3D Mark 2001 SE
Another synthetic game benchmark, but at low resolutions, tends to stress the subsystem more than the video card. Given the power of the Radeon 9700 Pro, benchmarks were done at the default settings, 1024x768.
The faster memory speeds do improve the 3D Mark scores, but don't expect any magical 1000 3D Mark gains. Needless to say, if "benchmarking" is important to you, faster ram doesn't hurt.
Quake 3: Arena
It's debatable whether this benchmark still has any merit when it comes to testing video cards, but I find it useful when running our CPU and subsystem tests. Tests were run at the "Fastest" settings, at 640x480.
Unreal Tournament 2003
We used the scripts written by , which are excellent tools in testing various resolutions and detail levels. We selected the CPU test, which uses lower quality settings to offload the strain from the video card.
As we can see in the two real-world gaming benchmarks, there are tangible gains with faster ram. Although a faster CPU and video card will make a larger difference, the ram still plays an important part in creating a faster system overall.
Final Words
The OCZ DDR PC3500 Dual Channel EL Kit marks the first time I've had a chance to work with one of their products, and I'm going to have to say it's been a pleasure.
The kit proved to be very reliable, and was capable of some impressive overclocking. The copper ramsinks are very attractive, though the jury is still out on how useful they are when it comes down to cooling down the ram enough to improve overclocking.
As with the Corsair TWINX, the question will come up whether or not a dual channel memory kit is needed. Again, that will depend on the system you are building. If you're putting together a non dual channel setup, then you can actually save money by buying a larger stick of ram. I will say that a dual channel setup would be better served in one of these dual channel memory kits.
As with all overclocked ram, another thing to consider is memory bandwidth, and if you can make use of it. One of the things you'll have to keep in perspective is that for maximum system performance, you're going to want a CPU/Motherboard setup that can handle high FSBs. The bandwidth these memory modules can provide will go somewhat wasted if you don't unlock your Athlon, and if your motherboard can't hit 200MHz FSB. With current Athlons at 166FSB, you can see my point.
As with most quality modules, this kit doesn't come cheap. At Ramstore, you can pickup this kit for , which is close to 190$ USD. You can save money by buying individual ram types, but the truth is, if you have a dual channel setup, you are better off buying a pre-tested kit. Also keep in mind that the OCZ DDR PC3500 Dual Channel EL Kit comes with copper ramsinks, and trust me, you have to see them to appreciate the quality.
I know this is going to come up, so I may as well talk about why we're not ragging on OCZ's past history. I am well aware of the problems many people seemed to have had in the past. Though I can't comment on that, I can say that they are working very hard to at least make a fresh start in the enthusiast mindset. That being said, this is a ram review, and the product alone stands on its own merits. If this still doesn't convince you, Ramstore's . They stand by the products they sell, so this should help ease some of the paranoid lot reading this.
Pros: Excellent performance, great overclocking potential, high quality construction and pre-tested.
Cons: High price, not necessary if you're anti-Granite Bay, or anti-nForce 2.
Bottom Line: If you own, or are planning a Dual Channel motherboard purchase, the OCZ DDR PC3500 Dual Channel EL Kit should be on your shortlist. It's not cheap, but does have cheap shipping to the US, and free shipping for Canucks. If you got any comments, be sure to hit us up in our forums.
