Life At 2 GT/s: 6 GB DDR3-2000 Memory Kits Compared

The launch of super-fast memory is great for the vendors selling it, as perceived technical advancement improves brand status, even for the folks buying less expensive lower-end kits. It’s no wonder then that everyone in the industry shouts-out DDR3-2000 (and faster) modules. Meanwhile, we receive dozens of review requests from the vendors and our readers alike. Innovation is great, and we welcome the opportunity to test the fastest hardware around.

But the challenge becomes picking between the review samples that are truly representative of what you can buy versus components that never really see retail or e-tail availability. Sometimes the kits turn out to be vaporware, largely unavailable, and some others are hand-picked samples specifically chosen for review sites and a handful of high-profile overclockers. Those well-known overclockers might appreciate receiving better parts than everyone else could hope to buy, but again, that doesn't help "the rest of us." Thus, we've made darn sure that every module in today’s comparison is available retail, and published prices even allow us to do a limited value assessment.

Less devious is the fact that module manufacturers battle each other over a limited supply of top memory chips, leaving many short on quantity. The easiest way to for a manufacturer to deal with a short supply of components is to raise its price on associated modules and module kits, so it can keep enough in stock to fill a reduced number of orders. But “overpricing” isn’t always the result of a single manufacturer’s parts shortage, as some re-bin the parts they do get and charge more for the “best of the best”. The result is a wide price range for modules of the same rated frequency.

Before we see how far these modules can really be pushed, let’s take a closer look at the features that make each of these products unique.