PATRIOT DUAL CHANNEL 2GB DDR 500 (PC 4000) REVIEW BENCHMARK OVERCLOCK

PATRIOT DUAL CHANNEL 2GB DDR 500 (PC 4000) REVIEW BENCHMARK OVERCLOCK
Posted:2006-05-08 By Zaarco Number of View:7094
PATRIOT DUAL CHANNEL 2GB DDR 500 (PC 4000) REVIEW BENCHMARK OVERCLOCK By :Zaarco Posted:2006-05-08 xtreview is your : Video card - cpu - memory - Hard drive - power supply unit source Patriot Dual Channel 2GB DDR 500 (PC 4000) Review benchmark overclock Enthusiasts look for a lot more than just the cheapest memory stick. They want performance memory. Today we will be looking at 2 GB dual channel PC4000, a DDR500 kit from Patriot Memory. It looks like it should deliver a lot more than just a large capacity. When people want performance memory, there are only a handful of names out there that stand out above the crowd.  Patriot Memory is one of those companies.  A quick trip to their website tells you what their mission is: “Patriot\'s goal is to be your memory solutions provider with high quality products and services that are value priced. With our courteous and knowledgeable sales and technical support staff, industry leading warranty terms, and customizable logistic services; we feel there is no requirement we can not satisfy.” Patriot usually makes it easy for enthusiasts to overclock, and this kit is no different.  Here are the specs from the company website: Model:                         PDC2G4000ELK Memory Capacity:        2 GB Dual Channel (2 x 1 GB) Speed:                          PC-4000 (500mhz) Memory Timings:          3-4-4-8 Voltage Settings:           2.8v Heat Shields:                Bladed aluminum heat shields to improve module stability Warranty:                     Lifetime The packaging for the memory is pretty minimal.  Then again, how much packaging do you really need for a couple sticks of memory?  Here’s a shot of the front and back, so you can see what I mean:    The package itself isn’t much bigger than the memory it holds, as you can see above.  There are some short instructions inside, as well.  One of the things I like about this memory is that the heatsinks are quite attractive.  No, this means nothing at all when it comes to performance, but with today’s computers with windows and internal lighting, every little bit helps.  Here’s a couple shots of the memory, front and back:   Now that I had the memory out of the package, it was time to install it.  This was easy enough, since the EPoX motherboard has color coded DIMM slots for dual channel memory.   There’s not much to it, really.  Just line them up correctly and push down until they click into place.  A word to beginners: always ground yourself before installing or handling any PC components.  Static electricity can and will destroy expensive equipment if it gets the chance. Let’s do some benchmarking and overclocking to see what performance we can squeeze out of it. Benchmark Tests Patriot Dual Channel For starters, for some reason my EPoX motherboard kept setting the timings by default to 3-4-5-8, which is incorrect.  I saw an immediate speed increase when I set the timings accurately. Here is a quick look at CPU-Z that shows the SPD default timings for 200 MHz and 250 MHz. Here is the memory after I corrected the motherboard’s default voltage at 200 MHz. I began the process of overclocking the motherboard by adjusting the FSB and the core voltage of the CPU.  Being that my test rig is using air cooling, I wasn’t able to really push the memory as far as it could go, but where I got was impressive all alone. I was able to increase the FSB to 255 MHz, which brought the CPU from 2.2 GHz to approx 2.8 GHz.  Then, I was able to adjust the memory timings (EPoX has great overclocking features in their BIOS). I was able to adjust the memory from 3-4-4-8 to 3-4-3-6 before I began to see any instability.  I am quite certain that with a better cooling solution, I could have overclocked the whole rig even further.  I got the best results when I overclocked the FSB and the memory together.  Let’s take a look at the before and after performance benchmarks. Benchmark Patriot Dual Channel 2GB DDR 500 (PC 4000) Here’s my test rig: EPoXEP-9U1697-GLi Motherboard AMD 643700+ San Diego @ 2.8 GHz Sapphire X800 GTO 128MB XG Duro 900w PSU   Take a look at how the memory and FSB overclock influence a Sandra benchmark.   As you can see, the memory really shines when it is overclocked, and it runs extremely well in those conditions.  Here’s what SuperPi had to say on the matter:   And finally, take a look at how it affects the FPS in FEAR: We’ve seen an increase in overall performance across the board.  This memory overclocks very well. Recommandation With all of the memory out there on the market, it’s sometimes hard to pick the right one for your rig.  If you are looking for a good performance 2 GB kit with intentions of overclocking your system, these sticks are the real deal.  I couldn’t even push my system far enough to make the memory miss a step, but what I was able to pull out of it was quite impressive.  Let’s run through the highs and lows: Highs: Overclocking friendly and easy 500 MHz (PC4000) gives lots of headroom for overclocking PC3200 systems Dual channel performance Integrated heat spreaders Great timings Good price ($155 after $35 rebate, at the time of this writing)   Lows: I couldn’t find any!   I would have to say, for a premium 2gb kit, this is an incredible value.  Even without the rebate, at $190 the price is still quite competitive. This is serious ram, for serious enthusiasts.  I would be remiss if I didn’t give this memory a perfect 10, and give it the XTReview.com Hardware Recommended award.   xtreview is your : Video card - cpu - memory - Hard drive - power supply unit source we would be happy to answer for your question . if you have suggestion or comment regarding this review our support would be glad to help just join our forum and ask u will get the best answer to discuss check our forum section :-) RATE THIS REVIEW 1 2 3 4 5    / 5   View Stat

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