OCZ 3700 Gold Rev. 3: DDR500 Value for Athlon 64 & Intel 478
by Wesley Fink on September 22, 2004 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Memory
OCZ 3700 Gold Rev. 3
OCZ produces a complete line of memory from value-priced memory to some of the fastest enthusiast memory that we have tested. While their memory products may be the best known to most, they also produce heatsink/fans, thermal compound, the recently introduced power supply line, and an innovative DDR voltage booster.3700 Gold has been a very well-known memory product for OCZ, as you can see in our earlier reviews of the original 3700 Gold and 3700 Gold Rev 2. The first two generations of 3700 Gold earned quite a reputation for outstanding overclocked performance, but they were also premium-priced DIMMs. This latest Revision 3 is the first 3700 Gold to be marketed by OCZ as a value DIMM.
Test DIMMs were a pair of OCZ 3700 Gold Rev. 3 in a 1GB kit (2x512MB modules). PC3700 Gold Rev. 3 is available as a 512MB kit (2x256MB DIMMs), a 1GB kit (2x512MB), and as individual 256MB and 512MB DIMMs. The 3700 Gold Rev. 3 is shipped in the new Orange OCZ package.
OCZ uses trademark gold colored heat spreaders on the 3700 Gold, which should not come as a surprise to anybody. SPD timings are specified on the label. OCZ tells us that the memory chips for 3700 Gold Rev. 3 are manufactured by Hynix. A quick check showed the Hynix chips to be the recent DT-D5 chips.
OCZ 3700 Gold Rev 3 Specifications
| OCZ 3700 Gold Rev. 3 Memory Specifications | |
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 DS |
| DIMM Size Total Memory |
512 Mb 1 GB |
| Rated Timings | 2.5-3-3-8 at DDR466 |
| SPD (Auto) Timings | 2.5-3-3-8 |
| Rated Voltage | 2.8V (3.15V Maximum) |
Voltage is specified as 2.8V at the rated DDR466. We found that much voltage worked fine at lower memory speeds. OCZ specifies the highest recommended voltage as 3.15V, which certainly allows for even higher overclocking on the few boards that support this memory voltage. This also provides some headroom if you choose to use the OCZ DDR Booster.
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Rags - Thursday, September 30, 2004 - link
I was debating between this and the Crucial Ballistix 3200 for my new machine. Which you guys think I should go with? Hope the October high end buyer's guide comes out soon...KrazyDawg - Sunday, September 26, 2004 - link
Can someone recommend me a cheap pair of 1GB RAM capable of running at 250? The charts on here aren't clear as to exactly what module I should purchase. If I were to cross reference it with newegg, you would see different names and prices and that doesn't help me. The deal time search engine on here only shows some memory prices and they're only for 512MB.Pumpkinierre - Saturday, September 25, 2004 - link
Why does the dual channel a64 have a lower unbuffered Sandra score than the intel when its buffered score is clearly much higher (up to 40% higher). SSE2 implementation on K8 was supposed to be not all that good from early reviews, so you'd expect a worse buffered result. Maybe the real world meaning of these tests should be revisited for the different cpus.Anemone - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
Well the Ballistix 4000 is cheaper so that makes it a "better buy" in terms of price. It certainly clocks fairly high in the tests, and at rather tight timings. The 3700 EB while rated 3700 vs the 4000 seems to clock quite high but at looser timings. I have, maybe just due to people talking about the newer 4000, been reading more high clock success stories (A64's) with the 4000 than I have read about the 3700EB. Maybe OCZ will grace us with 4000EB or 4200EB? Maybe but probably they would have if they could have.Anand will clear us all up soon with some kind of a grand review of memories on the A64 I hope. This article did have that new A64 testbed up and running so there is hope!
Right now a tie between the 4000 cheaper but slightly lower clocks but always seems to clock that well vs the 3700EB which is more expensive and seems to "usually" get a higher possible clock at looser timings than the 4000.
Thus, a tie.
saechaka - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
so which would be the better buy right now for an abit AI7 the crucial ballistix or ocx 3700 eb? thanksOCedHrt - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
Oops! Wow blank post. Anyways, doesn't the Crucial Ballistix already cost less? Crucial sells their 512 PC4000 stick at 144.99.OCedHrt - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
ciwell - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
Wondering the same thing as #2...Can't wait for a "Value" RAM Roundup.
Anemone - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
It has become rather important since am building a system now to see that Athlon 64 memory review you've mentioned was coming :)3700EB is the old standby but it seems that like this 3700, and the Ballistix 4000, there are some memories out lately that do particularly well at 500-550 speeds on the A64's.
As always this article was a very good read and I learned yet another memory of interest.
Now I'd like to see them all layed out and compared so I can refine my choices to go with a nice FX-55 :)
Ty!
mkruer - Wednesday, September 22, 2004 - link
I want to know if its better to get one gig of "cheep" 2.5,3,3,7 DDR400 (2x512) ram vs a smaller (2x256) of high prefromance DDR533 with ram.