Tech Link (Industry): A Tour Of The Kingston Memory Factory In Taiwan

THG have a "photo" story up and running about their trip to Kingston. I think they are pretty good and interesting, go check 'em out if it's yer thing...


Source:THG

Press Release: Corsair Announces World's Fastest DDR3 Memory

Oh dear, Corsair* just announced their fastest memory DDR3. The future of Intel chipset looks to be even brighter for the enthusiasts who crave for bigger, better, faster memory. The timings/latencies seems to be high right now, i.e. loose, but hey I am sure they'll improve with time. Check it out...

Optimized for Current and Future Intel Platforms, Corsair demonstrates production-ready DDR3-1600 DOMINATOR and previews next generation speed grade at DDR3-2000

COMPUTEX – Taipei, Taiwan (June 4, 2007) – Corsair® http://www.corsair.com, the worldwide leader in high performance computer and flash memory products, today unveiled the world’s fastest production DDR3 memory rated at a blazing-fast 1,600MHz (PC3-12,800) and the world preview of the Corsair DOMINATOR memory running at 2,000MHz (PC3-16,000). Live demonstration of the new DOMINATOR memory will be on display in the Corsair VIP suite (#1334) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The TWIN3X2048-1600C10D DOMINATOR is the latest addition to the Corsair line of high-performance memory modules. Also on display is the upcoming generation of DDR3 DOMINATORs, ranging from 1GB modules running at over 2,000MHz and 2GB modules showing performance promise for 64-bit based applications. All DDR3 products have been developed to support the new Intel® P35 and X38 Express platforms, ensuring customers of an extreme user experience whether for gaming or applications with high computing needs.

The TWIN3X2048-1600C10D DOMINATOR will be available shortly after Computex. Both XMS3 DHX and XMS3 Classic products are currently available through Corsair’s worldwide authorized dealer channel:

FAMILY PART NUMBER SPEED LATENCIES
DOMINATOR TWIN3X2048-1600C10D 1600MHz 10-8-8-24
XMS3 DHX TWIN3X2048-1333C9DHX 1333MHz 9-9-9-24
XMS3 CLASSIC TWIN3X2048-1333C9 1333MHz 9-9-9-24
TWIN3X2048-1066C7 1066MHz 7-7-7-21

All DDR3 modules operate at lower memory voltages to deliver better performance with the same amount of power when compared to DDR2. Dynamic I/O Signal Termination and On-die Dynamic Termination (ODT) reduce the reflective signals transmitted to standby RAMs, thereby enabling support for higher memory frequencies. A larger prefetch means more data is immediately available for the processor and the differential data strobe reduces noise while accessing data, especially at higher frequencies.

“Corsair is supporting the industry’s transition to DDR3 with a full line of highly-engineered memory solutions. Our partnerships with leading technology companies and suppliers have allowed us to be first-to-market with the world’s fastest production DDR3 memory and demonstrating our next generation DOMINATOR running at 2GHz,” said Jack Peterson, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “DDR3 memory technology brings scalability and features that DDR2 cannot deliver. The fact that we are able to realize 50% more memory speed rating at launch compared to the standard DDR3-1066 specification is simply stunning.” continued Peterson.

Like their DDR2 brethren, DDR3 DOMINATOR and XMS3 DHX feature Corsair’s patent-pending DHX technology - an innovative quad-layer heat sink design that optimizes memory performance and reliability by maximizing thermal dissipation. With DHX Technology, heat is removed via two paths – the leads of the BGA chips into the PCB (convective cooling) and the back of the BGA packages into the custom designed extruded aluminum heat sinks (conductive cooling).

“The enthusiast community demands solutions that push the envelope and are capable of delivering the highest level performance experience, and very fast DDR3 is the next step in delivering cutting-edge computing,” said Steve R. Peterson, Director of Chipset & Graphics Marketing, Intel. “We work closely with Corsair to help deliver a cutting edge experience for the enthusiast power user. Corsair’s release of the new DDR3-1600 DOMINATOR memory, combined with an Intel P35 or X38 Express chipset based motherboard, plus an Intel Extreme Edition CPU, shows just how exciting platforms based on DDR3 will be.”

Source:Corsair Announces World's Fastest DDR3 Memory

Tech Link (Chipset): Intel P35 Bearlake Motherboard And DDR3 Memory – Asus and Corsair

The lucky folks over at HotHardware managed to get themselves some cool motherboard and memory to play with. They have tested DDR3 and the newest motherboard from Asus with the latest chipset from Intel. They are pretty much happy with the results, check out the conclusion...

Performance Summary:
Over the course of our testing, we saw the new Intel P35 chipset and DDR3 memory combination offer up gains in the 2 - 5% range in various applications. This was largely attributed to the new Intel MCH and its improved access latency characteristics. There were several occasions where the P35 chipset driven Asus P5K3 Deluxe out-paced its 965 counterpart with the same DDR2 memory running in its DIMM slots. In terms of DDR3 memory, it's obvious the technology is still maturing somewhat but at its higher clock speeds, especially with a correspondingly higher FSB, there are significant gains to be had.



