Patriot PDC22G9200ELK in the metal
Background
Patriot memory was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in California, USA. Memory modules are developed and manufactured in the US, too.Whilst not as well-known to the enthusiast as the likes of Corsair and OCZ, Patriot has segregated its modules into mainstream 'Signature' and high-end 'Extreme Performance' series, headlined by its XBL (eXtreme Bandwidth and Latency) range.
Right now, Patriot markets DDR and DDR2 modules, with the latter being available at up-to PC-9600 speeds.
Patriot PDC22G9200ELK
The high-end DDR2 review modules, dubbed an easy-to-remember PDC22G9200ELK, are rated to operate at an effective 1150MHz with 5-5-5-12 timings and at 2.3V. The faster PC-9600 modules ship with the same latencies but with frequency raised to 1200MHz.Now, considering that official JEDEC DDR2 speeds top out at 800MHz (PC6400), the 'ELK set is purely aimed at the enthusiast who hankers after bandwidth when overclocking their CPU's FSB/HT.
Available in both 1GiB and 2GiB kits, the Patriot modules are EPP-compliant, meaning simple plug-and-play in supporting motherboards, albeit with a slightly-reduced 1142MHz clock.
The modules incorporate grey-coloured aluminium heatspreaders for effective heat dispersal. Remember that they're guaranteed to hit their rated speeds at 2.3V, which is almost 30 per cent higher than JEDEC's 1.8V spec. for standard DDR2 modules, so efficient thermal transfer is a must.
We've seen OCZ ship some heatpipe-clad rated at the same speed and voltage, so we'll examine just how well these modules overclock in comparison.
Warranty
Patriot offers a lifetime warranty on these modules and has a toll-free support number in the USA.Non-USA customers will need to contact the reseller that the memory was purchased from and either receive a refund or exchange, depending upon the reseller's terms and conditions.
Again, non-USA customers can also opt to initiate an RMA process directly with Patriot after the first year. Patriot states that it will process the defective modules immediately and ship out replacements in a timely fashion - although no concrete times are given.
Summary
Priced at around £158 for a 2GiB pack and sporting decent speeds and latencies for enthusiast-class DDR2, the Patriot PDC22G9200ELK appears to be competitive.Jumping on over to some comparison benchmarking now.
