System:
Processor: Pentium 4 2.0A
Memory: 256mb Xtreme DDR PC 3200
Motherboard: Asus P4S333 (bios P4S533 rev. 1009c)
Motherboard chip set: SiS 645
NVIDIA reference drivers: 40.72
Hard-Drive: Western Digital 81GB 7200RPM ATA100
IDE Interface: Ultra ATA100
Sound: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live!
CD/DVD: Elements 56x CD
Secondary CD/DVD: Mitsumi 32x Burner
Power Supply: Premier 300 Watt
Operating System: Windows XP Pro
First boot
We tested this ram on
our Pentium 4 2.0a processor, which runs 100mhz fsb
(400mhz quad pumped) with a 20x multiplier @ stock.
All of our memory tests were run at the stock 2.6v
setting.
After installing the
ram we set the bios to run a 3:6 divider (for DDR
400) and the recommended timings: 3-6-3, 2T command,
and CL2.5. Unfortunately, the system failed to boot.
After testing many different settings, we determined
that the most stable timings the ram would run at
400 mhz were 3-7-3, 1T command, and CL2.5. While we
were disappointed to see the RAS active time would
not run what Xtreme DDR had specified, we were very
surprised to see that this ram was able to handle
a 1T command rate at 400mhz.
Our SiSoft Sandra score.
Our memory bandwidth
was about 2525mb/sec, which may sound odd to some
of you. The reason for this is because our Pentium
4 has a 400mhz fsb, which is actually bottlenecking
the ram. Yes, that's right; DDR is being bottlenecked
by a P4, and it's not the other way around. As you
can see this ram out-performed ram that is much more
expensive, 800mhz RDRAM (which is supposed to be as
fast as it gets for a P4 "A" system). Reference
Chipset/Memory 4 shows the approximate bandwith for
those of you running a 533mhz fsb P4.
Overclocking
For our overclocking
section we will be showing you where the ram maxes
out at several sets of timings.
CL 2.5, 4-7-4, and
2T command rate Max Speed: 246 / 492 DDR
mhz
CL 2.5, 3-7-3, and
1T command rate Max speed: 214 / 428 DDR
mhz
CL 2.0, 2-4-2, and
1T command rate Max Speed: 134.5 / 269 DDR
mhz
Quite
honestly, we're pretty amazed at the speeds that
this ram can reach, especially considering these
are all done with default voltage. While the ram
obviously doesn't like too aggressive of timings,
it doesn't seem to mind running at almost 500mhz
DDR!
Conclusion
Xtreme
DDR has done a fantastic job making this ram overclockable.
Being able to hit 492 DDR mhz at stock voltage is
definitely something to brag about. We also liked
to see that Xtreme DDR's price tag is slightly below
most of their competitors. All that is really holding
us back from making this one of our A products is
the timings. Even when we pumped up the voltage
to 2.7 the timings just wouldn't go any more agressive
at 400mhz. Corsair and OCZ's PC3200 ram promises
to run timings that are about as aggressive as it
gets. However, if you are looking more towards overclocking
and care less towards timings, you should definitely
consider Xtreme DDR PC3200.
Pros: ·Great overclockability ·Looks way better then
any ol' ram ·More affordable than
most competitors ·Doesn't
require extra voltage
Cons: ·Just doesn't like low
timings ·6ns chips make it overclocked
2700
Final Score:
B+
Questions,
Comments? Discuss the review in our forums
or E-mail me here.If you're
interested in purchasing this ram, our sponsor PlainLabelPC
carries this product.
Or instant message us:
Aim: ShadowOcHardware
Icq: 168916880