Intel's new Bearlake chipset family is off to a great start with the P35. Our first time out with this new chipset showed surprisingly good stability and performance with obvious headroom for growth. One look at a 1733MHz DDR3 clock speed and you can't help but get a little bit excited for what the future holds. The only caveat will be how quickly latency settings can be brought in line.

At this point in the game, if you were building a new system for work or pleasure, its probably doesn't make sense to spring for a DDR2 driven version of one of these new P35 motherboards, like the Asus P5K we tested. The product simply will have a more finite life-span with the inevitable migration to DDR3. In addition, DDR3 has a bit of growing-up to do for the next few months, so we'd recommend users wait and see what second generation products coming down the pipe will offer perhaps. Refinements in motherboard design are bound to be forthcoming, as well as tighter timings for DDR3.

Though, if you're itching for something to tinker with and spending a little extra cash on being an early adopter isn't out of the norm for you, we'd say jump in, the water is just fine. The P35 chipset with its snappy new memory controller impressed us more-so than many chipset product launches of late and we've seen plenty. What's perhaps more exciting is the upcoming X38 chipset with PCI Express 2.0 technology and a few extra lanes integrated with the chipset to boot. It's always hard to judge the entry point with a new platform but these are good problems to have.

Source:Intel P35 Bearlake Motherboard And DDR3 Memory – Asus and Corsair

Tech Link (Memory): Intel Initiates Widespread DDR3 Memory Chips Validation Ahead of New Platform Launch.

Looks like chipzilla is making sure that all is smooth as marble by the time they launch a platform based on DDR3. It;s all good, check out the news from XBitLabs.

Intel Corp., the world’s largest supplier of x86 central processing units and supporting chipsets, has begun to publish details about next-generation DDR3 memory chips that are certified to be compatible with the company’s forthcoming core-logic sets. So far seven of the world’s top dynamic random access memory suppliers have received validation from Intel.

So far Elpida Memory, Hynix Semiconductor, Micron Technology, Qimonda AG, Nanya and Samsung Electronics have received validation of their DDR3 memory chips from Intel. The list of validated memory modules is currently located at Intel’s web-site, days before the company plans to release its new platforms that use the new type of DRAM.

So far Intel has validated 512Mb and 1Gb memory chips with 800MHz and 1066MHz clock-speeds as well as CL5 5-5, CL6 6-6, CL7 7-7 or even CL8 8-8 latency settings. Specifications of Intel-validated memory components seem to be very conservative, as initially the company’s P35 and G33 chipsets will only support PC3-8500 (DDR3 1066MHz) memory, while more advanced X38 core-logic is set to support PC3-10600 (DDR3 1333MHz) memory speed in the third quarter of the year.

DDR3 memory is designed to increase performance and lower power consumption of DDR2 memory utilized today. The new memory standard features relatively low operating voltage of 1.5V, 8-bit pre-fetch architecture (compared to 4-bit pre-fetch buffer with DDR2), on-die termination (ODT), power-saving modes known as PASR (partial array self refresh) and ASR (auto self refresh) and some other capabilities.

The DDR3 memory will be able to operate at up to 1600MHz, but in the exchange for enhanced latencies of CAS (column address strobe) 5 to 10 (compared to CAS 3-6 on DDR2). Even though CL7 latency setting is considerably higher compared to CL5 of DDR2 at the same frequency, improved pre-fetch and other technical advantages of DDR3 versus DDR2 may help the new memory type to be as fast or even faster compared to the previous-gen one.

Demand for DDR3 is expected to emerge towards the end of the year. According to market research firm iSuppli, DDR3 will account for 25% of total DRAM shipments by the end of 2008 and dominate the market by 2010.

Source:Intel Initiates Widespread DDR3 Memory Chips Validation Ahead of New Platform Launch.

Tech Link (Memory): OC Report :: OCZ Reaper HPC 2x1GB PC9200 C5

3oh6 of XS has posted a nice OC report of one of the newest memory from OCZ*. And this memory is none other than the nice lookin' Reaper series. Better check it out for the full scoop. Expand to read more...

OCZ is not going to be a stranger to anyone reading this but these new modules that I am reporting on today may not have crossed everyones eyes. The Reaper HPC series is OCZ Technologies latest line of performance memory with an enhanced heatsink to help keep the memory running cool. The OCZ Reaper HPC comes in four flavours at the time of writing this report...2x1gb PC6400, 2x1gb PC6400 EB Edition, 2x1gb PC8500 and 2x1GB PC9200 kits. I will be clocking the PC9200 2GB kit.

I believe in full disclosure so I won't be hiding the fact that these modules are a review sample sent to me from OCZ. I have never been sent anything but random samples equating to average end-user results in the past and believe in the results as a single sample out of many. Here is a brief look at the specifications of the all black modules.

Source:OC Report :: OCZ Reaper HPC 2x1GB PC9200 C5

Press Release: OCZ Technology Announces Ultra-High Speed 1200MHz Flex XLC DDR2 Solution

OCZ* just ups the ante with theor Flex XLC (Xtreme Liquid Convection) DDR2 series of memory, and pushed it from DDR2-800MHz to a whooping DDR2-1200MHz. Wow, this is just crazy fast and the only caveat is that it runs at CL5 with 2.35v as stock vCore. But hey, it looks good and if it's from OCZ, I can only assume it still has room for overclock! Check it out...

