Mushkin 2GB Redline XP4000
Mushkin is a very well-known brand of Enthusiast memory. Most computer hobbyists know Mushkin for their web-based direct memory sales, based in Denver, CO. Direct sales have always been a large part of Mushkin's business, but today, you can buy Mushkin memory at Newegg and other web e-tailers as well.
Several months ago, Mushkin introduced their new Redline heatspreader. With large slots in the top of the heatspreader, it was designed to better dissipate heat than the older closed heatspreaders, which often caused higher temperatures than no heatspreader at all.
Specifications
Mushkin rates their DDR500 2GB Redline kit at 3-3-2 timings at DDR500. Those are exactly the timings that we would expect with Infineon C die memory.
Voltage is rated at standard 2.6V, so you will not need a board with super high vCore to get the most from these memory chips.
Test Results
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 performance of the Mushkin Redline was typically Infineon C, except it was always at the better end of expected C die performance. Mushkin managed DDR436 at CAS2, where some other Infineon chip memory requires CAS2.5. Even at the very top, the Redline ran with complete stability at 3-3-2 timings and never required more than 2.8V for best performance.
The highest overclock with Mushkin Redline was an outstanding DDR586 - the highest overclock of any Infineon based 2GB kit in this review. In fact, only the impossible to buy Crucial Ballistix could reach further. All-in-all, Mushkin Redline was a top performer, achieving the kind of performance and overclocking that will likely satisfy even the most jaded new user of 1 GB DIMMs. Mushkin, like OCZ in Part 1 of the 2GB kit roundup, makes the most of the memory chips used in their memory kits. Effective binning and good quality assurance pay off in a consistent, high-performing 2GB memory kit.
Mushkin is a very well-known brand of Enthusiast memory. Most computer hobbyists know Mushkin for their web-based direct memory sales, based in Denver, CO. Direct sales have always been a large part of Mushkin's business, but today, you can buy Mushkin memory at Newegg and other web e-tailers as well.
Several months ago, Mushkin introduced their new Redline heatspreader. With large slots in the top of the heatspreader, it was designed to better dissipate heat than the older closed heatspreaders, which often caused higher temperatures than no heatspreader at all.
Specifications
Mushkin rates their DDR500 2GB Redline kit at 3-3-2 timings at DDR500. Those are exactly the timings that we would expect with Infineon C die memory.
| Mushkin 2GB Redline XP4000 Memory Specifications | |
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 DS |
| DIMM Size Total Memory |
1GB 2GB |
| Rated Timings | 3-3-2-8 at DDR500 |
| Rated Voltage | Standard (2.6V) Voltage |
| SPD | 3-3-2-8 |
Voltage is rated at standard 2.6V, so you will not need a board with super high vCore to get the most from these memory chips.
Test Results
| Mushkin 2GB Redline XP4000 (DDR500) - 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 |
538.5 | INT 2516 FLT 2658 |
INT 6027 FLT 6027 |
82 | 117.5 |
| 11x218 | 436DDR | 2-3-2-7 2.7V |
545.0 | INT 2687 FLT 2831 |
INT 6448 FLT 6375 |
81 | 118.5 |
| 10x240 | 480DDR | 2.5-3-2-7 2.6V |
549.0 | INT 2852 FLT 3017 |
INT 6721 FLT 6651 |
80 | 119.6 |
| 9x267 | 533DDR | 3-3-2-7 2.7V |
557.3 | INT 3090 FLT 3165 |
INT 7005 FLT 6923 |
80 | 120.8 |
| 9x293 (2.64GHz) |
Highest Mem Speed DDR 586 |
3-3-2-7 2.8V |
593.0 | INT 3299 FLT 3536 |
INT 7658 FLT 7548 |
73 | 129.6 |
The performance of the Mushkin Redline was typically Infineon C, except it was always at the better end of expected C die performance. Mushkin managed DDR436 at CAS2, where some other Infineon chip memory requires CAS2.5. Even at the very top, the Redline ran with complete stability at 3-3-2 timings and never required more than 2.8V for best performance.
The highest overclock with Mushkin Redline was an outstanding DDR586 - the highest overclock of any Infineon based 2GB kit in this review. In fact, only the impossible to buy Crucial Ballistix could reach further. All-in-all, Mushkin Redline was a top performer, achieving the kind of performance and overclocking that will likely satisfy even the most jaded new user of 1 GB DIMMs. Mushkin, like OCZ in Part 1 of the 2GB kit roundup, makes the most of the memory chips used in their memory kits. Effective binning and good quality assurance pay off in a consistent, high-performing 2GB memory kit.
