MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Reviews - OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit Review

MODTHEBOX would like to thank Jessica from OCZ Technology for sending the OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit for review.

The OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit is one of several different memory modules packages available on the OCZ Technology website. This kit is a matched pair of memory modules and has been designed to specifically work for motherboards using chipsets with dual memory channels. Here are some of the specifications taken directly from the OCZ Technology website:

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The OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit arrived in a colourful Perspex package suitable for retail display. On the front of the package, you see the EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold Memory modules as well as standard product advertising. On the back of the package, there is a summarized list of industry awards and quotes from a few well known tech sites such as Anandtech, Bjorn3D, FiringSquad, Guru3D, hardCOREware, Legit Reviews and the Techzone.

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Out of the packaging, my first impressions of the OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit were very positive. The modules are quite unique and have a cool aesthetic look to them sporting gold layered heatspreaders with OCZ company logos centered in the middle. The package consists of two 1024MB memory modules which have been implemented using DDR SDRAM chips. The part number designation of this particular package is suited to run on dual channel supported motherboards at 500MHz DDR (2.75v) with a low latency setting of 3-4-3-8 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS).

New to the OCZ's Gold Series GX series is the inclusion of XTC or Xtreme Thermal Convection heatspreaders. These gold layered heatspreaders include a honeycomb style pattern that is replicated from the left to right of each memory module. OCZ claims that this new style design optimizes thermal management by promoting greater airflow by means of micro-convection and at the same time provides optimal mechanical stability.

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One of the unique characteristics of the particular kit is the addition of OCZ technologies EVP® and ULN. OCZ EVP® (Extended Voltage Protection) is a feature that allows performance enthusiasts to use a VDIMM of 3.0V ± 5% without invalidating their OCZ Lifetime Warranty. ULN (Ultra Low Noise) technology uses various printed circuit board (PCB) techniques to reduce the amount of electrical noise that is present in all high-speed ICs which results in faster and more stable memory. Another key component that should appeal to those consumers who like to overclock their systems is the use of high-performance Samsung UCCC memory IC's.

Testing:

The OCZ EL DDR PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kit was matched against the Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Kit with a support voltage of 2.75v. 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 2.2GHz (250/250) 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: 2.7V
VCORE:1.408V
Memory Timings: 3-4-3-8

Overclocked
CPU: 2200Mhz
FSB: 250Mhz
DDR: 500Mhz
Multiplier: 9
VDIMM: 2.8V
VCORE:1.408 V
Memory Timings: 3-4-3-8