OCZ Technology Announces Ultra-High Speed 1200MHz Flex XLC DDR2 Solution
2007-04-17

Sunnyvale, CA—April 17, 2007—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the PC2-9600 Flex XLC series. The latest edition to OCZ’s esteemed enthusiast lineup implements the proprietary Flex XLC design and is engineered to produce extreme speeds with rock-solid stability. The PC2-9600 Flex modules are guaranteed to run at 1200MHz with ease thanks to the supreme component screening and thermal management of “Flex.”

The new DDR2-1200 modules feature OCZ’s original Flex XLC (Xtreme Liquid Convention) heatsink which delivers superior heat dissipation via a hybrid copper and aluminum design alterable between passive air or water cooling. The Flex XLC module was engineered with this unique “flexible” design to give enthusiasts the option to run the modules passively or water cooled via the integrated liquid injection system. The concurrent use of both technologies (water-cooling) promotes maximum heat dissipation. Thanks to OCZ’s Flex XLC heat management solution, the OCZ PC2-9600 operates with an optimal balance of extreme speeds and low latency without the high temperatures that inhibit or damage the module’s ICs.

“Memory performance is the key to system performance,” commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. “In the complexity of today’s workloads, both speed and density are important factors when it comes to choosing memory solutions. The PC2-9600 Flex XLC kits satisfy both needs by providing 2GB of blazing fast DDR2 for even the most demanding applications. Moreover, the flexible cooling solution that can be adapted to either water or air cooling guarantees thermal balance even under extreme data traffic conditions.”

The PC2-9600 Flex XLC modules are optimized for the latest cutting edge platforms and will be available in 2GB (2x1024MB) dual channel kits. As part of OCZ’s line-up of premium memory, the DDR2-1200 series is backed by a Lifetime Warranty and industry-leading technical support. Harnessing the performance of high speeds and leading-edge heat dissipation, the unparalleled design of the OCZ PC2-9600 Flex XLC is a complete, all-encompassing solution for today’s performance-chasing enthusiasts.

For more information on the OCZ PC2-9600 Flex XLC Series, please visit our product page here.

Source:OCZ Technology Announces Ultra-High Speed 1200MHz Flex XLC DDR2 Solution

Tech Link (Memory): GeIL USA, Inc. announced the new “Esoteria Series”

OverclockersClub has a scoop on GeIL*'s newest RAM. I haven't seen any official release yet, but as per the source, it's an enthusiast-focused memory, with speed, overclockability, and beautiful looks. I mean, carbon fiber on the heatspreader, sounds great. I can't wait to see a review. GeIL, if you are reading this, send me a kit!

OverclockersClub - Esoteria, or Esoteric, means specialized or advanced in nature, available only to a narrow circle of people that are highly knowledgeable. Like the name suggests, this Series of memory is specialized in nature, designed with the enthusiasts in mind. Racing-inspired, the Esoteria Series is screaming for speed while boasting real carbon-fiber integrated onto the heat-spreaders. The carbon fiber is made by renowned aftermarket BMW Tuner-Vorsteiner with dry vacuumed form inspired by F1 racing technology. This is no wannabe imitation of fake carbon fiber. Each of the Esoteria carbon fiber heat-spreader requires being hand crafted for proper fitment. GeIL didn’t just stop at the looks. After all, it is what’s under the hood that counts. Optimized SPD to couple with the high-grade chips used in the Esoteria, overclockability has been increased while retaining stability. Due to the advanced and complexity nature of this product, it will be shipped in limited quantities.

Source:GeIL USA, Inc. announced the new “Esoteria Series”

Press Release: OCZ Technology Unveils PC2-9200 Reaper HPC Series, the World’s Fastest Memory with Passive Heatpipe Cooling System

I have posted their younger brother before, but now it's even faster. OCZ* is officially announcing their latest products to hit the market. I really find the cooler very similar to Thermalright's HR-07 cooler. Many may find this a little interesting, some may find it annoying, but one thing is sure, it will have great warranty and support that is to be expected from OCZ. Check them out...

OCZ Technology Unveils PC2-9200 Reaper HPC Series, the World’s Fastest Memory with Passive Heatpipe Cooling System
2007-04-03

Sunnyvale, CA—April 3, 2007—OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced a high-speed version of the new OCZ Reaper HPC memory line, a PC2-9200 rated kit, making it the world’s fastest memory that takes advantages of the heatpipe design to effectively offload heat and increase performance and stability. This unique Reaper HPC (Heat Pipe Conduit) heatspreader is engineered to deliver superior silent heat dissipation over traditional heatspreaders.

As part of one of OCZ’s high performance memory designs, PC2-9200 Reaper HPC modules are designed to achieve exceptionally high frequencies while maintaining aggressive timings and system stability. The new Reaper DDR2-1150 is the premier, cutting-edge solution for enthusiasts building a performance machine.

“With ultra-high speed memory comes the need for extreme cooling solutions that can be extremely costly or else rely on smart features borrowed from other cooling areas,” commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. “The Reaper HPC series is the first implementation of heat-pipe technology on memory modules using phase change technology for smart management of the thermal dissipation of one of the world's fastest memory modules, namely the PC2-9200 Reaper.”

