MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Reviews - OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit Review

MODTHEBOX would like to thank Jessica from OCZ Technology for sending the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit for review.

The OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC 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 EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC 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-3700 Dual Channel Platinum 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 hardware tech sites.

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Out of the packaging, my first impressions of the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit were very positive. The modules are quite unique and have a cool aesthetic look to them sporting mirrored platinum 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 466MHz DDR (2.8v) with a low latency setting of 3-3-2-8 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS).

New to the OCZ's Platinum XTC Series series is the inclusion of XTC or Xtreme Thermal Convection heatspreaders. These mirrored platinum 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 ULN2. 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. ULN2 (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 Micron 5B C IC's.

Testing:

The OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit was matched against the OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold 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 2.0 GHz (200/200) and 2.2GHz (250/250) was used throughout the testing. In order to test both kits the following parts were assembled:

Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ CPU
WinFast PX6800 GT TDH Video Card
Western Digital WD2000 Caviar SE 200GB SATA HD
LG GCE-8525B CD-RW Drive w/ SuperLink
LG GSA-H10N Super-Multi Internal DVD Writer
Panasonic 1.44 Floppy Drive
Enermax Liberty 500W ATX 12V Ver2.2 Power Supply
Ultra Black Aluminus ATX Mid-Tower Case
WinXP Professional w/SP2 and DirectX9

Settings:

Stock
CPU: 2000Mhz
FSB: 200Mhz
DDR: 400Mhz
Multiplier: 9
VDIMM: 2.7V
VCORE: 1.408V
Memory Timings: 3-3-2-8 (OCZ EB DDR PC-3700)
Memory Timings: 2-2-2-5 (OCZ EB DDR PC-3200)

Overclocked
CPU: 2200Mhz
FSB: 250Mhz
DDR: 500Mhz
Multiplier: 9
VDIMM: 2.8V
VCORE: 1.5 V
Memory Timings: 3-3-2-8 (OCZ EB DDR PC-3700)
Memory Timings: 2-2-2-5 (OCZ EB DDR PC-3200)