OCZ PC3-14400 Platinum Edition
In the last several years, OCZ has developed a deserved reputation as a true innovator in the computer enthusiast market. They were the first of the memory companies to market high-end, high-quality power supplies, a product offering now available from other memory companies as well. OCZ cemented that relationship with the power supply market with their recent acquisition of PC Power and Cooling - a well-regarded player in the high-end PSU market. OCZ has also begun to market high-end video cards under their own brand name, something Crucial has done for several years.
In the end, if you're part of the computer enthusiast community, OCZ has been constantly introducing new and innovative products for that market, from ram cooling to CPU coolers to video cards to the very latest in memory technology. While most enthusiasts recognize OCZ as a memory company, many these days also recognize them for their power supplies, CPU coolers, or other products.
OCZ maintains an up-to-date website that provides specifics for their products. They are also represented on many forum sites, and they maintain dedicated forums for OCZ products on several websites. OCZ memory products come with a lifetime warranty.
Like several other manufacturers, OCZ has moved to the smaller dual-channel clear clamshell package for memory kits. The card in the memory package is now a 4-page glossy instruction sheet with information on the features and installation of the memory.
The DIMMs themselves are also easily recognized as OCZ with the large "Z" in the middle of the perforated XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatsink design. The XTC heatsinks are a familiar sight on high-end OCZ memory. OCZ tests and certifies the memory for DDR3-1800 8-8-8 performance on ASUS DDR3 boards. Like the other DDR3 DIMMs based on Micron Z9 memory, the OCZ DIMMs are single-sided 1GB parts. That means 2GB parts and 4GB kits are definitely a possibility in the future, when chip availability improves and the very high memory chip prices drop. Performance and timings would likely be somewhat below current specs in a 4GB kit.
DDR3 is lower voltage, higher speed and slower timings than DDR2. The chart below was published in our introduction to DDR3 and summarizes some of the differences in the official JEDEC DDR2 and DDR3 specifications.
JEDEC specs a starting point for enthusiast memory companies. However, since there was never a JEDEC standard for memory faster than DDR-400 then DDR memory running at faster speeds is really overclocked DDR-400. Similarly DDR2 memory faster than DDR2-800 is actually overclocked DDR2-800 since there is currently no official JEDEC spec for DDR2-1066. DDR speeds ran to DDR-400, DDR2 has official specs from 400 to 800, and DDR3 will extend this from 800 to 1600 based on the current JEDEC specification.
The OCZ PC3-14400 is the first DDR3 we have tested with a rated 1800 MHz or higher speed. It also offers somewhat lower specified latencies of 8-8-8 at 1.9V. The OCZ DDR3-1800 is available as single 1GB DIMMs or a 2GB kit providing a matched pair of 1GB DIMMs.
In the last several years, OCZ has developed a deserved reputation as a true innovator in the computer enthusiast market. They were the first of the memory companies to market high-end, high-quality power supplies, a product offering now available from other memory companies as well. OCZ cemented that relationship with the power supply market with their recent acquisition of PC Power and Cooling - a well-regarded player in the high-end PSU market. OCZ has also begun to market high-end video cards under their own brand name, something Crucial has done for several years.
In the end, if you're part of the computer enthusiast community, OCZ has been constantly introducing new and innovative products for that market, from ram cooling to CPU coolers to video cards to the very latest in memory technology. While most enthusiasts recognize OCZ as a memory company, many these days also recognize them for their power supplies, CPU coolers, or other products.
OCZ maintains an up-to-date website that provides specifics for their products. They are also represented on many forum sites, and they maintain dedicated forums for OCZ products on several websites. OCZ memory products come with a lifetime warranty.
Like several other manufacturers, OCZ has moved to the smaller dual-channel clear clamshell package for memory kits. The card in the memory package is now a 4-page glossy instruction sheet with information on the features and installation of the memory.
The DIMMs themselves are also easily recognized as OCZ with the large "Z" in the middle of the perforated XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatsink design. The XTC heatsinks are a familiar sight on high-end OCZ memory. OCZ tests and certifies the memory for DDR3-1800 8-8-8 performance on ASUS DDR3 boards. Like the other DDR3 DIMMs based on Micron Z9 memory, the OCZ DIMMs are single-sided 1GB parts. That means 2GB parts and 4GB kits are definitely a possibility in the future, when chip availability improves and the very high memory chip prices drop. Performance and timings would likely be somewhat below current specs in a 4GB kit.
| OCZ PC3-14400 Platinum Edition Memory Specifications |
|
| Number of DIMMs & Banks | 2 SS |
| DIMM Size | 1 GB |
| Total Memory | 2 GB (2 x 1GB) |
| Rated Timings | 8-8-8-27 at DDR3-1800 |
| Rated Voltage | 1.9V (Standard 1.5V) |
DDR3 is lower voltage, higher speed and slower timings than DDR2. The chart below was published in our introduction to DDR3 and summarizes some of the differences in the official JEDEC DDR2 and DDR3 specifications.
