Introduction

I guess we finally made it: after a few weeks of testing, comparing and writing we've finally arrived at the point where we can actually present you with something. And it is not just something, it's actually a quite ambitious new project where several of our writers will be participating in: the construction of an comparative table for DDR2 memory. My role in the memory table will be the Intel side of things, and for this we put together an all round test platform based upon an Intel 965 chipset and an Intel Core 2 processor. My fellow reviewer Liquid3D will be focusing upon the AMD side of things, and for this he has constructed an AM2 bench setup, based around an nVidia nForce 590 chipset and an AMD Athlon 64 processor.

Our goal is quite simple if you like: every test of a memory module, today and in the future, will be inserted in a memory performance table. The best module will be on top of course, and every module will be compared to each other and a basic memory module. This way you will be able to see how one module performs in relation to another, and you can decide whether a module is worth your money...

To get our memory table started we wanted to present you with a major test. I guess I'm not exaggerating when I'm stating that we are taking off with some of the most exclusive parts in the industry. Today we want to present you with a comparison of 4 different memory kits, three of which are new arrivals.



We've got three very famous manufacturers for you : Mushkin, OCZ, and Corsair, and one relative newcomer, at least here in Europe : Team Group.

Mushkin was founded in 1994, and is best known for producing “Enhanced” memory modules. They're located at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado. Mushkin products include an enhanced power supply line and a complete selection of memory upgrades for desktops, servers and notebooks. They offer something for everyone from business user to gamer. For me personally, my first "engagement" with Mushkin was their famous Winbond DDR memory a couple of years ago, which formed a class of their own. Today, Mushkin shows us their top of the line Redline PC8000 part... Let's see if it lives up to their quote : "With Mushkin you Get More"

OCZ is another premier manufacturer of memory modules, and one of the big players on the international market. OCZ technology was founded in 2000 and has established quite a name for producing high end ram products, especially among the enthusiast community. Since early 2004, OCZ also produces high-end power supplies, which have received praise from reviewers around the world, but memory remains the most important branch in the OCZ product catalogue. In this review we're taking a look the relatively new SLI/EPP part, the PC8500, which sits at the top of the current NVIDIA certified lineup by OCZ.

Corsair is the third big player on the market, and another one of the most prominent memory manufacturers. They have been in business since 1994, and in the last 5 years they have really established their name. Corsair has arguably become the biggest player on the enthusiast market, and has become a company others measure their success by. Today we will review the Dominator PC8888C4 memory, a module at which we already took a detailed look about 2 weeks ago. Today, we'll focus our review on the performance of these modules, in comparison with the other three.

Team Group is our last, but not least, fourth contestant. They are a manufacturer and wholesaler of computer components, and were established in Taipei, Taiwan in 1994. As a manufacturer of memory products, Team group not only makes PC memory kits, but also memory cards and USB flash and pen drives. The company is recognized as one of the leading memory product manufacturers in Taiwan, and has logistic centers in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Silicon Valley, USA. Europe is noteworthy absent in this list, and this is one of the main reasons the memory is almost unknown in these waters. Today, we are able to show you a top kit from their Xtreem lineup, the PC6400C3, which will try to give the "big three" some serious competition.



Let's have a look at the modules now ->