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Patriot PC2-5600 1GB +XBLK DDR2


Date
: 06/20/05 – 06:35:57 PM

Author
:

Category
: Memory

Page 1 : Introduction

Manufacturer:
Patriot Memory

Price:
$199.99 ZipZoomFly

We've looked at Patriot Memory modules a few times now, and with each look we've been impressed with what Patriot Memory has had to offer its customers. While it can be said that Patriot Memory has been around for some time now, they are still building their up their name and recognition in the enthusiast memory market. To many of our readers, they may still be a relatively unheard of name.

Patrio Memory has certainly met many successes now, and the reasons are simply the competitive cost, performance, and reliability that Patrio Memory is able to deliver to enthusiasts. It has certainly been enough of an enfluence that I have had no problem recommending their RAM to others as I have had no problems with the few SKUs I've placed in my own systems.

That brings us to where we are today. As we continue our look at DDR2 memory, we get a glimpse at some of Patriot Memory's latest offerings:
Patriot's Dual Channel DDR2 1GB PC2-5600 +XBLK DIMM Kit
. This pair in particular are rated for up to 700 MHz at a 3-4-4-12 latency and for 533 MHz operation at 3-2-2-4 operation. Lets get things underway…

Page 2 : Package

The Patriot Memory modules arrived in perfect condition direct from their maker. The package was small and contained their retail packaging which itself was simple to open and resealable.

Inside are the two DIMMs. These sticks of memory are a standard size and feature red aluminum head spreaders using clips similar to OCZ modules I've had in the past.

The packaging includes some sparse information about the modules, but no instructions for installation are included. Hardly needed for such a basic component; it's often getting the right type of memory that seems to frustrate novices. Patriot Memory offers a brief installation guide online.

Page 3 : Specifications

Patriot Memory has this to say about their Dual Channel XBL line of DDR2 memory:

Here is a short list of specs they provide:

1024 MB Capacity (2×512 MB)
240-pin DDR2 Dimm
32M x 8 DDR2 SDRAMs
Unbuffered
Non-ECC/Non-Registered
PC2 5600 (700 MHz)
1.8V @ 533 MHz, 2V @ 700 MHz
SPD Programmed At 3-2-2-4 @ 533 MHz, 3-4-4-12 @ 700 MHz
Premium Aluminum Heat Spreaders
Lifetime Warranty

Not much more that needs to be said. A pair of DIMMs, and I imagine it's difficult to find a DDR2 supporting chipset that isn't dual channel capable. The chips that are used on these modules are Micron Technology MT8HTF6464AY-667. In order to use these particular chips, Patriot Memory selects the best of them and tests them to make sure they can meet the needed specification.

The CAS latency for this pair is as low as I'll be able to get on my test system. They feature a standard and slightly raised voltage for low and high frequency settings respectively. The great thing about this memory is that it is versatile and it says so right on the modules; a comfort for those who don't realize that underclocking high speed memory can also yield possibilities such as lower latency.

Those lucky enough to have a board with better memory adjustments may be able to get even lower latencies out of this memory at the sacrifice of frequency.

Page 4 : Testing

The tests were conducted using the following system specs:

I have yet to get ahold of a good motherboard for testing DDR2 memory. In fact, I looked around for a board that offered an abundance of async settings and found the 915P NEO2 Platinum. Despite all the praise and good words said about this board at many sites, I discover that it has some problems: a broken PCI-E lock, none of the 533+ 'featured' async settings, and an annoying bug that won't allow Corsair and PDP modules I've tested to run at any async settings (the SimpleTech will strangely enough). What a waste of money!

Further, MSI's 915P Combo-FR and 915P NEO2 Platinum seem to suffer the same flaw when it comes to this and Corsairs XMS2 Pro memory: The async settings don't work. Because the two brand of modules use the same or similar Micron chips, I would suspect that the boards have a compatibility issue with these chips and should be addressed by MSI in a BIOS update. Unfortunately, I've had poor experience both times I've tried to contact technical support. Each time I've gotten no reply and can only say I feel burned in the end.

So here we are, and while I can't provide any numbers above 250 MHz (500 MHz), I can say this much: Running the memory async on a Pentium 4 is going to provide almost no performance benefit, thus it's important to run the memory with as fast a frequency and as low of a latency as you can afford. Just by the memories rating, we're afforded 150 MHz of overclocking headroom from the 200 MHz standard bus (on everything but the latest Extreme Edition chips from Intel). It's very difficult to reach such limits and is the very reason why this memory is a good choice for the overclocker – you need not worry about a memory frequency bottleneck.

Being able to run at 3-2-2-4 is an excellent advantage as well, because low latency and high overclocks can be obtained. This delivers the best combination of performance.

As in the previous articles leading up to this one, Quake 3 Arena, is used for examining performance differences in memory. Our other test is to compare theoretical memory bandwidth, and is performed with SiSoft Sandra 2005 Memory Benchmark.

The memories all perform very similar and show only slight variation between them that is within a small margin of error. This shows that, for these particular memories, it's most definitely a matter of cost and performance needed. All three provide lots of frequency headroom, but the PDP comes in as the fastest and the most affordable. If you're not caught up in brand loyalty or the name game, then PDP's offering is an easy pick for those reasons plus it's gauranteed potential.

Page 5 : Conclusion

Unfortunately it will be some time before many users, including myself, will have the proper equipment under the hood to really push some of these latest high speed DDR2 offerings. Out of all the DDR2 I've gotten to test, I feel the Patriot Memory modules tested here today offers the most value to users of a broader range.

I can say that I'd recommend this memory to people looking for fast, stable, and high performing memory. Most users, with current chipsets won't find this memory or any other DDR2 we've looked at so far to limit their system overclocks. In fact, without some frustrating trial and error it's proving difficult to find the right combination.

Advantages

Very high frequency capable
Low latencies at high frequency
Competitively priced
Heat spreaders

Disadvantages

Expensive

I'd like to thank the people at Patriot Memory for supplying the parts for testing.