FAST 2GB DDR Kits - Part 2

by Wesley Fink on January 23, 2006 12:05 AM EST
Corsair TWINX2048-4000PT

Corsair is the most widely recognized brand of Enthusiast or high-performance memory in the world. Corsair also maintains very visible support in the form of RamGuy, who provides support for Corsair products at www.asktheramguy.com and as a participant in many Forums.

The 2GB TwinX Kit came as a matched pair of 1 GB DIMMs. These 1GB DIMMs are rated at DDR500, but the rated timings of 3-4-4-8 are the slowest of the 2GB kits in these tests that are rated at DDR500. Corsair tells us that the 400PT DIMMs, unlike their earlier 3500LL PRO, are based on the Samsung UCCC memory chips, which have slower memory timings than the Infineon chips used in the other DDR500 DIMMs. However, the Samsung-based DIMMs are also about 40% cheaper than those based on Infineon memory chips.

The 4000PT include matte silver-colored aluminum heatspreaders that are appropriate for the Corsair Platinum series. There are no LEDs or diagnostic strips that would increase the cost of the 2GB kit. Corsair also markets an Expert line of DIMMs, which include programmable LEDs that can display memory speed, memory voltage, and other useful memory diagnostic data if that is an important feature for the buyer. The 3500LL PRO that we reviewed in Part 1 of the 2GB roundup used Infineon memory and featured diagnostic LEDs. Whatever you are looking for in your 2GB memory purchase is likely available as a Corsair product.

Specifications

The TWINX2048-4000PT is rated at CAS3 at DDR500, with slow rated timings of 3-4-4-8 at default voltage.

Corsair TWINX2048-4000PT Memory Specifications
Number of DIMMs & Banks 2 DS
DIMM Size
Total Memory
1GB
2GB
Rated Timings 3-4-4-8 at DDR500
Rated Voltage Standard (2.6V) Voltage
SPD 3-3-3-8

Test Results

Corsair TWINX2048-4000PT (DDR500) - 2x1GB 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 2.5-3-3-7
2.5V
528.3 INT 2448
FLT 2599
INT 6001
FLT 5973
83 116.0
11x218 436DDR 2.5-3-3-7
2.6V
536.2 INT 2592
FLT 2741
INT 6427
FLT 6345
83 117.3
10x240 480DDR 2.5-3-3-7
2.7V
549.0 INT 2796
FLT 2910
INT 6703
FLT 6642
81 119.3
9x266 533DDR 3-4-4-8
2.7V
545.0 INT 2844
FLT 3088
INT 6960
FLT 6880
81 118.9
9x290
(2.61GHz)
Highest Mem Speed
DDR 580
3-4-4-8
2.8V
580.8 INT 3201
FLT 3357
INT 7542
FLT 7393
74 128.6
To be considered stable for test purposes, Quake3 benchmark, UT2003 Demo, Super PI, Aquamark 3, and Comanche 4 had to complete without incident. Any of these, and in particular Super PI, will crash a less-than stable memory configuration.

Despite the somewhat slow rated timings of the Corsair 4000PT, the memory managed to work fine at faster timings at almost every speed setting. While it is not included in the chart, we were able to run at the rated DDR500 speed at 3-3-3-8 timings at 2.8V instead of the specified 3-4-4-8 timings. The Corsair 4000PT is not the fastest 2GB memory in the roundup, but it manages to perform within a few frames of the fastest 2GB kits at every tested speed. In addition, the 4000PT turned out to be a really excellent overclocker, reaching a stable DDR580 speed.

While this Corsair kit will not satisfy those who want the fastest 2GB kit available, the 4000PT will be a good choice for those who are willing to give up a few frames at each speed in exchange for a 30% to 40% lower price. The one thing that you won't have to give up is great overclocking capabilities, since this Corsair is one of the most overclockable 2GB kits in the roundup.

Performance Test Configuration Crucial Ballistix CLIII5N.32 PN56278
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  • DonPMitchell - Monday, March 6, 2006 - link

    I'm surprised there was no discussion of single-rank vs. dual-rank memory. For the Athlon, that's a big issue, becuase its memory controller may down-clock beyond 4 ranks of memory.
  • nyogen - Wednesday, February 15, 2006 - link

    I remember when Nvidia released their 6xxx series there was an all out boycott of paper launches.
    OCZ and Mushkin released not very long ago their 2GB dual channel high end kits namely:

    http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail....">http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail....
    http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_e...">http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/ocz_e...

