Layout
The Extreme Series PC4800 512Mb Dual Channel DDR Kit is packed in G. SKILL’s usual rigid hard plastic see through container. You would barely know that its from G. Skill except for the small logo printed on the right side of the kit's label insert. At the back of the insert is the obligatory instructions and warranty information. Opening up the included insert you will see the company profile and seperate sheet with the evidential testing results.
This particular kit is made up of 2 x 256mb Revision F 4ns Samsung K4H560838F-440 TCCD ICs. Handpicked, these modules have been tested to run at an extreme speed of DDR600 (PC4800) at CAS 3-4-4-8 and at extreme low latency CAS 2-2-2-5 at DDR400 (PC3200). These has been the fastest rated DDR modules we’ve received to date.
Like the first modules we’ve tested from G.SKILL, the Extreme Series PC4800 is absent of any heatspreaders. So if you want looks to go with your ram, you won’t have it with this number. Obviously though, this hasn’t affected its performance and overclocking potential.
Test Setup
| Hardware |
| Chaintech 9CJS i875P Canterwood Motherboard |
| Intel P4 2.4GHz 800MHz s478 Northwood |
| Chaintech GeForce FX5700Ultra 128mb AGP |
| Corsair Hydrocool200 |
| Enermax 550w PSU |
| Western Digital 80Gb HDD 7200 rpm PATA |
| Western Digital 120Gb 7200 rpm SATA |
| Corsair TWINX1024-4400C25PT for comparison |
| G. SKILL Extreme Samsung TCCD PC4400 for comparison |
| Software |
| Windows XP Professional SP2 |
| nVidia Forceware 61.77 |
| Direct X 9.0c |
| Benchmark |
| Sandra 2004 Professional SP2 |
| AIDA32 |
| PCMark 2004 |
| Quake 3 |
| 3DMark2001 SE |
Overclocking
As our Intel system maxes out at 281MHz FSB, we weren't able to fully test the modules at their rated speed. Being handpicked and fully tested though before being packaged, we have no reason to doubt though that these modules won't function at that speed. As reference, you can view G.SKILL's own tests showing that they have indeed ran these modules up to PC4800 (DDR600).
For the overclocking test, we tried a variety of timings that the memory would work on. Below are the following CAS timings used:
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CAS 2-2-2-5
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CAS 2.5-3-3-7
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CAS 3-4-4-8
At the most agressive timing of CAS 2-2-2-5, we were able to take the modules up to 215MHz (DDR430). For those wanting ultra performance at mildly overclocked settings, then these modules can provide you with that.
The highest rock solid overclocked speed achieved using these modules running in dual configuration was 281MHz (DDR562). The amazing thing is that we can run these modules at agressive timings of CAS 2.5-3-3-7 at 2.6v. Way better than its rated latency timings of CAS 3-4-4-8.
Once again, this is a case of either our processor or motherboard maxing out on us. Of course the cpu is the most likely candidate as we are already running our P4 2.4GHz to almost 3.4GHz on a bus speed of 1126Mhz quad pumped. Although we weren't able to fully the test the modules at its guaranteed speed of DDR600, we are confident that it would achieve that feat coz the modules are still running at an agressively CAS 2.5-3-3-7 when we hit 281MHz (DDR562). With relaxed timings of CAS 3-4-4-8, you are most definitely sure that there is still some juice left to be squeezed out of these modules.
Next: Test Results & Conclusions