OCZ Technology is one of the top manufacturers that computer enthusiasts consider for high performance system memory. Their products are well respected, and they offer a lifetime warranty that lets you push your memory beyond stock settings without fear of voiding your coverage (and needing to purchase another expensive kit).

DDR3 is the latest and greatest item in enthusiast grade memory, but it is obviously still in its early days. The potential is there for much greater performance than DDR2 could ever offer, but many DDR3 modules suffer from fairly loose timings. The OCZ Technology PC3-10666 ReaperX HPC 2GB DDR3 Kit looks to address this issue as well as taking a unique, and aggressive, approach to module cooling.


The promotional image above shows one of these "enhanced bandwidth" DDR3 modules that are available in 2GB and 4GB dual channel kits with rather impressive timings of 6-5-5-18 at 1.85V. Before taking a closer look at the 2GB kit provided for review, let's look at the published data on the PC3-10666 ReaperX HPC DDR3 Kit taken from the OCZ Technology website...

Features:

» ReaperX HPC Heatsink - (Heat Pipe Conduit) modules offload heat with extreme efficiency due to a new dual copper heat pipe design. Each memory chip is in direct contact with a thermo-conductive pipe that guides the performance robbing heat away from key memory components and quickly dissipates it through the aluminum fin array. The addition of the extended fin array nearly doubles the total surface area available for heat dissipation while the heat pipes warrant near isothermicity throughout the entire design. The result is a doubling in effective heat dissipation at equal delta t or, in real systems, a significantly lower operating temperature of the memory modules.

» 1.9V EVP - is a feature that allows performance enthusiasts to use a VDIMM of 1.9V without invalidating their OCZ Lifetime Warranty.

» Available in 2GB and 4GB Dual Channel Kits

» OCZ Lifetime Warranty

Specifications:

» Part Number: OCZ3RPX1333EB2GK
» Capacity: 2GB kit (2 x 1024MB)
» Type: 240-pin DIMM
» Speed: DDR3 PC2- 10666
» DIMM Type: Unbuffered
» Error Checking: Non-ECC
» Speed: DDR3 1333MHz
» Voltage: 1.85V
» Memory Timings: 6-5-5-18 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS)

Packaging:

The package is fairly standard among any OCZ Technology memory kit I have seen. It features a plastic shell with a paper insert behind the product, but not the type that you need beaver teeth or scissors to open. There is no mystery to what the modules look like, as they are clearly visible through the front of the package. The first thing you notice is the huge heatsink on each module.


The back of the package shows the opposite side of each heatsink, with a diagram of how they help keeping the chips cool.