The Basics:
The System Elite series of memory from OCZ Technology isn't really considered "enthusiast grade", but the first impression might tell you otherwise. The shiny copper XTC heatspreader provides the look of high performance, enthusiast memory, and it doesn't look like the typical stuff a system builder would use for a basic system.
The images below show both modules in the 2GB (2x 1024MB) kit. Each module is labeled to show the brand, model, speed, timings, and part number.
The image below has been over-exposed just a bit in order to eliminate shadows and show that the heatspreader is making good contact with all the memory chips. Whether you are a believer in the need for heatspreaders or not, there is no chance they can do any good if they are not making solid contact, so this kit is off to a good start in that regard.
Configuration:
The
OCZ Technology PC2-6400 System Elite 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 was installed in a system with the following components for this review:
» ABIT AW8D Intel 975X motherboard
» Intel D-840 3.2GHz Dual Core processor
»
Thermaltake Rhythm HTPC CPU water cooler
»
Thermaltake Mozart HTPC case
» 2x Seagate 80GB SATA hard drives
»
Enermax Liberty 500W power supply
» Windows XP Professional SP2
This is an HTPC system that might be a typical example of a home for the System Elite memory. The system can definitely take advantage of PC2-6400 speeds, but it is generally not used for overclocking and the typical applications might not benefit from extremely aggressive timings.
With the motherboard's BIOS set to SPD, these modules were reported as having timings of 5-5-5-13, just off from the published specifications of 5-5-5-15. I then booted into Windows in order to use both
Everest Ultimate Edition 2006 and
SiSoft Sandra Lite XI to provide their assessment of the timings. As you can see in the images below, both applications agreed that the timings at 400 MHz (800 MHz DDR2) were 5-5-5-15. With everything running just fine at 5-5-5-13, I proceeded with the review with it in my head that if anything should seem unstable, perhaps changing the tRAS value from 13 to 15 might be necessary.
With the default speed and reported timings left alone, the only change made in the BIOS was the voltage supplied to the memory. The system defaulted to 1.8V, but I decided to set the modules to the maximum allowed by OCZ's EVP coverage, 2.0V.