| JEDEC Memory Specifications | ||
| DDR2 | DDR3 | |
| Rated Speed | 400-800 Mbps | 800-1600 Mbps |
| Vdd/Vddq | 1.8V +/- 0.1V | 1.5V +/- 0.075V |
| Internal Banks | 4 | 8 |
| Termination | Limited | All DQ signals |
| Topology | Conventional T | Fly-by |
| Driver Control | OCD Calibration | Self Calibration with ZQ |
| Thermal Sensor | No | Yes (Optional) |
JEDEC specs a starting point for enthusiast memory companies. However, since there was never a JEDEC standard for memory faster than DDR-400 then DDR memory running at faster speeds is really overclocked DDR-400. Similarly DDR2 memory faster than DDR2-800 is actually overclocked DDR2-800 since there is currently no official JEDEC spec for DDR2-1066. DDR speeds ran to DDR-400, DDR2 has official specs from 400 to 800, and DDR3 will extend this from 800 to 1600 based on the current JEDEC specification.
The OCZ PC3-14400 is the first DDR3 we have tested with a rated 1800 MHz or higher speed. It also offers somewhat lower specified latencies of 8-8-8 at 1.9V. The OCZ DDR3-1800 is available as single 1GB DIMMs or a 2GB kit providing a matched pair of 1GB DIMMs.
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Lonyo - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - link
Any chances of a power consumption comparison between DDR2 and DDR3?DDR3 is supposed to run at a lower voltage, so in theory it might use a little less power. Would be interesting to see if there is any difference (DDR2/3-800 would probably be best, since that's a standard speed for both).
yyrkoon - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - link
Does anyone even sell a DDR3 capable motherboard yet ? If so, is anyone even using DDR3 ? Personally, I think latencies need to come down, Prices need to come down,etc. Memory companies are *claiming* they are taking a beating in the market for DDR2 (claiming all time low, and losing money . . .).Personally, I think you reap what you soe, and they got what they deserved for their early market prices.Anyhow, short and skinny, I think *we* all need to take things slowly this time around, OEMS, buyers, and reviewers . . .
yyrkoon - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - link
By the way, when I asked if anyone is even making a DDR3 motherboard yet, I was pretty much joking. Obviously if you're testing it, there has to be some form of a platform availible.You know, I cannot help but think that DDR2 was not quite 'finished' yet, and I do not understand the *need* for DDR3(unless OEMs are looking to rape our wallets again . . .). Of course, if 'Joe blow enthusiast' HAS to HAVE DDR3 memory because it gives him/her an extra 4-13 FPS in an outdated game at 2-3x the cost of DDR2 . . . well... lets just say that I expect that OCZ, Geil, and the rest would be more than happy to keep you poorer ;)
Some of us actually like to upgrade smart, using as many parts from older machines as possible to save money for other things. This sort of marketing strategy makes it hard on us who would like to do so while keeping our system upgraded once a year or so. I just got over having to buy memory, CPU, and a motherboard the last 'technolgy' advance, and I really do not wish to repeat the process.
asliarun - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - link
Man, I never understand viewpoints such as yours. This is a technology article on the latest DDR3 advancement, and is not marketing propoganda urging you to go out and buy it NOW. Intel's latest CPU chipsets (P35/P38, IIRC) all support DDR3 (along with DDR2), so it's not like DDR3 is exactly vaporware. Only AMD is not supporting DDR3 right now because firstly, they will need to upgrade their integrated uncore memory controller, and secondly, they tend support upcoming technologies much later than Intel. Furthermore, DDR3 is definitely the future as it has much more headroom than DDR2, and is designed to work at lower voltages.In any case, my point is that we're discussing a new memory standard technology which is already in the market and is slowly being adopted. Initially, it WILL be highly priced like any other technology until volume manufacturing kicks in. However, if you are a price sensitive customer instead of a "Joe blow enthusiast" (frankly, like most of us), no one is forcing you to replace your RAM with DDR3 TODAY, least of all this AT article. Your logic of not adopting DDR3 simply because it is initially expensive and because it only gives "4-13fps increase" is however, absurd. By the same token, there is no need for ANY technology improvement, especially those that *only* result in an incremental improvement.
As a footnote, you should be grateful for all the "Joe blow enthusiasts" in this world instead of heaping scorn on them. All said and done, you and I ARE freeloading on him, as he's the one who's financing our cut rate technology purchases.
GlassHouse69 - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 - link
Oh you think so?hm.... i wonder how much Anandtech/daily got for reviewing this... hm.....