OCZ VX Revisited: DDR Updates on DFI nForce4
by Wesley Fink on March 30, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
Test Results: OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2
To be considered stable for test purposes, Quake3 benchmark, UT2003 Demo, Super PI, Aquamark 3, and RTCW had to complete without incident. Any of these, and in particular Super PI and Return to Castle Wolfenstein, will crash a less-than stable memory configuration.| OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 (DDR400) - 2 x 512Mb Double-Bank | |||||||
| CPU Ratio at 2.4GHz | Memory Speed | Memory Timings & Voltage |
Quake3 fps |
Sandra UNBuffered | Sandra Standard Buffered | Super PI 2M places (time in sec) |
Wolfenstein - Radar - Enemy Territory fps |
| 12x200 | 400DDR | 2-2-2-6 2.6V 1T |
549.5 | INT 2850 FLT 3045 |
INT 6066 FLT 6034 |
80 | 114.9 |
| 11x218 | 436DDR | 2-3-2-6 2.8V 1T |
546.3 | INT 2893 FLT 3065 |
INT 6452 FLT 6385 |
81 | 114.3 |
| 10x240 | 480DDR | 2.5-3-3-6 2.8V 1T |
550.2 | INT 3016 FLT 3231 |
INT 6709 FLT 6631 |
80 | 115.1 |
| 9x267 | 533DDR | 2.5-4-3-6 2.9V 1T |
554.6 | INT 3101 FLT 3331 |
INT 7026 FLT 6940 |
80 | 116.0 |
| 9x318 (2.86 GHz) |
Highest CPU/Mem Performance | 2.5-4-3-7 2.9V 1T |
649.0 | INT 3562 FLT 3752 |
INT 7828 FLT 7739 |
72 | 136.4 |
The OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev. 2 was the only memory to achieve its best performance at a 9 ratio - reaching DDR636 in our DFI test bed. This was achieved at the more desirable 1T Command Rate. This level of performance is outstanding, but it is definitely worth noting that OCZ TCCD at DDR636 2.5-4-3-7 performance is roughly equivalent to OCZ VX Gold at 10x267 2-2-2-6. This is particularly interesting, since the CPU speed at 318x9 is 2.86GHz compared to 2.67GHz at 267x10.
OCZ PC3200 Platinum Rev.2 performs very well as the representative of fast TCCD memory. We checked results with G. Skill TCCD and achieved close to the same performance as OCZ with stable performance at DDR630 (315). This represents the kinds of normal variations that you will find in top-performing memory at the highest performance levels.
As impressive as DDR636 sounds, fast memory timings and a fast memory chip can offset both a higher memory speed and a slightly higher CPU speed. The best TCCD can perform just as well as VX, but it required DDR636 and a 119 MHz faster speed to match OCZ VX at 2-2-2-6 timings.
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renzokuken - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
Wesley, you've made my day. Thankyou for this follow-up review. The only thing I didn't like is the following statement "The Corsair did not do as well at the highest speeds on the DFI as it has done on other platforms, but that can likely be fixed with a BIOS revision". I'd love to know if/when this BIOS revision will be released and how much it will affect the Corsairs results.Btw, if anyone can tell me how to change the password required to post a comment I would be eternally grateful
arswihart - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
zebo, i have no idea what you tried to just sayJoKeRr - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
look at corsair and mushkin tccd (3200s) that doesn't use BP pcb, they almost never break 260 eitherJoKeRr - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
but I don't ballsitix uses BP pcb, if it does, it will prob. kill tccd.Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
Consistancy. It's not there. Just browse various forums.. some like us report kick arse performance some can't even get 220Mhz out of it w low timings.When you buy TCCD any moron can get at least 275Mhz out of it which is very appealing until you look past sisuck numbers. Also, in general, TCCD is more flexible because of that. Can run 2-2-2 @ 200 just like Ballistix but can also run up around 300Mhz and everything in between. I've never seen ballistix posting at anything above 275 w/1T.
Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
"anandtech is the biggest dfi propaganda site on the web"They use the best mobo in mem guides this is nothing new where you been? Back in NF3 days it's was MSI NEO2..Back w intel tests it was Asus..actually this is the first time I ever seen them using DFI which stand to raseon since it's the NF4 winnar.
ozzimark - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
#35-one thing i never understood. ballistix (more the micron -5b chips than ballistix itself) has an amazing performance/ocing to cost ratio. plus, it oc's at tight timings fairly well without much voltage. how come it was never very popular like BH-5/UTT and TCCD?
Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
Joker, Ballistix is essentially EB..so it likes up to 3.1 too but runs hot...need to cool it activly and have a mobo which staggers mem like DFI's.. i.e geographically in slots: Mem--Blank--Mem--Blank to allow air flow.I personally run 245Mhz 2.5-2-2 1T @ 2.8
But screwing around w/ volts I get 261 2.5-2-2 w/o error But since I'm a silence freak it's not for me.
Still this winbond UTT mem is better overall if you plan to send high volts to mem anywayz
Zebo - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
"TCCD isn't the holy grail of RAM anymore."It never was. It's loose arse timings always got whooped by Ballistix, and especially "old" BH-5 in the benchmarks running async with tight timings and moderate BW. This new ram is from co that brought you BH-5 and it's prolly better except it can't run 1.5 CAS.
arswihart - Wednesday, March 30, 2005 - link
anandtech decides to focus on dfi and ocz as a magical combination, no matter what qualifications they make in the article they are still selling these specific products to readers. Its reflected in the forums and probably in sales. I don't like how anandtech's articles are beginning to constantly offer suggestions and declarations about the best this and that (often just based on what they have reviewed to date, not all that is available).