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Product:
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Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Kit |
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Price:
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$263 (CAN) / $225 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Corsair
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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January 20th, 2006
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Rating:
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The Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory modules incorporate silver coloured heat spreaders that is fastened
via a metal clip. Crafted from aluminum, the heat spreaders are permanently affixed to the memory modules
using a thermal adhesive. A holographic sticker is located on each module providing information on specifications, model
number and speed settings. Heat spreaders have long been used with a wide variety of different manufacturers and Corsair
is definitely not the first to market them with their products. It is debatable whether or not heat spreaders actually
assist with cooling performance but Corsair claims that these particular heatsinks differentiate their products from
their competitors.
The installation procedure of the Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory is straightforward
and can be completed in less than 5 minutes. Users unfamiliar with the proper installation procedure can consult the provided
documentation for instructions. It is recommended for maximum performance that the modules be installed in dual channel
configuration in accordance to your motherboard. The Plug-n-Frag feature automatically will adjust the memory latency to
that programmed into the module upon powering the system.
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Testing:
The Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Kit was matched against a the Corsair Xpert
TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR Memory Kit (2-2-2-5) with a support voltage of 2.6V. Both kits were tested at
two different speeds with a synchronous (1:1) ratio to the processor in dual channel configuration.
Testing frequencies reflect the maximum rated frequency modules the majority of enthusiasts would use
when overclocking. A sustained processor speed of approximately 1.8GHz (200/200) and 2.1GHz (240/240)
was used throughout the testing. In order to test both kits the following parts were assembled:
- DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-DR Motherboard
- AMD Athlon 64 3000+ CPU
- 2 x Gigabyte GV-NX66T128D GeForce 6600GT Video Cards (SLI Mode)
- Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 8 80 GB Hard Drive
- Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 10 200 GB Hard Drive
- LG GSA-4165 Black DVD +/-R/RW/RAM Dual DVD Burner
- LG 52x32x52 CD-RW w/ SuperLink
- Enermax EG-565P-VE PSU
- Custom Water Cooling Kit (Swiftech MCW6002 Water Block, Typhoon 120X Reservoir, Delphi DDC 12V Water Pump and
Black Ice Extreme Radiator)
- WinXP pro w/SP2 and DirectX9
Settings:
- Stock
- CPU: 1800Mhz
- FSB: 200Mhz
- DDR: 400Mhz
- Multiplier: 9
- VDIMM: 2.6V
- VCORE:1.408V
- Memory Timings: 2-2-2-5 / 3-4-4-8
- Overclocked
- CPU: 2100Mhz
- FSB: 240Mhz
- DDR: 480Mhz
- Multiplier: 9
- VDIMM: 2.8V
- VCORE:1.408 V
- Memory Timings: 2-2-2-5 / 3-4-4-8
Benchmarking:
The Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Kit and Corsair Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR Memory Kit
will be run through a series of benchmark applications to record overall system performance between 1GB
vs 2GB modules. All tests were run multiple times to derive a performance average. In order to test the
overclocking aspect of the TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 and Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL, I slowly increased the
FSB from 200MHz upwards in 5MHz intervals being sure to test for stability at each phase. I was able to
scale to 240MHz while maintaining the strict timings of 3-4-4-8 but ran into stability issues with my
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ CPU running benchmarks at DDR500. The benchmark applications used in this test consist
of the following:
- 3DMark 2001 SE
- 3DMark05 Pro Build 120
- Aquamark03
- Doom3
- PCMark04
- Super Pi (1M calculation)
- Everest Ultimate Edition 2005
- SiSoftware Sandra 2005 Pro SR2 (Memory Benchmark)
3D Mark 2001 SE: 3D Mark 2001 Second Edition is a DirectX8 and higher based benchmark that runs
through a series of renderings and game sequences to test several aspects of the system including video
card and CPU stability and performance. A final score is then received upon completion in which can be
used to compare to an online database of thousands of results and system configurations. All default
settings were used. More information can be found here.
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The set of recorded scores throughout 3D Mark 2001 SE testing were impressive and the overclocked
results providing a 2920 mark performance boost. The Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Kit
was slightly faster than the Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR Memory Kit despite the slower speed settings.
3DMark05 Pro Build 120: 3DMark05 is best suited for the latest generation of DirectX9 graphics cards. It is
the first benchmark to require a DirectX9 compliant hardware with support for Pixel Shaders 2.0 or higher. By
combining high quality 3D tests, CPU tests, feature tests, image quality tools, and much more, 3DMark05 is a
premium benchmark for evaluating the latest generation of gaming hardware. More information can be found
here.
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All 3DMark05 scores were respectable with a 852 mark difference in overclocked mode and a 192 point
difference is stock mode.
AquaMark3: AquaMark3 is a powerful tool to determine reliable information about the gaming performance of a
computer system. The benchmark extensively utilizes DirectX9, DirectX8 and DirectX7 functionality and it represents
the requirements of typical gaming applications in 2005. More information can be found here.
