G.Skill PC2-6400 2GBHZ kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ)

Another contender in this round-up is G.Skill. They might not be one of the older companies in this group test, but their latest products have been very well received by enthusiasts the world over. We didn’t receive the most expensive G.Skill kit, but the HZ series, which are great performers at a good price. Their most expensive PC2-6400 set can do better timings and comes inside a tin box, but also costs considerably more. The modules feature a typical green 6-layer PCB and a black metallic heatspreader. G.Skill has been somewhat reluctant concerning the use of heatspreaders, so many of their modules do not have heatspreaders at all, only their top of the line DDR-2 modules generally feature them.

The specifications of the HZ kit are:

• Capacity: 2048MB (1024MB x 2)
• Speed: 800MHz DDR2 (PC2-6400)
• CAS Latency: CL 4-4-4-12
• Test Voltage: 2.0~2.1 Volts
• PCB: 6 Layers
• PCB Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
• Error Checking: Non-ECC
• Type: 240-pin DIMM
• Warranty: Lifetime

So the HZ series PC2-6400 kit has the exact same specifications as the kit from Crucial, but at a lower voltage. Considering the specifications (and as we later found out from the behavior of the chips), they most certainly carry Micron Fat Body chips as well. Which is not a bad thing at all; they are the best DDR-2 chips to date.

 

Mushkin XP2-6400 2GB kit (996523)

Mushkin also sent us their best 2GB kit, the XP2-6400 from their extreme performance series. It is the fastest PC2-6400 kit they produce to date, with 4-4-3-10 timings at 800MHz and by using only 1.9V-2.1V. Mushkin modules tend to be a little expensive (comparatively with similar products) but they are hand picking and testing the best IC’s for use on their modules. The XP2-6400 modules feature a green PCB and Mushkin’s ‘frostbite’ heatspreaders, which are larger and supposedly better than typical heatspreaders, they certainly look incredible.

The specifications of the XP2-6400 kit are:

• Frequency: 800MHz
• Latency: 4-4-3-10
• Parity: Unbuffered
• Voltage: 1-9V-2.1V
• Pins: 240

Density

• Module: 128Mx64
• Chip: 64Mx8

So far the Mushkin modules offer the best timings at a sub 2.0V Vdimm setting. Not a very important thing for hardcore overclockers, but very important for some gamers and enthusiasts who are stuck with motherboards which do not provide high Vdimm voltages in the BIOS. They most certainly carry selected Micron Fat Body chips.

OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Rev2 2GB kit

OCZ is a company which could not have been left out of such a group test. They were kind enough to let us have a set of their PC2-6400 Platinum rev2 sets, which isn’t their most expensive PC2-6400 set, but one with a great price/performance ratio. Their Titanium Alpha sets have better timings but also cost considerably more. The Platinum series from OCZ is using a green PCB and has nickel plated XTC heatspreaders. The XTC heatspreaders are supposed to enhance the cooling of the modules but at the very least they look good.

The specifications of the set are:

• 800MHz DDR2
• CL 4-4-4-15 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS)
• Available in 1024MB modules and 2GB (2x1024)Kits
• Unbuffered
• Platinum Mirrored XTC Heatspreader
• Lifetime Warranty
• 2.1 Volts
• 240 Pin DIMM

The Platinum rev2 set cannot claim to have very good specifications on paper, although they could be considered “above average”. The timings are on par with several other kits so it will be interesting to see how they perform during our testing.

PQI PQI26400-1GBSB 2x1GB modules

The last set of the round-up comes from PQI. PQI was kind enough to lend us two of their 1GB PC2-6400 modules for testing. These feature a typical green PCB as well, but with mirrored black/nickel heatspreaders, an attractive combination.

The PQI specifications are:

• Part Number: PQI26400-1GSB
• Quality Control: Comprehensively and rigorously tested
• Package: 1GB single pack
• Organization: 128M x 64-bit
• CAS Latency: 5-5-5-15
• Test Voltage: 2.0 V
• Heat Spreader: Mirrored Black
• Speed: DDR2 800MHz (PC2-6400)
• Type: 240-pin DDR SDRAM
• Error Checking: Non-ECC
• Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
• Warranty: Lifetime

On paper, the PQI modules have the worst specifications out of the bunch. They work with loose timings (5-5-5-15) and also require 2.0V. That said, they are also considerably cheaper than the majority of the sets on test today, so the performance is our real interest right now.