Memory Test Configuration
DDR2 memory performance, in timings and required voltage, are equivalent on the AM2 and Core 2 Duo platforms. This was clearly illustrated in Conroe vs. AM2: Memory & Performance. The first generation of AM2 on-processor memory controller, however, does not support any memory timings below 3, while the Intel platform supports 2 settings for RAS-to-CAS and RAS Precharge. In addition AM2 boards do not currently support DDR2-1067 as a memory speed option, which makes it more difficult to test the newest DDR2 memories rated at DDR2-1000, DDR2-1067, DDR2-1100, or even higher.
For all of these reasons, the Intel platform is the current AnandTech test platform for DDR2 memory. The Core 2 Duo Extreme processor, which has available CPU ratios both up and down, is the platform of choice. When changes are made in future AMD and Intel products the memory test platform will be examined again.
The Asus P5W-DH is the latest 975X board in the Asus family and it fully supports the Core 2 processors. The P5W-DH Deluxe therefore replaced the P5W-D2-E Premium used in past DDR2 reviews. A review of the updated Asus P5W-DH Deluxe is available in the Conroe Buyers Guide.
The P5W-DH features similar memory options to the earlier versions. Since most of the Core 2 Duo/Extreme processors run at a quad-pumped FSB of 1067 (base 266), the available options at FSB1067 are particularly useful for benchmarking memory when a Core 2 chip powers the system.
The memory test bench uses the following components:
Comparing benchmarks with Conroe to older results with Intel Presler processors does not really reveal much about memory performance. Core 2 Duo is as much as 35 to 40% faster than Presler, which distorts memory performance benchmark performance. For that reason the only results shown in this review are DDR2 memories tested on the X6800 (Core 2 Duo) platform. Previously reported timings and voltages are still useful and can be compared to previous results, but performance results on Core 2 are the only DDR2 test results reported in this review.
DDR2 memory performance, in timings and required voltage, are equivalent on the AM2 and Core 2 Duo platforms. This was clearly illustrated in Conroe vs. AM2: Memory & Performance. The first generation of AM2 on-processor memory controller, however, does not support any memory timings below 3, while the Intel platform supports 2 settings for RAS-to-CAS and RAS Precharge. In addition AM2 boards do not currently support DDR2-1067 as a memory speed option, which makes it more difficult to test the newest DDR2 memories rated at DDR2-1000, DDR2-1067, DDR2-1100, or even higher.
For all of these reasons, the Intel platform is the current AnandTech test platform for DDR2 memory. The Core 2 Duo Extreme processor, which has available CPU ratios both up and down, is the platform of choice. When changes are made in future AMD and Intel products the memory test platform will be examined again.
The Asus P5W-DH is the latest 975X board in the Asus family and it fully supports the Core 2 processors. The P5W-DH Deluxe therefore replaced the P5W-D2-E Premium used in past DDR2 reviews. A review of the updated Asus P5W-DH Deluxe is available in the Conroe Buyers Guide.
The P5W-DH features similar memory options to the earlier versions. Since most of the Core 2 Duo/Extreme processors run at a quad-pumped FSB of 1067 (base 266), the available options at FSB1067 are particularly useful for benchmarking memory when a Core 2 chip powers the system.
| Memory Configuration Options/ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe Motherboard | ||||||||
| Auto | DDR2-400 | DDR2-533 | DDR2-667 | DDR2-711* | DDR2-800* | DDR2-889* | DDR2-1067* | |
| FSB-1067 | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| FSB-800 | X | X | X | X | X | |||
| FSB-533 | X | X | X | |||||
The memory test bench uses the following components:
| Memory Performance Test Configuration | |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo X6800 (x2, 2.93GHz, 4MB Unified Cache) |
| RAM | 2x1GB Patriot DDR2-1066 2x1GB Super Talent DDR2-1000 2x1GB TEAM DDR2-1000 2 x 1GB Corsair CM2X1024-6400C3 2x1GB OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 |
| Hard Drive | Hitachi 250GB SATA2 enabled (16MB Buffer) |
| Video Card | 1 x EVGA 7900GTX - All Standard Tests |
| Video Drivers | NVIDIA 91.47 |
| CPU Cooling | Tuniq Tower 120 |
| Power Supply | OCZ PowerStream 520W |
| Motherboard | ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe (Intel 975X) |
| Operating System | Windows XP Professional SP2 |
| BIOS | AMI 1407 (October 2, 2006) |
Comparing benchmarks with Conroe to older results with Intel Presler processors does not really reveal much about memory performance. Core 2 Duo is as much as 35 to 40% faster than Presler, which distorts memory performance benchmark performance. For that reason the only results shown in this review are DDR2 memories tested on the X6800 (Core 2 Duo) platform. Previously reported timings and voltages are still useful and can be compared to previous results, but performance results on Core 2 are the only DDR2 test results reported in this review.
