Thoughts and conclusions
It was high time that DDR500 system memory was introduced to the wallets of the enthusiast. Where 250MHz memory would have been thought of as overkill just a few months ago, the ability of certain CPU and motherboard combinations to effortlessly run at 250FSB+ speeds has truly put the onus on high-speed memory manufacturers and distributors to raise their game and match the enthusiasts' needs.
Corsair was able to employ pre-selected Samsung 5ns CL3 modules on its TwinX XMS3700 Matched Memory kits, and we found that these would run up to DDR500 speeds with a touch more voltage. However, there's absolutely no guarantee that each and every XMS3700 module will and can. That's why we see Hynix's 5ns chips sitting underneath the black heatspreaders. Rated at a nominal 466MHz, a little tweaking and extra voltage, 2.75v in this case, should help Corsair hit the magical DDR500 barrier with reasonable yields. Once these modules finally booted in the test EPoX Springdale motherboard, a process that required inserting a different module of memory and setting the 3-3-3-8 timings, the modules performed flawlessly, in dual-channel mode, at their stated speeds. Further, much like their XMS3700 counterparts, they weren't partial to low latency timings. Overclocking, in percentage terms, wasn't as successful as the XMS3700's, as the modules appeared to lose perfect stability at DDR518 speeds.
The effect of increased memory bandwidth helps to reduce the discrepancy that exists between processor and RAM's speeds. In other words, opening up the data pipe to the CPU allows it to be fed with information more quickly. That's why the new 800FSB CPUs, when paired with suitable DDR400+ RAM, take previous 533FSB-based setups to the performance cleaners. Corsair's XMS4000 Matched Memory kit should confer the enthusiast their fix of huge bandwidth, even if it is with modest latencies.
Our advice is simple. If your setup can truly make use of DDR500 memory, there's little reason to overlook it, save on a cost basis. Corsair is now in a position to meet the RAM speed demands imposed by the latest CPUs and motherboards. It may be expensive, but it's helluva fast.
Highs
- About as fast as current system RAM gets
- Works fine in a dual-channel environment
- Performance, as expected, is impressive
- Available in 512MB and 1GB kits
Lows
- Had trouble booting in two test motherboards
- Expensive, but that is the nature of cutting-edge components
- Doesn't appear to be partial to low latencies
