Value RAM Roundup: Computing On a Budget
by Wesley Fink on April 11, 2005 4:26 PM EST- Posted in
- Memory
OCZ PC3200 Value Series: "Value VX"
OCZ VX emerged as our memory performance leader in our recent memory review, OCZ VX Revisited: DDR Updates on DFI nForce4. Rated at DDR500 speed at 2-2-2 timings, we quickly learned that you needed a lot of memory voltage to get the most from this memory. In fact, VX really requires 3.5V to 3.6V for best performance. This requires one of the new DFI nForce4 motherboards, an add-on OCZ DDR Booster, or a motherboard memory voltage mod to provide the voltages VX demands.The other part of the VX equation was cost. OCZ bins VX and tests at DDR500 2-2-2 speed, and the cost of that selectivity and guaranteed performance is about $270 for a Gigabyte of RAM. As performance RAM goes, this is a bargain price, but we never considered VX a Value RAM until OCZ dropped a surprise on our doorstep.
With the introduction of DDR500 VX, OCZ announced that they would be also producing a "Value VX" rated at DDR400 and lower voltage. Basically, this Value VX would be an unbinned part not tested for high voltages and high overclocks. That "Value VX" is now on the market as OCZ PC3200 Value Series and selling for about $115 for a pair of 512MB DIMMs!
Specifications
OCZ rates Value VX at the very conservative 2.5-3-3-7 at DDR400 at default voltage. The memory does meet these specs, but when you crank up the voltage, these "Value VX" DIMMs turn into a different animal.| OCZ PC3200 Value (DDR400) Memory Specifications | |
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 DS |
| DIMM Size Total Memory |
512 MB 1GB |
| Rated Timings | 2.5-3-3-7 at DDR400 |
| SPD (Auto) Timings | 2.5-3-3-7 |
| Rated Voltage | 2.6V |
There is no mention on the innocent "OCZ PC3200 Value Series" label of what lurks within.
Test Results
| OCZ PC3200 Value (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 | 400 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.0V 1T |
570.2 | INT 2940 FLT 2929 |
INT 6096 FLT 6148 |
81 | 120.0 |
| 11x218 | 436 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.1V 1T |
579.6 | INT 3138 FLT3117 |
INT 6478 FLT 6412 |
80 | 120.9 |
| 10x240 | 480 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.2V 1T |
593.4 | INT 3242 FLT 3352 |
INT 6746 FLT 6789 |
79 | 122.7 |
| 11x245 (2.7GHz) |
Highest CPU/Mem Performance 490 DDR |
2-2-2-6 3.3V 1T |
613.6 | INT 3384 FLT 3459 |
INT 7284 FLT 7204 |
72 | 129.1 |
The binned and tested OCZ PC4000 VX reaches a higher speed of DDR530 at 2-2-2. That just proves the value of binning and testing for performance. But how can we complain about a memory that costs 57% less than 4000 VX and still performs with complete stability at DDR490 at 2-2-2 timings? Frankly, we can't.
You bargain hunters who want to play with VX, 2-2-2 timings, and high memory voltage will want to grab a pair of Value VX. They aren't binned, but we suspect that most will reach DDR480 to DDR500 if you supply the voltage - and some may do even better. That translates into a Clock frequency of 240 to 250, which should be more than enough to supply 1:1 2-2-2 to any AMD A64 at stock multiplier. A 2.4GHz 4000+ would be 2.88 to 3.0GHz at 240 to 250, for example - probably more than what the CPU can do with air cooling. At $115, for a Gigabyte of Value VX, there is now no price barrier to providing 2-2-2 1:1 memory for any AMD CPU - provided you can supply the voltage.
Aida 32 is now available as Everest Home Edition, a free download from www.lavalys.com.
| OCZ PC3200 Value (DDR400) 2x512Mb Double-Bank Everest 1.51 |
|||||
| CPU Ratio at 2.4GHz | Memory Speed | Memory Timings & Voltage |
Everest READ MB/s |
Everest WRITE MB/s |
Everest Latency ns |
| 12x200 | 400 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.0V 1T |
5877 | 2033 | 45.8 |
| 11x218 | 436 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.1V 1T |
6170 | 2056 | 44.6 |
| 10x240 | 480 DDR | 2-2-2-6 3.2V 1T |
6666 | 2207 | 44.2 |
| 11x245 (2.7GHz) |
Highest CPU/Mem Performance 490 DDR |
2-2-2-6 3.3V 1T |
8310 | 3321 | 35.2 |
Performance patterns are exactly the same as seen in our recent reviews of VX memory. The unbinned $115 DDR400 memory reached DDR490, while the binned $270 DDR500 version reached DDR530 - with 2-2-2 timings all around. If you want assured performance, go for the DDR500 tested part. If you want low price and lots of potential, OCZ PC3200 Value Series has your name on it.