The Reaper HPC is an innovative cooling solution developed by OCZ to effectively minimize heat produced by high-speed memory. As heat rises into the thermo-conductive copper heat pipe conduit, it is dissipated through the strategically-placed compact aluminum fin array. By guiding performance-robbing heat away from key memory components, the unique Reaper HPC design helps facilitate improved overclocking performance, while improving longevity and stability of the modules.

The PC2-9200 Reaper HPC modules are optimized for the latest cutting edge motherboards and will be available in 2GB (2x1024MB) dual channel kits. Like all OCZ premium memory, the PC2-9200 Reaper series is backed by a Lifetime Warranty and industry-leading technical support for unparalleled peace of mind.

For more information on the OCZ PC2-9200 Reaper HPC series, please visit our product page here.

Source:OCZ Technology Unveils PC2-9200 Reaper HPC Series, the World’s Fastest Memory with Passive Heatpipe Cooling System

Press Release: Super Talent Announces 4 GigaByte DDR2-800 Gaming Kit

SuperTalent, a memory company, has announced that they are joining the lucrative memory market with 4GB capacity and 800MHz speed. That's a lot of RAM, even by today's standard and it should be targetted for those users going for Microsoft* Vista. I am not excited with this announcement, it should have been released sooner rather than later. Anyway, check out their press release.

San Jose, California – March 26, 2007 -- Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of DRAM memory modules and flash products, today announced a new 4 GigaByte 800MHz DDR2 memory kit that is ideal for gamers and enthusiasts. The new T800UX4GC5 is a matched pair of 2 GigaByte 800MHz DDR2 non-ECC unbuffered 240-pin DIMMs. This kit has been tested and is guaranteed to operate at 800MHz in a dual channel motherboard at 5-5-5-15 latencies at 2.1 Volts. Each module is constructed using sixteen 128Mbit x 8 FBGA chips organized into a dual-rank 256M x 64 module, and clad in Super Talent’s blue cast aluminum HE heatspreader.

“A fast new breed of affordable gigabit DDR2 IC’s is now making new modules feasible that three months ago were impractical”, stated Joe James, Marketing Director at Super Talent Technology. “This kit is ideal for memory hungry applications running in Windows™ XP x64 and Windows Vista™ Ultimate operating systems, allowing customers a path to 8 GigaBytes of system memory by using two kits”, Mr. James added.

These modules are manufactured and tested in Super Talent’s state-of-the-art Silicon Valley factory. Every Super Talent module built is hand tested in a motherboard under load to ensure the highest level of reliability. The T800UX4GC5 kit will be available this week at an estimated street price of $438.

Source:Super Talent Announces 4 GigaByte DDR2-800 Gaming Kit

Press Release: OCZ Technology Announces Groundbreaking PC2-6400 NVIDIA SLI-Ready Certified Modules with 1T Command Rate

Wohoo, another great memory from my favorite memory manufacturer OCZ. The memory looks very sleek, and sexy! Gotta love the black color and the SLI logo. Go go go OCZ! Expand to read the full press release.

OCZ Technology Announces Groundbreaking PC2-6400 NVIDIA SLI-Ready Certified Modules with 1T Command Rate
2007-03-29


Sunnyvale, CA—March 29, 2007—OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the latest addition to the award-winning OCZ NVIDIA® SLI™ certified series, the PC2-6400 SLI-Ready DDR2 modules. Optimized specifically for current and next generation nForce platforms, this series features reduced latencies and a 1T command rate for ultra fast memory accesses at 800MHz data rate.

As part of the NVIDIA SLI technology ecosystem, these modules undergo a rigorous series of tests by NVIDIA and are certified to provide enthusiasts and gamers the performance, compatibility, and stability they seek when building an SLI gaming system. Tailor-made for the NVIDIA gamer, each OCZ PC2-6400 certified module features the exclusive black SLI-Ready XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreader.

“With increasing system memory density, the number of interleaved banks of memory increases and therefore creates a need for more commands to keep data transfers running smoothly,” commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. “It is obvious that this can be achieved by maintaining one command per clock cycle even at high operating frequencies. The new OCZ 800MHz SLI-Ready series is the world’s first memory series to fulfill the criteria required by NVIDIA for full qualification as a 1T SLI high speed memory, thereby furthering the leading role of OCZ Technology as a leading edge enabler of high performance platforms.”

PC2-6400 memory modules are built with an EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) programmed SPD to provide a true Plug and Play overclocking feature that eliminates the need for manual configuration and makes memory optimization easy for the complete range of consumers. With this option, the PC2-6400 SLI certified memory boots with the aggressive timings of 4-4-4 1T on compatible NVIDIA nForce SLI MCPs boards.

All SLI-Ready memory is 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and furthermore, each OCZ SLI-Ready module is backed by the industry leading OCZ Lifetime Warranty and technical support for unparalleled peace of mind.

For more information on the new OCZ PC2-6400 SLI-Ready DDR2 series, please visit our product page here.

