It's
great to see how individual memory stacks up against the competition under stock
configurations, but we're also going to show how it compares when overclocked.
With performance in mind, we're going to compare the maximum overclocked results of the various DDR2
DIMMs we've tested in the past and are listed below. Remember, just because memory is
clocked fast doesn't mean it's the best thing for a computer.
Timings are also important and getting the right ratio of both is the key!
* - Needs to be retested with new
BIOS that doesn't limit motherboard clock speed to 216 MHz.
While we
don't have much to compare the Mushkin PC2-4200 memory against, I think it's
safe to say that it does pretty well for itself here. It doesn't overclock as high as the PQI
PC2-5400 memory, but that stuff is also rated faster. In addition, the Mushkin performed better
than the PQI memory consistently at stock
speeds.
Quality stuff for a good
price...
With enthusiasts willing to spend money on new technology, it
makes sense for manufacturers to cater their wares towards this market from the
start. For you can bet that if the boys at XtremeSystems are snapping up
a specific brand of DDR-2 for their rigs, the rest of the world is sure to
follow.
Each of
Mushkin's
PC2-4200 DIMMs 512MB DIMM is rated to operate at 266 MHz while
maintaining 4-4-4-12 memory timings on 1.8V voltage. To help shield the memory
from potential hazards, aluminum heatspreaders are used. Also note, PCstats does not
pull of the heatspreaders on BGA DDR-2 any longer, as it is too easy to damage
the modules.
In the end,
our tests indicate that the performance of Mushkin's
PC2-4200 DDR-2 is good overall. At stock speeds, the memory is able to run
with more aggressive timings of 3-3-3-10, but when it comes to overclocking it's best to
loosen things up a bit. By using 4-4-4-12 timings and 2.1V, we were able to push
it up to 614 MHz which is definitely very nice. In all benchmarks, the Mushkin
memory kept up with the other high performance DDR-2 RAM easily.
In retail, two 512MB sticks of Mushkin PC2-4200 DDR-2 memory will set you back about $403 CDN ($329 US), but that's not surprising considering DDR-2 memory still holds a price
premium over traditional DDR. If you're looking for some quality memory
from an overclocker friendly source, Mushkin definitely deliver!
Find out about this and many other
reviews by joining the Weekly PCstats.com Newsletter today!
Related
Articles
Here are a few other articles that you might enjoy
as well...
1. Crucial
Ballistix PC5300 DDR2 Memory Review
RSS Newsletter