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Wesley Fink - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
#52-#55 - There are Part numbers for ALL the memories in the review in the chart on Page 2. OCZ responded in post #44 that the 3-4-4-8 and 2.4-3-3-8 were the same VX memory. The parts are rated at what they can do at standard voltage - not what they can do at 3.0V and above.#45 - Continuing your analogy. If a Ferrari (Value VX) were available for the same price as a Chevrolet Cobalt, then I think readers would expect me to include the Ferrari in my review of Value cars - despite the fact the Ferrari might need hard to find racing alcohol (3.0V to 3.5V) to run properly while the Cobalt only needed easy to find unleaded regular gasoline (2.6V).
adg1034 - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
Isn't that what he did with the Value VX? Check out the article...Zebo - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
How bout the real "value" modules which really are cheap and contain same chips as high end ram? Just not speed binnned but who gives a rats ass for that kind of value.Some I can think of right off top off head are:
Crucial's with micron G's = Ballistix for half price.
TwinMOS with Winbond VX = OCZ VX for less than half price.
Kingston VR with Hynix BT = All those high end sparkly packaged 4200 modules for half price.
And so on.
Meh not what I was expecting.
Hardtarget - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
good article except for one thing! I wish you had compared generic Samsung OEM ram.I don't know about the US but in Canada right now OEM Samsung game is super cheap. you can get 1gig for 100 bucks canadian. It's incredibly popular.
Would of been a great starting point to the article and good to see how it compares to non oem versions.
Ranger123 - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
I think you need to clear up the issue regarding Corsair not providing memory. Corsair's response indicates why they chose not to supply their Value Select parts, but it doesn't explain why no XMS modules were provided. At least a couple of the XMS kits meet your criteria and I assume that these are the parts they were referring to when they said that OCers should look at their parts that are "geared to performance and overclocking".I can see 4 possible reasons for Corsair's refusal to send an XMS kit:
1. Corsair misread the AT request and thought only the Value Select parts qualified.
2. Corsair doesn't want anything in their XMS line associated with the phrase "Value RAM".
3. As others have suggested, Corsair knew their modules wouldn't perform well and decided that no result was better than a bad result.
4. Corsair is using the same rotating chip trick on these XMS modules that they are on the Value Select, they're just not admitting it.
Given Corsair's reputation I would assume that it's one of the first two, but if Corsair is resorting to some questionable practices I think the AT community would want to know. Maybe you can contact whoever you deal with at Corsair and get an explanation.
Crassus - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
When I saw the headline of the review I expected the review to be somewhat different, to be honest. The tests in itself are not bad at all, but if you still have the samples I ask you both in my name and the names off all the folks complaning about the voltages to perform at least some tests at Voltages around 2.8 - 2.9 Volts to allow us to see how these RAMs perform at other boards (e.g. nForce3+4) and how far they will go in MHz @1T.I, too, have to question the ethics of this review in the light of the recent debate. How do we know that the samples you tested are of the same kind as we can buy, if its up to the manufacturer to send you whatever they see fit? Especially when it comes to !value! parts I doubt it will be too much of a problem to recieve them through other channels who will not be as interested in the outcome of the review as the manufacturer (Retail chains or online shops?). You may even consider buying them yourself anonymously to remove any doubt and sell them off lateron. Shouldn't be too hard with a community like this one or an online auction site.
Cheers,
Crassus
Backslider - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
I'd like to comment on my experince with Value and Special Edition type RAM.While recenly building a set of PCs, I was reading articles similar to this one. I was convinced that in order to get a good system with future potential of over clocking I would need to buy the more expensive (non-value) RAM.
I happly paid approx. 50% more for this "Extreme Memory", thinking it would be perfect for a stable system. However, after I built my pair of systems I ran into trouble.
One of the two systems failed to install Windows. And to make a long story short, I ended up with a bad pair of RAM. I RMA'ed them to and received yet another faulty set of RAM. Finaly, I sent them to the maufacturer for an RMA. This time I received a set that hardly squeek by at stock speed. Overclocking by even 1% means instant BSOD.
Since this happened, I've been buying Value RAM. (from a different manufacturer) And havent run into any problems yet.
I also find it interesting that the manufacturer of the faulty RAM that I received, declined to Anandtech's request for test samples. Also, there reasoning was a bit questionable considering that their out of their "XMS" line, I received 4 (pairs) of modules that all performed VERY differently. (1 great, 2 bad, 1 not worth the RMA)
Thats just my input, based on my experience and nothing more.
-Backslider
Den - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
#54 (and 52).I agree, if you are certain you will never overclock you should just get cheap ram with ok timings at stock speed. Interesting that the timings on the picture that you mention (2.5-3-3-7) match what is in the article here.
I understand why the articles don't have links to buy it, but it really would help if they would at least include the manufacturer's part/model number, then we could be sure.
segagenesis - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
#53 - Actually clicking on the image you can see the ram is marked differently than the newegg page (wtf!) as 2.5-3-3-7 in the picture but 2.5-4-4-8. Ummm...Unfortunately I must be somewhat critical when my eyes spin around an article that gives praise to memory for $115 yet doesnt mention *where*. Let alone just a single link to buy it at any price.
Now granted the Corsair value runs at 2.5-3-3-7 also and likely has little headroom for people who want more out of less, but I consider it a good deal for those like me who dont overclock memory. *takes a breath* With the OCZ being $148 off the same site vs. $87 Corsair, for stock performance its not exactly "value" to me unless you are an overclocker. More like "value if you take the risk". A damn shame Corsair would not submit samples.
Den - Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - link
re: #52http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?desc...
has timings a little closer but you are right, it sure would be nice if they put actual model numbers in the reviews instead of leaving us to guess.