Source:OCZ Technology Announces Groundbreaking PC2-6400 NVIDIA SLI-Ready Certified Modules with 1T Command Rate

Tech Link (RAM): CellShock DDR2 1000 2GB Memory Kit

LegitReviews has a pretty RAM on their test bench. It doesn't have flashy LEDs or crazy design for its heatspreader, but the style is just sexy. If you are craving for some RAM review, check this out and see if it suits your taste.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts
This Cell Shock DDR2 1000 2GB kit was a great memory kit to be introduced to. The memory modules that I was able to use were found to be of high quality and featured a unique design to the heat spreader. More specifically, it uses the ever popular Micron D9GKX memory IC's, is built on an 8 layer PCB and it has a classy, yet well built heatspreader. It performed very well, in fact, very comparable to our Corsair ram that we tested against, so it is certainly able to hang with the big names here in the United States.

Overclocking results were actually pretty good, and gave a good boost in performance. With the option to link or unlink ram these days on the newer motherboard chipsets, it means that tweaking is nearly endless when using a pair of modules like these! This makes it fun for the most detailed of enthusiast, and this Cell Shock plays nice at various timings and voltages.

I was only able to find this memory at one online store in the US, at Tankguys.com. They have it priced at $419.00, which seems like a pretty penny, but numerous other brands are asking this much, if not more, for comparable memory kits these days. The one thing that concerns me the most with the price tag on this memory kits is that it ONLY comes with a 5-year warranty. In an industry where everyone else has lifetime warranties on their modules this is an interesting move. For a ~$400 memory kit one would expect that it would have a lifetime warranty, but this one does not.

The Legit Bottom Line:
This Cell Shock DDR2 1000 2GB kit is certainly worthy of your time and attention if you are in the market for ram. It performs great, overclocks decent. The only drawback may be the warranty and price for a relative unknown in the US market... the sticker price might just give you "Cell Shock," but remember, you get what you pay for!

Source:CellShock DDR2 1000 2GB Memory Kit

Tech Link (Memory): Intel to sample phase change memory in 1H 2007

I missed this news from EETimes so I am posting it now. This isn't your typical sub-cooling thingy so don't mistake it for that. Anyway, if you're insterested about this technology, expand for more. I haven't really read up much about this, but the advantage is huge (compared to FLASH memory with 10,000 writes vs 100 million writes for PCM) since it's Intel driving it. And when I say Intel, it means "mass production", and mass production means affordable pricing for most usage.

Intel to sample phase change memory in 1H 2007
Peter Clarke
(03/06/2007 12:44 PM EST)
URL: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197800524

LONDON — Intel Corp. (Santa Clara, Calif.) is preparing to sample a 90-nm 128-Mbit phase change memory to customers in the first half of 2007. Mass production could begin before the end of 2007 the chip giant said.
The memory is being introduced as a drop-in replacement for NOR flash non-volatile memory although its perfromance characteristics means it could be used it a greater range of applications and come to replace in DRAM in some systems, Intel said.

Brian Harrison, vice president of the flash memory group (FMG) at Intel and Ed Doller, chief technology officer of FMG, revealed the move at a meeting for analysts and press held in California on Tuesday (March 6).

Intel has been a licensee of chalcogenide-based phase change memory technology from Ovonyx Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices Inc. (Rochester Hills, Mich.), since about 2000. Over this period Intel has been actively researching the technology even though Energy Conversion Devices has been touting the technology, without commercial success, for more than 30 years.

Intel and European chip maker STMicroelectronics NV announced they had teamed up their research on chalcogenide-based phase-change memory as a likely successor to flash as a non-volatile memory, in June 2006.

Interest in phase-change and other non-volatile memory technologies has increased markedly in the last five or six years as there are increasing concerns that flash memory may struggle to scale. Qimonda AG, formerly the memory operation of Infineon Tecnologies AG, is researching phase-change memory technology with IBM Corp. and Macronix of Hsinchu, Taiwan.

At the ISSCC in February 2007 Renesas Technology Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. discussed a phase-change non-volatile memory module for integration on microcontrollers used in embedded systems.

Doller told the meeting that Intel's 128-Mbit phase-change memory had demonstrated 100 million read-write cycles of endurance and a capability for much greater than 10 years data retention. "The phase-change memory gets pretty close to Nirvana," Doller said. "It will start to displace some of the RAM in the system."


Doller added that the samples that would be going out to customers were designed to be a drop-in NOR flash replacement. "We're going to be using this to allow customers to get familiar with the technology and help us architect the next generation device," said Doller. "That dialog is happening right now."

Doller added that the technology was showing good robustness against temperature: "We don't see any issue meeting industrial [temperature range]..."

When asked when the phase change memory would go into mass production Doller said: "We're hoping we can see production by the end of the year, but that depends on the customers."

Source:Intel to sample phase change memory in 1H 2007

Press Release: OCZ Technology Unveils the PC2-8500 Reaper HPC Series—High Performance Memory Modules with Sophisticated Passive Cooling Solution

Wow, great work OCZ!!! I always loved new products, specially if it comes from OCZ. Hopefully, these new models are more affordable, and still performing quite well. I just wonder if they are using Thermaltake's RAM cooler or Thermalright's.

Sunnyvale, CA—February 21, 2007—OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today unveiled the OCZ PC2-8500 Reaper HPC Series. This 2GB dual channel kit features the proprietary OCZ Reaper HPC (Heat Pipe Conduit) heatspreader, engineered to deliver superior silent heat dissipation over traditional heatspreaders.

