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

Benchmarking:

The OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit and OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold Memory Kit will be run through a series of benchmark applications to record overall system performance. All tests were run multiple times to derive a performance average. In order to test the overclocking aspect of the OCZ EL DDR PC-3700 and OCZ EL DDR PC-3200, 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 250MHz while maintaining the strict timings of 3-3-2-8/2-2-2-5 using a multiplier of 9 (250MHz x 9 = 2250MHz). The benchmark applications used in this test consist of the following:

3DMark 2001 SE

3DMark05 Pro Build 120

Aquamark3

Doom3

HOC Quake 4 Benchmark

PCMark04

Super Pi (1M calculation)

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.

OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit

Click image for larger view

The set of recorded scores throughout 3D Mark 2001 SE testing were good with the overclocked results providing a 2910 mark performance boost. The OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit was slightly faster than the OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold Memory Kit despite running at slower the latency 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.

Click image for larger view

All 3DMark05 scores were respectable with a noticible marginal difference in overclocked mode with 1230 marks and 1310 mark difference in 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.

Click image for larger view

In Aquamark3, the score represent a significant improvement in both stock and overclocked modes. All results were derived with an average FPS rating of 51.26 for stock and 55.59 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.

Click image for larger view

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 28.7 seconds at 74.8 FPS. In overclocked mode 2148 frames were rendered in 25 seconds at 85.9 FPS.

HOC Quake 4 Benchmark: Built on ID Software's revoluntionary Doom 3 technology, Quake 4 includes a dramatic storyline, pulse-pounding action and incredible graphics. Gamers are treated to fast-paced multi-player competition modelled after speed, feel and the style of Quake 3 Arena. More information on the HOC Quake 4 Benchmark can be found here.

Click image for larger view

The HOC Quake 4 Benchmark conveniently includes a timedemo function and custom demo map (hwzone_co_il_demo) 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 frames were rendered in 32.9 FPS and in overclocked mode at 40.3 FPS.

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.

Click image for larger view

In the PCMark04 benchmark, overall test results were good with the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit scoring 1084 marks for stock mode and 1553 points for overclocked mode when compared to the OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold Memory Kit.

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.

Click image for larger view

Super Pi is a very processor/memory frequency dependant benchmark. We can see the Corsair TwinX2048-4000PT PC4000 DDR500 Memory Kit with a clear performance boost when running at a higher Front Side Bus. A total of 5 seconds was shaved off when calculating PI for a total time of 35 seconds at 250 FSB.

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.

Click image for larger view

For SiSoft Sandra 2005 SR2 testing the single Memory Benchmark was run for testing the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit and OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Dual Channel Gold Memory Kit. There were consistent performance increases noted in all categories with the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 modules 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.

Conclusion:

For gaming enthusiast looking to scale above PC-3200 performance and keep the price ratio reasonable, you cannot go wrong by taking a look at the new OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit. The quality of each module is excellent and carries an OCZ Lifetime warranty, which will appeal to many consumers. The 2GB capacity will cater to a wide range of users for various memory intensive applications and leading edge games. The addition of the new XTC or Xtreme Thermal Convection heat spreaders optimizes thermal management by promoting greater airflow and stability. By far the biggest benefit of this product is the performance and stability in dual channel mode. In each of the tests performed, the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit provided some decent numbers to reflect my test 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. While the kit is only rated for 466MHz DDR, I was able to hit 500MHz DDR speeds with no problems but ran into some stability issues with certain applications. Ideally, consumers will have to tweak various aspects of their system settings to achieve the type of performance warranted for system stability. From a price point the OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit is competitively priced against its competitors making it affordable for those consumers looking for good performance results without breaking the pocket book. Overall, I was impressed with OCZ EB DDR PC-3700 2GB Platinum XTC Dual Channel Kit and award MTB's Seal of Approval and a final rating of 9 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review, be sure to visit the OCZ Technology website for more information or discuss them in our forums.

Pros:

Price
Features EVP® and ULN2 technology
Excellent overclocking performance
Ability to run tighter timings at lower frequencies
Quality
Xtreme Thermal Convection heatspreaders
Lifetime Warranty

Cons:

Overclocking results may vary with slower latencies
Effectiveness on the XTC heatspreaders is debatable
Some stability issues if you overclock up to 500 MHz