    Apart from these parts not having been available, the new batch that carries only the name given by reviews are flagged by poor performance, different IC's from the original batch, and lots of glitches.
    I am sure Corsair and all the other manufacturers are doing the same, paper launch, hard launch cherry picked and then selling out to unsuspecting customers a COMPLETELY different product, backed by reputable reviews.
    Don't you feel like they have been using you and used your reputation and popularity in order to commit something very close to fraud ???
    If you encourage us to buy these products then you have the responsability to follow up on the products life and batches so that once they try to do this again you will be there to sanction this and PROTECT US. Otherwise your reviews become fairy tales and the only ones that have the reviewed products are you and a couple of people in the world.
    GO FOR THEM ! END THIS UNFAIR PRACTICE !
  • Overlag - Monday, February 6, 2006 - link

    Crucial have infact stopped making there 1gig DDRI sticks due to the massive fail rate on there high end products.

    i have had 6x 512mb failures and 4x 1gig failures. While there customer services is the best of ANY online company ive dealt with, there high end products are really bad quality now.... the ram overheats, then after a few months wont run at 1t, then it starts making noises while you access it, before finaly degrading over a month from 2-2-2-6 settings down to 3-4-4-10 untill failing totaly.

    This includes chips (my latest two) which ive been using at 2.7volts ONLY, and with active cooling, yet they are still hotter than my X2 4400 at 4800 speeds...Last week they run fine at 2-2-2-7 1t, now they are at 3-3-3-8 2t :(

    ... Why there high end products have problems i dont know, there normal or value ram runs fine for YEARS and YEARS.

    Very disapointed with it all apart from the customer services. However even that has started to disapoint me, as they refused to RMA/refund me for my 2x 512mb pair...
  • leexgx - Monday, February 6, 2006 - link

    i had no problems getting my ram RMAed and replaced (2 days ago 2 day turn around UK) never had something replaced so fast before :)

    you can still buy it from here (UK tho)
    http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Crucial_Dua...">http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Crucial_Dua...

    on an other note it is an consern to me as well i have never used ram that can heat my room (needs active cooling) like others have posted it does run hot if not cooled i cant seem to get to 2-2-2-7 T1 my asus a8n-sli prem does an anoying thing by auto setting it to 4 5 5 12 {fail safe maybe?}(when i open A64 tweeker as it shows the info) then the nvidia Sound or nvidia video tray Icon crashs the system with an nice BSOD, (works fine tho at 3-3-3-7 T1 @ ddr500 2.7v or ddr speed lower but just run it at ddr400 ish now)

    an but realy any way good OCZ or just standered TwinMoss ram is realy real world 2-4% performance dif (Amd64 On chip ram contorler removes the bottle neck that was on the Older k7 chips i go for lower timeings over more bandwith)

    realy should have an look at DFI streets Forums on the matter of ddr1 Ocing (AMD overclocking) http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f...">http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f...

    (other note i think my ram was partly dead when i got it just put up with it untill me pc did not boot any more )
  • Overlag - Thursday, February 9, 2006 - link

    i wouldnt want to buy ballistix ever again... Once this set finaly gives up the ghost i will ask for a full refund and get some real memory.
  • XeCutor - Thursday, February 2, 2006 - link

    My first pair failed memtest at 250mhz, seemed stable at 247mhz. My second pair does 250mhz but not much more. Fails at 255mhz. All this is on a DFI Expert board with an opteron 165 3-4-4-8 1T timings at 2,6-2,8v. Voltage doesn't seem to matter att all to these sticks, they fail at the same speeds regardless for me.
  • bupkus - Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - link

    I went for the Twinx2048-3200c2pt because of the lower timings and $197 AMIR price. I haven't researched this much lately, but I recall PC3200 with tight timings getting the nod from the enthusiast community for the Athlon 64.
    The TWINX2048-4000PT that I faced it off to lists timings of 3-4-4-8 which I thought wasn't preferable to the tighter timings especially with a price of $233.
    The OCZ4002048ELDCPE-K is going for the same price of about $200 but the OCZ5001024EBPE only appears on newegg as a single 1GB module for $153.44 + $4.81 shipping.
    That's too rich for my blood.
    I guess the question for me would be which is the best for $200 +- $20?
  • Visual - Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - link

    Besides the TWINX kit, corsair offers single 1GB modules too - again marked as 4000PT
    The price for the kits for some reason seems higher than two separate modules.
    So my question is, are the separate modules the same thing as what's in the kits? Why don't you mention them at all, and either recommend them for better value over the overpriced kits, or, if they dont perform as well, warn users about them?
  • Googer - Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - link

    I would have liked to have seen four 512MB modules shown in the graphs as a refrence of how much or how little there is to gain by using these pairs of 1GB modules. By doing this I could form a cost/benefit analasys.
  • bersl2 - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    I'm going to wait to see if the price on DDR1 falls again before AMD goes DDR2. If it does, I'll get 2 x 1GiB to replace the 4 x 512MiB I bought over a year ago, but haven't been able to use until just now.

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