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Centurin - Friday, November 3, 2006 - link
Why does the Corsair CM2X1024-6400C3 perform so well, yet is only DDR2-800? I would think it would be better to save a hundred bucks with the Corsair if it performs better than 1066 modules.bob661 - Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - link
I hope that when the new 600 comes out that AT will do some memory testing on that platform.lopri - Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - link
I had a couple more things that I originally wanted to ask, but decided to ask about only one for now. ;) That is, will Patriot guarantee 2.6V operation for these sticks? I mean, if I remember correctly that is a JEDEC's spec for DDR1. Considering that these high-speed DDR2 modules are out only as of late, I wonder how Patriot is able to guarantee long-term stability of 2.6V. I even thought Patriot might be banking on the fact that there is no (or one?) motherboard that'll supply that kind of VDIMM on the market currently. :Dyyrkoon - Monday, October 30, 2006 - link
In the distant past, I really didnt care about what memory I used in my personal systems, but in the last 3-4 years, I've become fairly 'anal' when it comes to who I buy PSUs, motherboards, and lastly memory from.My last system I purchased a 2 GB Cosair XMS kit from newegg, for a much better price than they are charging now, but previous to this (again, for the last 3-4 years), I was quite religeous in using only Crucial sticks. Now, in this 3-4 years time, I did recieve one pair of flaky sticks from Crucial, and the RMA process was about as pleasant as it could have been. The persons I talked to on the phone were very knowlegable, The part turn around time was only 7 days (Crucial is based in Idaho I believe, I live in Nevada), and despite the fact that they tested the sticks fine, they didnt question the in-ability of these sticks to run on the system I had them in. LOng story short, the sticks worked fine to begin with, but after a few months, they started corrupting the data all over my HDDs, and in the end, would fail to let Windows XP install from scratch, but otherwise, *seemed* to work fine (MS', and memtest86 both tested the sticks fine). All this, and the fact they no longer manufactuered the sticks I purchased, so I recieved an upgrade from 2x 512 MB 3-3-3-6 Ballistix sticks, to a perfectly matched 2-2-2-6 Ballistix pair (DDR 400).
Anyhow, the question I have for you guys: How would Patriot compare to my only RMA experience with Crucial ?
Secondly, when you guys say benchmarked *stable*, does this mean I could expect these sticks to run in a system for months on end (Win XP Pro), and If a problem does arise, I could rest assured, the memory is going to have nothing to do with it ?
If Partiot could atleast meet these two *standards*, I would not mind giving them a shot, and as I already buy top notch memory, I dont mind spending the extra cash involved with such a purchase.
Wesley Fink - Monday, October 30, 2006 - link
My own RMA experience with Patriot was very positive, but that is a sample of one. Patriot is not a small company and they already make memory you likely have used and trusted. So they know how to do it right.We share your concern with buying name brand high-end memory for the consisitent performance and support you expect to receive. No one can assure you a memory will overclock to the limit for years with no issues, but we can talk about the financial resources and likely support you would receive based on the company. Patriot is a solid player in the memory market, as we have stated several times in the review.
yyrkoon - Monday, October 30, 2006 - link
Err, when I saidi managed to push my memory in the Asrock board to 990MHZ DDR with no memory adjustment, I ment no memory VOLTAGE adjustment ;)yyrkoon - Monday, October 30, 2006 - link
Yeah, sorry, I didnt mention that stability is paramount in my book (I tend to over compensate for not wanting to write a book of a comment . . .), and as long as the product is stable for long periods of time at the advertised speeds, I do not care about its OC capabilities.However, I do play games on the PCs I own, and I wouldnt mind OC'n a system IF it ran stable, but its been my experience, that the usual 10%-20% OC, doesnt really translate into usable real world performance, and I'm not really into pushing my systems to the edge, and potentialy reduce the systems lifetime.
Basicly, what I would be wanting this memory for, is the potential stock speed, married with a 1:1 memory ratio (I could OC the system here, and leave the memory stock ? Forgive me for my ignorance here, but I havent OC'd an Intel CPU since I owned a P55 223 mmx, on an ABIT super7 board). Right now, I'm debating between an E6300, or a E6600 (4MB shared L2 is looking better, and better each day I think about it).
My current system, is an AMD AM2 3800+ single core, and the memory is 5-5-5-18 (I think) DDR2 6400 Cosair XMS memory (2GB kit). In this system, I've managed to push the memory to around 990 MHZ DDR, on a cheap Asrock board with no memory adjustment (CPU multiplier knocked down one notch). At stock speeds, the systems I've had this memory in have regularly detected these sticks at 4-4-4-12 DDR 800.
Anyhow, like I said above, my only real concerns are will my soon to be system run stable at stock speeds (for long periods of time), with these sticks at a 1:1 ratio, or am I in fact OC'n the memory by doing so ? DO I even need these sticks to run a 1:1 ratio ?
On a side note, your comments section here seems to time out regularly when I'm making long posts, and is a minor inconvience, would be nice if this was fixed :)
n7 - Sunday, October 29, 2006 - link
Nice review as usual :)The rated vdimm of 2.6V is rather scarey though, since many mobos don't even go that high, not to mention that seems like an excessive amount of vdimm.
I'd love to believe all of the kits will achieve the same nice tight timings you did with lower vdimm, but i seriously doubt everyone will have the same luck.
Can you clarify something though?
You mention the timings as 4-3-4-11 (all of them in that format)
I assume you mean CAS-TRP-TRC-TRAS right?
It's just that most bioses & CPU-Z read it in the following order:
CAS-TRC-TRP-TRAS, & seeing the review refer to it in a different order is a little confusing for some i imagine.
Wesley Fink - Monday, October 30, 2006 - link
Some of the literature we received left the wrong impression that the rated voltage for DDR2-1066 was 2.6V. This is the maximum voltage, and the correct specification is 2.3V, which is quite comparable to other top Micron D9 memory and completely in-line with our actual test results. We have corrected the specifications and comments about rated voltage in the review. Patriot will also clarify their PC2-8500 specifications on their website.Wesley Fink - Monday, October 30, 2006 - link
Yes, the 2nd 4 is Ras-to-Cas delay in 4-3-4-11. That is the order in the Asus BIOS in our memory test bed and it is a shorthand habit I have developed.