FAST 2GB DDR Kits - Part 2

by Wesley Fink on January 23, 2006 12:05 AM EST
Team XTreem TXDR 1024M400HC2

Team will be another new name to our readers, but the company already has a world-wide presence with manufacturing in Asia and US Sales Offices.

The Team Marketing group lavished quite a bit of attention on the heatspreader design for the Xtreem product line. The heatspreaders are 3 dimensional gold colored with a huge raised "X" and Team logo. The top of the heatspreader is completely open for better heat dissipation.

Specifications

The Team 2GB kit is another DDR400 rated memory kit, which, as expected, features Infineon chips.

Team XTreem TXDR 1024M400HC2 Memory Specifications
Number of DIMMs & Banks 2 DS
DIMM Size
Total Memory
1GB
2GB
Rated Timings 2-3-3-5 at DDR400
Rated Voltage Standard (2.6V) Voltage
SPD 2-3-3-5

As we have seen with all the new 2GB kits, high memory voltage is not required to get the most from the 2GB kits. Team also rates their kit at standard voltage, and we never required more than 2.8V to get the most performance from the 2GB kit.

Test Results

Team XTreem TXDR 1024M400HC2 (DDR400) - 2x1GB Double-Bank
CPU Ratio at 2.4GHz Memory
Speed
Memory Timings
& Voltage
Quake3
fps
Sandra UNBuffered Sandra Standard
Buffered
Super PI 2M places
(time in sec)
Wolfenstein - Radar - Enemy Territory fps
12x200 400DDR 2-3-2-7
2.5V
540.9 INT 2502
FLT 2630
INT 6034
FLT 6018
82 117.9
11x218 436DDR 2-3-2-7
2.7V
545.0 INT 2661
FLT 2825
INT 6462
FLT 6372
81 118.6
10x240 480DDR 2.5-3-2-7
2.6V
554.3 INT 2853
FLT 3040
INT 6722
FLT 6650
81 120.2
9x267 533DDR 3-3-2-8
2.8V
558.0 INT 3044
FLT 3247
INT 7003
FLT 6941
80 121.2
10x267
(2.67GHz)
Highest Mem Speed
DDR 533
3-3-2-8
2.8V
590.9 INT 3175
FLT 3388
INT 7868
FLT 7857
76 132.2
To be considered stable for test purposes, Quake3 benchmark, UT2003 Demo, Super PI, Aquamark 3, and Comanche 4 had to complete without incident. Any of these, and in particular Super PI, will crash a less-than stable memory configuration.

The DDR400 rating would lead us to believe that these are Infineon B die chips, and if they are, Team has done an excellent job in binning chips and designing their PCB and SPD. That's because Team Xtreem reaches the highest overclock that we have seen with a DDR400 rated 2GB kit.

Memory timings are what we would expect with a well-designed Infineon chip-based memory, and the Team overclocks all the way to DDR533. To repeat, this is the highest overclock in the roundup for a memory rated at DDR400.

The Team name may not be familiar to you, but you should definitely add Team to your shopping list. These are solid DDR400 Infineon DIMMs and if the price is right, you will not be disappointed in your new memory purchase. It is true that Infineon C die reaches a bit further if properly binned, but the difference between the TEAM at 533 and C die at 550 or higher is not that big. Other DDR400 rated Infineon DIMMs in this roundup often struggled to even approach DDR500 in their overclocks.

Mushkin 2GB Redline XP4000 Updated Benchmarks – Corsair, Gigaram, OCZ
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  • PrinceGaz - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    "... 2GB also makes sense for the OS future. With Vista coming and 2GB, the new memory recommendation for the new OS, you will be set for Vista."

    I was under the impression that the minimum is expected to be 512MB, and that 1GB will be recommended for good responsiveness under normal use. Having said that, I would personally choose 2GB for any new system as pairs of 1GB DDR (and of course DDR2) modules are now readily available and competitively priced. Unfortunately most big-name OEM systems are still shipping with either 512MB, or if you're lucky 1GB.
  • bigtoe36 - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    Being honest we have had some supply issues, and some issues regarding supply that are out of our control. We do have stock and will have more real soon.

    ocztony
  • bigtoe36 - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    This was to counter any moans about availability before they were posted.
  • emilyek - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    You guys tested the worst GSKILL kit.

