Introduction

Two or three years ago, the world was still easily knitted. Corsair, pioneer in the area of the clock friendly “overclocking memory”, lonely laps turned on the market and first attempts of the competition were usually less crowned with success. But the experience grew over time and so potent competitor found just in the last few months, among which in particular OCZ in our past reviews could score. The company is dedicated entirely to the memory modules in all kinds. Last, we could have an interesting conversation with the person in charge at CeBIT. It went out in the first place to the current product range, “firsts” and a little more about this.

The first DDR600 modules, which will come in but not on the market so were the eye-catcher at the OCZ stand with security. Opposite, you told us also that it has taken the modules in the lab already DDR650, in this area, however the remaining hardware, in this case the mainboards, no longer plays. So focus is currently on the most recently published items, which are called DDR550 and DDR400 enhanced bandwidth. The latter we are more anssehen us in a still following review, today it is once the current best modules to the OCZ range, the DDR550 memory bolt.

OCZ DDR550

As usual to presents the OCZ PC4400, belonging to the performance series, in pairs in the so-called dual-channel Kit. The two 512 MB modules of this time are decorated by a copper Heatspreader. The package for a front-side bus from 275 MHz with timings of 3-4-4-8 is released. As tension is at such a high speed used; only 2.8 volts OCZ is but guarantee for 2.9 volts, including five percent deviation to up or down. The so-called extended voltage protection (EPP) allows to operation of up to 3 volts at full, lifetime guarantee. On our Testmainboard, an Abit IC7, we test the listed frequency with the predetermined 2.8 Volt.

As always ran the installation and booting the machine without any problems. A check of the programming of SPDs leads to a small disappointment. There is no exact information, so that the modules are recognized as DDR400. Also the external audit using Madex memory comes Finder to no conclusion. A faulty programming is already more often even here, so we will continue the practical tests.

After some testing, as now pronounced in the high-end modules, which are designed not timing but megahertz, on top of 2-3-3-5 at a FSB 200 MHz, getting DDR400. Because we already have been found in recent tests, that the timings on Pentium 4 boards play a very major role, manufacturers increasingly have to entice, to present bred modules with relatively poor timing. After each manufacturer offers but again modules with better timing, which are typically then but “only” as DDR400. At Corsair, for example, this includes the “LL Pro” series, OCZ have the enhanced latency modules. But enough of Geschwafels, numbers and pictures say a thousand words.

Test system

As in the test a good week ago, we use our upgraded Benchmarkparcour. As always, the Abit IC7 on the basis of i875 is used. As graphics card a FX used 5900, but not really is in the tests of use, also the game benchmarks in the relatively, performed by the graphics card of independent software mode. Dementsprechen are for the synthetic benchmarks like 3DMark03 and PCMark04 only the relevant CPU and memory benchmarks used. The test system is assembled, as listed below.

• Processor
  • Intel Pentium 4 ES 2,4C GHz (FSB800) – No HyperThreading
• Motherboard
  • Abit IC7 (BIOS 2.2)
• Graphics card
  • Leadtek A350TDH MyVIVO
• Hard drives:
  • IBM DJNA 371350 13.5 GB
  • Western Digital WD450AA 45 GB
• Peripherals
  • Yamaha CRW3200E CDRW burner
  • PIONEER DVD-ROM DVD-105
• Driver versions
  • nVidia ForceWare 56.56 (unofficial)
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1
  • Microsoft DirectX 9 .0b

Benchmarks

SiSoft Sandra

• Official website: www.sisoftware.co.uk

• Download: ComputerBase.de
  • At a cost: free version

• What benchen we?
  • Memory transfer rate

  • Special settings: – No.

The Kingston modules with the specification “DDR533″ are used as a direct candidate for comparison. Because both manufacturers are the brand of Hynix on the same memory chips, there are no differences in the regions up to DDR540. Ultimately, the OCZ create that which they were produced: DDR550 and a memory bandwidth of 6.5 GB / s.

AIDA32

• Official website: www.aida32.hu

• Download: ComputerBase.de
  • At a cost: free version

The same picture presents itself also with AIDA32. Times the one leading minimal deviations, times of the other manufacturers. But, it is noted that the OCZ modules from the beginning only with 2.8 Volt wanted to properly stable do their service, while to the Kingston context modules initially with 2.65 volts.

3DMark03

• Official website: Futuremark.com

• Download: Computer base
  • At a cost: free

• What benchen we?
  • Run of the two CPU tests under “Default”-settings

  • Special settings: update to version 340.

Also here it is again a head-to-head. The differences, if one can call it at all-so, are rather small measurement inaccuracies than real differences in performance. Ultimately no surprise: Same timings at same frequency during the entire course can be hardly any scope for differences.

PCMark04

• Official website: Futuremark.com

• Download: Computer base
  • At a cost: free

• What benchen we?
  • Run of the memory benchmarks under default settings.

  • Special settings: update to version 1.1.0.

PCMark04 is the first new test on our course. The memory test conducted 16 individual tests simulate different loads of memory modules. The Kingston modules have presented a good result last time, which is confirmed by the results of the OCZ modules.

Quake 3 arena

• Official website: Quake3Arena.com

• Download: Guru3D.com (Q3Bench)
  • At a cost: free trial

• What benchen we?
  • We benchen Quake 3 arena point release 1.32. The mean of three passages will be considered.

  • Special settings: demo four. dm_76, 640 x 480 Max details, sound out, text compression off

The classic among the benchmarks. Quake 3 arena and all games based on them share a very special property: smallest changes to the memory timings and the clock rate reflected in the performance of the game. Although 20 frames more or less in a range of 300 to 350 frames per second are not very important, but it demonstrates the performance of the respective system but well. And so is a formation of the modules in any situation to watch again.

Unreal Tounament 2004

• Official website: Unreal tournament

• Download: HardwareOC (UT2004 bench V. 099. 7)
  • At a cost: free trial

• What benchen we?
  • We benchen Unreal Tournament in the demo version of 3120. The mean of three passages will be considered.

  • Special settings: Botmatch – bridge of fate, 640 x 480, software CPU bench

As second game benchmark, we have the demo with the last test of Unreal Tournament 2004 integrated. The colleagues of HardwareOC have a small tool created, much like Q3Bench, realized all options for testing a system in a clearly arranged menu only. So can be a variety of testing without the support of the graphics card to perform, what we would also like in the case of memory tests, because otherwise too much emphasis would fall to the video card. Here again, as well as any differences can be observed, however, corresponds to the increase from 27 to 36.4 frames per second of a growth rate of about 35 percent.

Conclusion

As always, it is a pleasing work to test such modules. The OCZ PC4400 performance series in a dual-channel Kit make with what you want, also; so, it’s also the tortured hardware Tester fun. But it should finally also be so. Only at DDR560, one comes to the border of loading, but rather is due to the motherboard, and the integrated hardware, as on the modules themselves. Because to have a suitable motherboard and the right CPU for this clock frequencies, is not only a luck, but also a cost issue. With the best modules from OCZ, we currently can purchase, the customer makes false; nothing so guaranteed You should have screened but clearly the conditions and the “cost/benefit question”. Still, the extravagant modules are a more expensive fun, because scarce 400 euros are the official distributor of the OCZ modules, in the price list, for example, at OC-wear. For this, the modules provide fed up but also performance.

Note:
At this point, it should be noted that the results achieved by us on a IC7 of the company abit not readily transferable to other boards. Moreover, cannot be guaranteed, that the available modules also offer the performance of the modules provided by the manufacturers available for testing. The overclocking of components can lead to errors or even damage to components.