Written By:
Date Posted: July 3, 2002

Tests

Test System
Abit KX7333
ATi Radeon 8500 128 MEG
XtremeDDR PC2700 256 MB x 1
OCZ PC2700 256 MB x 1
Corsair XMS2700 256 MB x 1
AMD Athlon 1400 unlocked
Windows XP Professional

Test Software
SiSoft Sandra
QuickTech 2000
OnTrack Utilites Deep RAM test
3D mark 2001 SE

Test 1 SiSoft Sandra 2002

In order to test the RAM I used the Abit KX7-333, which is known for its overclocking prowess. First we will be taking a look at some SiSoft Sandra 2002 Standard benchmark results. Each test was done immediately following a reboot with no other software running in the background. Unnecessary Windows XP services were also disabled for testing. We tested with only one module for stability and overclocking purposes. During tests the processor was kept at or under 1400 MHz via the multiplier so that processor stress would not be a factor in our tests.

333 MHz Cas 2 1T command

As you can see, the Corsair and XtremeDDR modules are running neck and neck. For some reason the OCZ fails to stay within a 10 MB/S range with either module.

374 MHZ Cas 2 1T command

The Corsair and XtremeDDR continue to squeeze out the performance and manage to earn their PC2700 ratings. The OCZ managed to get up to 182 MHz before general instability and crashes began to occur. Quite impressive scores came from the Xtreme memory, and the stuff overclocked quite nicely.

Test 2 Quicktech Pro 2000

While it is not a benchmark, Quicktech pro is a sure-fire way to stress your memory out. The tests completed without a hitch on every pass. It wasn't until I pushed the memory past 187 MHz when less aggressive memory settings had to be applied. At 198 MHz, the test failed to complete.

Test 3 3D Mark 2001 SE

Today's video cards are very powerful. So powerful, in fact, that they are no longer the bottleneck when it comes to gaming. What is the bottleneck? With the Athlon XP only running on a 266 MHz Frontside Bus, many say the processor is the bottleneck. I agree, although the RAM is also a major bottleneck. What happens when we make the bottleneck a little wider?

While installing PC2700 XtremeDDR memory didn't exactly light up the scores, the improvements are quite noticeable. I think a 400-point improvement is quite nice for a simple memory upgrade.