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Beenthere - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
Crucial use to be a pretty good memory supplier at one time and I've bought plenty of their products. There seems to have been a philosophical change at Crucial a number of years ago and I stopped buying and recommending their products after a major hassle over one failed DIMM out of the many we had purchased. Seems like their submission of a discontinued product to this 1 Gb review is another example of mis-management and manipulation of the media...In regards to 1 Gig. DIMMS vs. 512 Mb it seems to me relatively few people really need these DIMMS. If you are a serious gamer playing the latest game versions, sure you'll see some small performance improvement for a PRICE. And that is the point really - what do you get in tangible system performance gain and is it of enough emotional value to you to pay the premium price. Obviously for some it is as they will pay $1000 for a CPU, $700 x 2 for 7800 GTX 512 Vid cards, etc. I doubt however that most PC enthusiasts can really justify those prices nor the price premium for 1 Gb DIMMS based on system performance gains.
And along those lines... how often do PC enthusiasts and / or gamers replace their entire PC hardware??? If for instance you are building a new PC now because the Opti 165 / X2 3800+ are a sweet deal, would you really be in the market for a new AMD AM2 system in a 4-6 months when they are readily available??? I doubt many folks replace their hardware that often but I could be wrong. If it is true then I wonder where all the good hardware ends up after it's used for a couple months and then trashed for the latest trick-of-the-week hardware???
xsilver - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
its called ebay - or as some say "egay" :por I think option 2 is the not so rich friends who suck up a lot
option 3 is "damn, I overvolted the cpu to attain max overclock and the damn thing fried itself -- oh well, just buy another fx-60"
note that option 3 people probably fuel the reason for why manufacturers think they can charge us $500+ for a gfx card and $1000+ for a cpu
JarredWalton - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
Worth note - and not shown in the benches here - is that 2GB of RAM can have a massive impact on load times for some of the latest games. It is also incredibly useful when you're editing a bunch of images in Photoshop. The difference in level load times on BF2 is amazing, even when comparing 4x512MB 2T to 2x512MB 1T.BF2 is something of an exception right now, but over the next year I expect more and more games to push the memory requirements beyond 1GB. FEAR is another reasonable example, though not quite as pronounced as BF2. Some of the MMORPGs also get a lot of use from 2GB.
Personally, I won't be buying 512MB DIMMs anymore, but I still use them in systems I build for other people.
johnford64 - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
Why is the OCZ PC4000 XTC and Normal Gold not covered in either article??? The Platnium EB's are too much money, and i would like a good read and comparison on the XTC/Golds. As a side note, Crucial stopped making their 2GB DDR1 kit, so they couldnt replace my dead det, which is why i got the OCZ'sbigtoe36 - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
XTC and golds do feature the same IC, OCZ are moving to replace all old heatspreaders with XTC so you will see some older stock using the old spreader in stores.So apples to apples they should clock near the same but the XTC moduls running a little cooler.
johnford64 - Friday, January 27, 2006 - link
But my question is why neither XTC or Gold kits have been reviewed here, if there have please let me know whereMiggle - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
not much difference (in RTCW at least) between 400mhz and 533 (must be the timings). Good review tho.Now, i'm looking for a link that shows how mem timings impact A64 (2-2-2-6 vs 2.5-3-3-7). Hope someone could give me one.
still, me thinks that fast mem = costs too much and not that worth-it. I just bought geil value ram that does 2.5-3-3-6 @ 200mhz and quite happy /w it (on AXP still tho).
android1st - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
I was just trying to decide about my next system whether I should wait for DDR2 or increase the memory on my old system. I think I'm going to wait for DDR2, hopefully AMD will roll out 65nm around the same time as the new socket. And prices will be reasonable and availability will be high. Guess we'll wait and see...Nocturnal - Monday, January 23, 2006 - link
Crucial recently pulled their Ballistix 2GB kits due to unforseen circumstances. Everyone at XS is speculating that all of the RMAs that have been going on is culprit.johnford64 - Friday, January 27, 2006 - link
That happened to me, 2 dead kits. They tried to offer me 2GB of PC3200. Like hell i am taking $150 ram in place of my $400 USD ram.