Corsair In The Fast Lane: DDR2-667 and DDR400 With Extreme Timing

After Crucial/Micron and Samsung, Corsair has become one of the first manufacturers to make plans to supply DDR2 memory for PC5300 a.k.a. DDR2-667. We got a first look at a test model of the 5400C4 Pro TwinX package with two 512-MB modules and, some weeks prior to that, DDR400 DIMMs from the 3200XL Pro series, with ideal timings that are all the buzz.

Corsair's exclusive products, with price tags to more than match, are aimed primarily at quality- and performance-conscious users. The 3200XL Pro series supports the best possible timings for DDR400 memory: CL2.0-2-2-5. While the memory timings on P4 systems don't play too vital a role, the operating mode paramaters in all Athlon 64 systems, by comparison, has a marked effect. The reason is the onboard memory controller that works faster and more efficiently than similar modules within the chipset. Hence, the slowest link in the chain - the random access memory - should also be able to work at full pelt.

The plethora of announcements heralding fast DDR2 memory is somewhat surprising. While Intel's 915P/G and 925G chipsets are restricted to DDR2 and a 266 MHz clock speed (DDR2-533), new, faster memory products are appearing all the time: Elpida and Samsung have already launched theirs; Corsair and Crucial are selling their equivalent DIMMs for DDR2-667 for a king's ransom.

The 667 DIMMs are primarily useful for overclocking Intel's latest platform, which can only reach full capacity at higher FSB clock speeds and accelerated RAM.