DriverHeaven.net - Corsair TwinX 2048-4000PT

Corsair is one of the oldest and most reputable computer RAM manufacturers they are especially liked by enthusiasts and overclockers for their high end products. Although times for DDR RAM appear dire as AMD is also moving to DDR-2 this year Corsair have not forgotten about people using current AMD or older Intel systems which require standard DDR.

They still produce the TwinX 2048-4000PT kit, which consists of two modules of 500MHz RAM, 1GB each. This kit is aimed at mid-range overclockers, enthusiasts and gamers. According to Corsair, it has good overclocking potential and provides a hefty amount of RAM for today’s applications and games. 2GBs of RAM is certainly large enough for everything today, so let us see how well the modules perform.

Manufacturer’s features and specifications

• 2 x 1028 Megabytes of memory
• Implemented using 64M x 8 DDR SDRAMs
• 100% tested at 250 MHz in high performance motherboards
• Benchmarked over multiple chipsets, processors, and motherboards
• Legendary Corsair reliability and service
• Lifetime warranty

“The TWINX2048-4000PT is a pair of two 1028 MB, two-bank, ultra-performance DDR SDRAM DIMMs screened specifically for gaming applications. This part delivers outstanding performance at very high clock speeds. It has been tested extensively in a variety of motherboards commonly used in gaming rigs. This memory has been verified to operate at 500MHz (3-4-4-8). This part is also available in single modules. Side-by-side comparison indicates that this is one of the fastest DDR modules available in the world.”

Packaging

The TwinX 2048-4000PT kit comes supplied in a typical clear plastic packaging. The modules are clearly visible from the front, while their specifications and several awards lie at the rear. The packaging is sufficient to keep the modules safe during transportation. The only problem from our point of view is that the packaging can be opened without leaving a trace, as there is not any kind of seal. A seal which could alarm someone if the packaging was opened would be nice.

The Modules

The TwinX 2048-4000PT modules do not have any kind of special appearance like the high end modules from Corsair which feature large heatspreaders or even LCD screens. Remember that these are middle range modules though, so the manufacturing costs have to be kept inside certain constraints. The modules have simple aluminium heatspreaders attached to them. The contact of the heatspreader with the chips appears excellent and the heatspreaders are very firmly attached and cannot be easily removed. On each side of the heatspreaders there is the logo of Corsair, while on one side there is the authenticity and warranty label as well.

Test system configuration and notes:

• CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (2250MHz)
• Motherboard: Epox 9NPA+ (250MHz HTT)
• HDD: Maxtor DiamondPlus Max 8 40GB IDE
• PSU: Be-Quiet P6-470W
• VGA: Sapphire Radeon X800

To begin with, we booted the system at 250MHz HTT and the modules running at their rated timings, 3/4/4/8. During testing we always kept the DRAM voltage at 2.9V and the command rate at 1T. After testing the modules, we found out that at 250MHz the fastest possible timings were 3/4/3/8, so these were the timings which we used during our testing. Also, by using the proper divider we ran the modules down to 205MHz at 2.5/3/3/6 timings for people who will not overclock much. Finally, we overclocked our system further in order to find the maximum potential of the modules and we found out that the modules were entirely stable at 278MHz with 3/4/4/8 timings without extra voltage. Extra voltage would not help the overclocking of the modules any further. Stability is tested by running Memtest for at least 30 minutes at the test settings to ensure that there are no errors.