The Reaper HPC is an innovative cooling solution developed by OCZ to effectively minimize heat produced by high-speed memory. As heat rises into the thermo-conductive copper heat pipe conduit, it is dissipated through the strategically-placed compact aluminum fin array. By guiding performance-robbing heat away from key memory components, the unique Reaper HPC design helps facilitate improved overclocking performance, while improving longevity and stability of the modules.

“Overclocking and efficient cooling do not have to be noisy. The Reaper HPC series integrates silent heat pipe technology into a premium memory product line to assure perfect thermal management of the latest generation of OCZ high-speed DDR2 modules,” commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. ”Any noise-conscious end user relying on silent passive cooling while demanding the highest performance will embrace the quality balance of features and innovative design found in the new Reaper HPC series.”

The first modules to be incorporated with the new Reaper heatsink are rated at 1066MHz and run at CL 5-5-5. Featuring an EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) programmed SPD, PC2-8500 Reaper HPC modules will immediately boot at the rated specs on the latest generation of NVIDIA® SLI™ chipsets. Although the OCZ Reaper HPC series was coined for enthusiasts, EPP eliminates the need for manual configuration and makes memory optimizations a household item for the complete range of consumers looking to maximize system performance through overclocking.

The PC2-8500 Reaper HPC series will be available in 2GB (2x1024MB) dual channel kits. As part of OCZ’s line-up of premium memory, PC2-8500 modules are backed by a Lifetime Warranty and industry-leading technical support.

For more information on the OCZ PC2-8500 Reaper HPC Series, please visit our product page here.

Source:OCZ Technology Unveils the PC2-8500 Reaper HPC Series—High Performance Memory Modules with Sophisticated Passive Cooling Solution

Tech Link (Industry); DDR3 mobos will ship in mid 2007

XS member, metroc.cl, has shared info that DDR3 mobos will ship in midyear. Earlier, he posted a DDR3-based mobo and in this current posting, he is now showing some DDR3 modules.

If you are wondering what benefit DDR3 would bring, I suggest reading up an article over at LostCircuits. I suggest you guys review this link, though it's been quite dated already (and focusing on GDDR3). Expand for more...

Hello Guys,
i just got info from supertalent that DDR3 motherboard will start shipping in mid 2007, that DDR3 wont be pin compatible with DDR2.


Also they already have finished prototypes of DDR3 they are testing the in several mobos now.

All this info will be public tomorrow when ST releases their newsletter, if you want to sign up in supertalents newsletter, check their home page and you have to look at the right side

Source:DDR3 mobos will ship in mid 2007

Tech Link (Memory): DDR2-667 and DDR2-800: An 11-kit Overclocking Comparison

I really need to visit Hardware Upgrade site more frequently so I don't miss out on their nifty articles. They just posted a review of massive dual channel kits available today in the market. Expand for more...

Expand this article to read more.

Conclusion
The test results we received today leave plenty of room for reflection. Looking at the DDR2-667 category, only two kits out of the four tested reached and exceeded DDR2-800 (400MHz). It is highly probably that the overclocking success of the modules that exceeded DDR2-800 can be accredited to the Micron D9 chips which both the Team Group DDR2-667 and Geil DDR2-667 kits used.

Looking at PC2-6400 kits we tested, we find the results to be quite varied. Mushkin’s branding system seems to have worked quite well to classify their products. Their “EP” (Extreme Performance) memory had an overclock of 30% while their “EM” (Enhanced Memory) had an overclock of 17.5%. Their High Performance memory, HP, only experienced an overclock of 12.71%. The HP kit also ended up being the lowest priced kit out of all three Mushkin kits. The GSkill modules didn’t display much potential for serious overclockers either, coming in at only 450 MHz.

The OCZ kits we tested all had rather constrained increments in overclocking. It seems that the primary focus for the modules was to offer a sure guarantee of running at rated speeds and voltages while being aesthetically pleasing. In other words, they weren’t really meant for venturing far past default frequencies.

Pricing for the modules greatly varied according to manufacturer and speed. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find the pricing of the Cellshock modules simply because of a lack of online retailers actually selling the product. If anyone does happen to come by the price with a link, please feel free to drop us an email. Please also note that these prices aren’t the manufacturer suggested retail prices. Instead, they are the lowest price we could find for these modules online. To view our sources for the pricing, please download this excel file. All prices are for 2 x 1Gb kits.

As we said in the introduction of the article, pretty much all modules tested are available at an affordable price. The lowest priced memory kit with a Micron D9 chip was the Geil PC2-5400 Ultra, coming in at $224. Incidentally, the Geil PC2-5400 Ultra offered very impressive overclocking performance for its price. The Mushkin XP2-6400 was the most expensive solution tested, and although it did offer a decent overclock, the performance it offered was virtually the same as the Geil PC2-5400 Ultra. The two Teamgroup kits, which ended up having the highest maximum frequencies, were the second and third most expensive kits. The Teamgroup DDR2-667, however, still ended up being a sub-300 dollar solution.