    Their pc4000 2 gig kit (speed-binned version of that kit) is the same price as the 2-3-2-5 chip ($200) and will do DDR580

    Their $250 kit 2-3-2-5 would contend with the Mushkin and the Crucial at a much lower cost.
  • Wesley Fink - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    The Silver Editors Choice Corsair 4000PT, and the OCZ PC4000 Gold and PC4000GX XTC, also based on UCCC chips, are all in the $205 to $230 price range for the 2GB kit from e-tailers. So $250 for a UCCC kit seems in line but hardly a bargain.

    As for testing the worst G. Skill, we asked all the memory manufacturers to supply their "best" 2GB kit for our roundup. The manufacturers decided what to supply, and we expect Enthusiast memory makers to know what is best in their line.
  • irev210 - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    The crucial memory is amazing memory.


    I was able to get it stable at 3-3-3-8 @ 300mhz, but you really need to spend some time on the settings, it is VERY picky memory. Both tras and drive strength play huge factory in memory stability.

    Yes, it is suspected that due to really high RMA they discontinued, however what anandtech doesnt report is what actually happens to the memory.

    Even at 2.8vcore or less PLUS active cooling, 1 2 or 3 months down the line your memory will just start dying.

    Thinks like memtest86 will check out fine, but then while gaming, your rig will just lock up. Random bluescreens, random lockups...


    There is a big story to these ballistix, it is too bad they simply have a HUGE rate of failure. Do a ddr2 roundup, then you will see how many people use micron fatbodies for their high performance ddr2 memory. You dont see that with the high density memory, and obviously i suspect due to stability issues.

    My advice for memory is the g.skill F1-4000USU2-2GBHZ based on samsung ram, it has been doing well, and g.skill has awesome customer service.



    I personally am going to wait for ddr2 before going with 1gb sticks, then ballistix 2gb set is on my list. But that is just me.
  • Bull Dog - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    I'm another Ballistix memory user here. I ran mine at 2.75v the whole time and they just died after a while. Screw you Crucial/Micron. I will NEVER buy your products AGAIN. (I don't care if they have zero problems eitehr.
  • gooser - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    Now what about the tracers?? I just purchased the 2 GB tracers last week knowing about the issues with the regular ballistix after a couple of months. I have read that the tracers use a higher quality power modulator, thus dont have the same problem. Anyone?
  • lopri - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    Lots of work and outstanding comments. Thanks. This review, along with the Part I, is significant in that it puts an end to the 1GB system memory standard. It's declaring that an *era* of 2GB system memory is finally here.

    However, with these super high-clocking 1G sticks (512MB sticks also for that matter), there is one *realer* question that's haunting my mind. With the current crop of DDR memory reaching speed of DDR550~DDR600, one has to wonder - What's the good if CPUs can't handle the speed of memory?

    Yes, I'm questioning the capability of A64/Opteron's memory controller. Because even the best current AMD CPUs often fail to keep up with the speed of memory. You've got a PC4800 DDR memory? Good luck, pray your CPU can run it at that speed. This issue is, at least for me, very real. I just don't see the point of high-clocking memory when the truth is CPUs' memory controllers are the limit. (And to some extent motherboards, of course)

    In the light of this, would it be possible for you to test the quality of each revision of AMD CPUs' memory controllers? Preferably with recent cores - namely, Venice, San Diego, Toledo, Manchester and their Opteron equivalents. The more detailed, the better. Rev E3, E6, E4, and even the steppings.

    While reading this excellent review, I couldn't shake the issue of memory controller off my head. These days a stick of RAM seems only as good as the CPU's memory controller it relies on. Unless one is just happy to see her/his RAM passing memtest @DDR600 all day long.

    Again, thanks for your hard work on this review, Wesley. However, I'd really like to hear from you about the issue that I'm bringing here. I'd much appreciate it.

    lop
  • dlerious - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link

    If my CPU can't keep up with my RAM, I just drop the multiplier (and/or divider) down until I find the point where both run as high as possible at the voltage and temps I'm comfortable with.

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