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In Aquamark3, the scores demonstrate only a slight margin between stock and overclocked modes. All results were derived with
an average FPS rating of 64.47 for stock and 68.20 for overclocked modes.
Doom3: Doom3 combines a dramatic storyline, pulse-pounding action, incredible graphics, and revolutionary technology
combine to draw you into the most frightening and gripping first person gaming experience ever created. Built on id Software's
revolutionary new 3D graphics engine, Doom3 is the perfect stress test for today's high-end hardware.
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Doom3 conveniently includes a timedemo function that allows you to benchmark your system while in
console mode. I ran the timedemo benchmark three times to get an average FPS rating in stock and
overclocked modes. In stock mode 2148 frames were rendered in 29.8 seconds at 72.2 FPS. In overclocked
mode 2148 frames were rendered in 25.4 seconds at 84.6 FPS. This is an excellent indication of the
performance benefits when evaluating 1GB memory modules vs 2GB memory modules in gaming applications.
PCMark04: PCMark04 is an application based benchmark and a premium tool for measuring overall PC
performance. It uses portions of real applications instead of including very large applications or using
specifically created code. This allows PCMark04 to be a smaller installation as well as to report very
accurate results. In this particular test scores were dervived using the Graphics Test Suite at
1024x768. More information can be found here.
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In the PCMark04 benchmark, overall test results were good with the overclocked score beating the stock
scores by a margin of 177 (stock) / 281 (overclocked) points.
Super Pi: Super Pi is a program that computes Pi to a set amount of decimal places and returns a
time result. Similar to the other benchmarking software used, users compare their result as a basis for
a performance indicator. I will be using the 1M option, which calculates Pi to 1 million decimal places.
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Super Pi is a very processor/memory frequency dependant benchmark. We can see the clear performance
boost when running at a higher Front Side Bus which was able to shave off 6 seconds for a total
calculation time of 35 seconds at 240 FSB.
Everest Ultimate Edition 2005: Everest Ultimate Edition 2005 is an industry leading system
diagnostics and benchmarking solution for enthusiasts PC users, based on the award-winning Everest
Technology. During system optimizations and tweaking it provides essential system and overclock
information, advanced hardware monitoring and diagnostics capabilities to check the effects of the
applied settings. CPU, FPU and memory benchmarks are available to measure the actual system
performance and compare it to previous states or other systems. More information on this application
can be found here.
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Similar to SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR2 , Everest Ultimate Edition 2005 is a synthetic benchmark used to test
various aspects of performance on a variety of machines. The Read scores demonstrate maximum read times
in the 6.2GB/s bracket while operating at 240MHz and just below the 5.4GB/s at 400MHz for either memory
configuration. Memory write results were steady in the 1.9GB/s to 2.4GB/s in stock and overclocked modes.
SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR2: SiSoftware Sandra 2005 SR2 (System Analyzer, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant)
is an information and diagnostic utility which allows the user to retrieve information about the CPU,
Chipset, Video adapter, Ports, Printers, Sound Card, Memory, Network, Windows internals, AGP, ODBC
Connections, USB2, 1394/Firewire and more. I will be using the built in CPU Multimedia and Memory
Bandwidth benchmarking modules. More information on this application can be found
here.
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For SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR2 testing the single Memory Benchmark was run for testing the TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000
and Xpert TWINXP1024-3200XL DDR Memory modules. There were consistent performance increases noted in all
categories with TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 scoring higher for Integer Buffered and Float Buffered modes. What
should be noted is that these calculated results are synthetic and don't represent real world performance
results.
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Conclusion:
Corsair has demonstrated diversity in its product line by catering to 2 different types of gamers.
For the case modder who wants performance balanced with aesthetics and the "bling" factor, the Pro
Series provides low latency modules complimented by activity LED's or a programmable LED screen.
For the no-nonsense gamer, Corsair strips away the light show and introduces modules that excel
in an overclocking environment at much slower timing intervals. As a package, the Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT
PC4000 DDR 500 Memory Kit offers excellent performance and should be a suitable upgrade path for those
individuals who own a dual channel motherboard. In each of the tests performed, the Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT
PC4000 DDR 500 Memory Kit provided some decent numbers to reflect my gaming rig's overall performance. What
should be noted is that these benchmark numbers are relative only to this configuration and will change as
components are removed and upgraded. The low latency settings for these particular modules while slow allow
you to really push this RAM by either raising your FSB or using a CPU/DRAM ratio and adjusting your memory
timing settings. Ideally, consumers will have to tweak various aspects of their system settings to achieve
the type of performance warranted for system stability. Overall, I was impressed with Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT
PC4000 DDR 500 Memory Kit and award a final rating of 8.5 out of 10.
If you have any questions regarding this review, be sure to visit the Corsair
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Excellent stablity and performance
- Good dual channel support
- Lifetime warranty
- Dependable
- High quality
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Cons:
- Overclocking results may vary
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