these modules for any issues that may arise in order to address them before sending official RAM into the market. These beta samples will give us a generalized idea as to both the performance and overclocking capabilities of the modules when they debut in the retail market. Both overclocking and performance could improve between these beta modules and the retail modules.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s take a look at the modules themselves. As is the norm with OCZ’s “Gold” line of RAM, these modules are equipped with large, copper heatspreaders. Up to this point, heatspreaders such as these were often more for looks rather than being an effective solution to increase overclocking capabilities. With the voltage requirements and clock frequencies of these high speed memory modules, doing without a heatspreader could result in unwanted consequences.
If we take a closer look at the module, we can see that both of these are single-sided, with one side housing a thin layer of foam which serves as a spacer for the copper heatspreaders. If you look closely at the image above, you’ll be able to see that the RAM chips themselves are in contact with the copper heatspreader via a thin thermal tape. When we were testing these modules, these heatspreaders proved their use as, especially during high voltage and overclocking situations, they became very warm. I can’t imagine how hot these modules would get without some form of heatspreaders in use.
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