As can be plainly seen, the results of our tests make available an overclocking solution to pretty much every segment of the market. Modules based on the Micron D9 chip dominated the overclocking tests, and it seems that companies still have not been able to come up with a proper alternative memory chip that is as versatile and offers comparable performance. The Teamgroup kits had the highest overclocked frequencies; however, the Geil PC2-5400 in our opinion was able to offer the highest overall performance for its price. As is evident from reading the article, the primary focus of this article was sheer overclocking of memory kits in the mid-range memory segment. We hope to have a more in-depth performance article for these modules written soon.

Source:DDR2-667 and DDR2-800: An 11-kit Overclocking Comparison

Tech Link (Memory): Corsair Dominator DDR2-1111: Dual-Path Cooling Pushes Performance

AMDTech has a new memory review. They were able to request a new set of goodies from Corsair*. I am not against such RAM, but lately, things are really getting boring. I mean, yes, these RAM are great, they ran at DDR2-1111, cool. But hey, did you know that you need 2.4v to make it run at that stock speed? When will they ever reached such speed within the JEDEC standard.

I'm sure hardcore enthusiasts will not have any issues shoving such voltage, provided their motherboard can supply a stable and clean vDIMM. But hey, this DDR2 memory needs to mature, and fast. I am always excited to see fast DDR2, but I am disheartened to know that they must have such high voltage requirement to run at their stock settings. I guess I'll have to stick with my Micron DDR2-533MHz which can run at DDR2-1000@2.7v@CL5-5-5-15. True, not the best timing, but hey this RAM is like 2+ years old already and I never even have fancy coolers over these RAMs. This is why I am not prepared to shove anything higher than 2.4v on these DIMMs anymore, since the new RAMs I am seeing is basically the same anyway, just with better cooling. Oh well, enough with the New Year rant and go check out the review.

Final Words

As was mentioned in the recent review of OCZ Flex XLC, the best DDR2 memory in the market is able to run at DDR2-800 3-3-3 timings and DDR2-1066 at 4-4-3. Those performance levels still have not changed. However Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 has added a new benchmark for enthusiast memory of DDR2-1233 at 4-4-4-12 timings. It was exciting to be running DDR2-1067 at 4-4-3 timings and reaching DDR2-1100 at 4-4-4 was something once thought impossible for DDR2. Now with Dominator running DDR2-1233 at 4-4-4 timings memory performance has pushed the envelope even further.

Now that memory is unified, with all major platforms running DDR2, the performance of DDR2 has moved forward with incredible speed. It doesn't appear Micron D can be pushed much further - even with aggressive binning - so we wonder what the next milestone will be and which memory chip or memory manufacturer will take us there.

For now if you are looking for the very best overclocking memory you can buy for your new rig, then Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 should definitely be on your list. So should OCZ PC2-9200 Flex XLC. Both memories provide remarkable performance and push DDR2 performance to new levels. The absolute fastest memory tested is definitely Corsair Dominator DDR2-1111, which reached DDR2-1315 at 5-5-5-15 timings and the even more remarkable DDR2-1233 at 4-4-4-12 timings. If your platform will be 680i or 650i then Dominator is your best choice. OCZ Flex XLC is a bit slower at DDR2-1300 on the same platform, but it is also an excellent choice.

If your new rig will use an Intel 965X chipset then Corsair Dominator is again a good choice. We reached over DDR2-1200 on an ASUS P5B in very limited testing. For a 975x motherboard we would tip the scales to the OCZ Flex XLC. Flex seems more at home on the demanding 975X platform and reaches higher overclocks, but Dominator is no slouch on the 975X either. The Corsair Dominator may be just an SPD upgrade away from being equally excellent on the ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe.

It's a lot of fun reviewing memory like the Corsair Dominator. It certainly isn't cookie cutter, and the performance levels reached truly make the testing worth the effort. Corsair has done a good job in analyzing the problems with pushing DDR2 speed, and their solution is both unique and effective. The 4-layer fins on Dominator cool very well, and when coupled with the three-fan and near silent airflow memory cooler, you can take DDR2 to new speed levels. The same can be said for the recently reviewed OCZ Flex XLC, which finds a different but equally effective solution to pushing memory speed to higher levels.

The question that remains is whether the speed gains also yield the performance increase that make the product worth what it costs. The unfortunate reality with Core 2 Duo and AMD is that neither platform is particularly bandwidth starved or bandwidth sensitive. This means the sometimes massive DDR2 speed increase we are seeing in innovative new designs like the Corsair Dominator often make only a small difference in bottom-line performance. Performance is better with the higher speeds as clearly demonstrated in out test results, but the real increases are very small.

The question then is whether memory that sells for $600 for a 2GB kit is worth it. You can certainly buy a 2GB kit for less than half that price that will provide most of the performance of the $600 kit. For those who measure their system purchases on a value basis it will be difficult to justify $600 for Corsair Dominator PC2-1111, even though it is the fastest memory we have tested. However, Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 was not designed for the value buyer. Many other companies, including Corsair, have memory products that will satisfy the value equation. Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 is for buyers who have to have the best - the fastest - the top performance - regardless of cost. If they buy PC2-8888 they will definitely get the best available on the memory market.

