Page 1: Intro, Packaging, Modules
Intro:
It has been almost five years since I reviewed a Corsair product. In that time, ASE Labs and the industry have evolved. Five years ago it was DDR that was the memory of choice and DDR2 wasn't even on enthusiast's tongues. Fast forward to 2008 and we've got DDR3 just coming on the market. DDR2 is still alive and is the king of value right now. Corsair's 4GB XMS2 PC2-6400 kit is the subject for review.
Packaging:
You'll notice a price sticker on this package. This is a retail sample that was purchased by the photography editor, Steven Susman. We strive to provide honest reviews to the readers at ASE Labs and will purchase products to accomplish this. The retail packaging was protective enough for this RAM. This package was purchase from Microcenter which is really an incredible store. It's like shopping at an online store in person. There are things there that you never would see at any other retail store. They should open one closer to where I live, though.
Modules:
Not all RAM is the same. I think the picture above shows that this kit is severely different than other kits from companies such as Crucial or Kingston. These modules have a specialized heat dissipation feature in the form of a super-sized heatsink. This heatsink is actually a four layered kit and two of the layers are actually bonded with the PCB to cool the board itself as well as the individual modules. This type of cooling system should keep the RAM from heating up much past ambient temperature.
The module timing and voltage information are clearly labeled on each stick. You can clearly see that these modules are rated for use at 1.8V running at 800MHz (PC2-6400) with timings of 5-5-5-18. All manufactures should put this important information on the stick itself especially if it is performance RAM. Since the specification of the RAM uses 1.8V (which is the proper JEDEC voltage) the SPD contains the proper speed and timings so there is no need for adjustment past installation to get the rated specs. RAM that uses higher voltage than default should always default to relax settings for SPD values. Corsair doesn't suffer from this problem and can offer the rated values.
These modules are huge. The metal heatspreaders do not add considerable weight to the package as a whole, so there is no worry of the sticks falling out of the socket in use. Corsair uses a standard brushed metallic look for the XMS2 DHX with a orange and black label for extra accents. The PCB is black for the extra accent.
The cooling system is nicely bonded to the modules themselves and if you purchase this RAM, you are buying the cooling system. There is no need to bother trying to rip it off. Don't ruin good modules by doing drastic things.
Did I mention that these modules are huge with that heatsink attached? They really are big. There is an extra add-on that can be purchased to give the modules their own fans. I think that is a useless option considering that most cases have fans that do a fine enough job as it is. Perhaps people that water cool their computer would find this interesting.
It has been almost five years since I reviewed a Corsair product. In that time, ASE Labs and the industry have evolved. Five years ago it was DDR that was the memory of choice and DDR2 wasn't even on enthusiast's tongues. Fast forward to 2008 and we've got DDR3 just coming on the market. DDR2 is still alive and is the king of value right now. Corsair's 4GB XMS2 PC2-6400 kit is the subject for review.
Packaging:
You'll notice a price sticker on this package. This is a retail sample that was purchased by the photography editor, Steven Susman. We strive to provide honest reviews to the readers at ASE Labs and will purchase products to accomplish this. The retail packaging was protective enough for this RAM. This package was purchase from Microcenter which is really an incredible store. It's like shopping at an online store in person. There are things there that you never would see at any other retail store. They should open one closer to where I live, though.
Modules:
Not all RAM is the same. I think the picture above shows that this kit is severely different than other kits from companies such as Crucial or Kingston. These modules have a specialized heat dissipation feature in the form of a super-sized heatsink. This heatsink is actually a four layered kit and two of the layers are actually bonded with the PCB to cool the board itself as well as the individual modules. This type of cooling system should keep the RAM from heating up much past ambient temperature.
The module timing and voltage information are clearly labeled on each stick. You can clearly see that these modules are rated for use at 1.8V running at 800MHz (PC2-6400) with timings of 5-5-5-18. All manufactures should put this important information on the stick itself especially if it is performance RAM. Since the specification of the RAM uses 1.8V (which is the proper JEDEC voltage) the SPD contains the proper speed and timings so there is no need for adjustment past installation to get the rated specs. RAM that uses higher voltage than default should always default to relax settings for SPD values. Corsair doesn't suffer from this problem and can offer the rated values.
These modules are huge. The metal heatspreaders do not add considerable weight to the package as a whole, so there is no worry of the sticks falling out of the socket in use. Corsair uses a standard brushed metallic look for the XMS2 DHX with a orange and black label for extra accents. The PCB is black for the extra accent.
The cooling system is nicely bonded to the modules themselves and if you purchase this RAM, you are buying the cooling system. There is no need to bother trying to rip it off. Don't ruin good modules by doing drastic things.
Did I mention that these modules are huge with that heatsink attached? They really are big. There is an extra add-on that can be purchased to give the modules their own fans. I think that is a useless option considering that most cases have fans that do a fine enough job as it is. Perhaps people that water cool their computer would find this interesting.