The Airflow fan unit is also available at Newegg and other vendors for about $20. If you have enthusiast memory or overclock, the Corsair Airflow fan is a great and useful accessory and a very good value for what it does. When you consider an 80mm fan jury-rigged into place will already cost $5-10, the $20 Airflow looks better, installs easier, and doesn't cost much at all - and it just might extend the life of your RAM if you run at higher voltages.

Source:Corsair Dominator DDR2-1111: Dual-Path Cooling Pushes Performance

Tech Link (Memory): Crucial Ballistix DDR2 PC2 8000 (1000Mhz) 2 gig kit

Xtremecomputing reviews this baby, a mouthful 2GB dual channel kit memory modules. I am not sure why they seem impressed when this baby ran DDR2-1000@CL5-5-5-14@2.3v vs it's rated spec of DDR2-1000@CL5-5-5-15@2.2v. I mean, they even called it overclocking and added a fan to achieve that. Oh well, if you are impressed with such (I am not), go give it a try. The only thing I like in that review is that they used this RAM on Chipzilla platform. Expand for more..

The Crucial story starts with Micron Technology, Inc., one of the largest dynamic random access memory (DRAM) manufacturers in the world and the only one based in the U.S. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Micron manufactures DRAM chips and assembles them into high-quality memory modules for sale to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") worldwide. Over the past 26 years, Micron has learned that when you make some of the very best memory in the world, lots of companies want it, from computer makers to wireless device manufacturers to printer producers.

But then Micron asked, well, what about the end user? What about the everyday folks who want to upgrade their existing systems with OEM-quality memory—the home desktop user, the IT network guy, the student notebook user? Why don't we offer our memory to the public, at factory-direct pricing? So in 1996,

Source:Crucial Ballistix DDR2 PC2 8000 (1000Mhz) 2 gig kit

Press Release: August 28, 2006: Corsair Introduces Revolutionary Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) Memory Technology

Corsair* released an awesome DDR2 memory. This is the fastest memory to date, oozing with 1111MHz of frequency with CAS latency of 4! Now that's a lot of FSB, imagine, 555MHz FSB 1:1 will be a reality. And oh, I almost forgot, these babies now come with what they call DHX (Dual-path Heat Xchange) for better cooling and of course, better overclockability!!! Expand for more...

Corsair unveils the latest innovation in high performance module design, Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHXTM) technology. This performance and reliability enhancing technology will be available in the latest memory product line from Corsair also launched today, the DHX XMS2 DOMINATORTM Series. The advances provided by DHX enable the world's first PC2-8888 C4 (1111MHz at CAS Latency 4) speed rating on a production pair of 1 GByte modules.

Source:August 28, 2006: Corsair Introduces Revolutionary Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) Memory Technology

Tech Link (Memory): Corsair and OCZ: New Standards in Fast DDR2

An article posted over at AMDTech pits two memory giants head to head. OCZ* and Corsair*, both of which I love, has been known to provide quality memory to enthusiasts. DDR2 really has come a long way, and it has matured already, with frequency offering that DDR1 can only dream of.

It is fair to ask which is better, the Corsair 6400C3 or the OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000? The answer depends on what you are looking for. Performance on both of these top memories is all but identical, and it is equally outstanding. We have to look elsewhere for differences. We find that difference in voltage requirements. The Corsair 6400C3 requires less voltage at almost every speed to reach the same performance level. In fact the Corsair generally requires less voltage at each speed than any of our previously tested High-performance DDR2. Some will see this as a great advantage for Corsair 6400C3 and we would agree.

The other side of the coin is the fact that OCZ binned their VX2 memory for higher voltages, and the fact that a bit more voltage is required at each speed should not be a surprise. Offsetting this is the reassurance from OCZ than you can run their VX2 memory up to 2.525V without affecting your Lifetime Warranty. We could find no case in our testing where higher voltage on VX2 gave us more performance than the Corsair, but we were testing with air cooling and an extra fan. Those who can cool their memory with more effective solutions may find they can squeeze a bit more performance from the OCZ VX2.

It is remarkable to us that Corsair and OCZ took such different approaches when using the same Micron memory chips and yet ended up with such similar performance. The Corsair CM2X1024 6400C3 and the OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 are currently at the top of the DDR2 performance pyramid. Either can provide results that is the best available in DDR2. Beyond that you will need to compare price and how you will use the memory to reach a decision between the two. Neither of these stellar performers is a good choice in an average system as they are both far too expensive to deliver good value. However, if you demand the best, either of these top-performing memories will deliver the goods.

Source:Corsair and OCZ: New Standards in Fast DDR2

Article: Kingston® KVR533D2N4K2/1G Dual Channel Kit Value RAM (Affordable Overclocker's RAM?)

Kingston* is one of the leading and world reknowned memory manufacturer. While they have many OEM memory, they are also now a known within the Enthusiast community, specially their infamous HyperX memory. On top of this market segment, Kingston* is also manufacturing many retail memory for the end users, and targetted at the value segment. It is in this segment that this review will be focusing on, but don't get frustrated, in this review, overclockability will also be explored. Click here to check the review or expand for more.

The Kingston® KVR533D2N4K2/1G Dual Channel Kit ValuRAM is a kit of two(2) with 64M x 64bit (512MB) DDR2 running on 533MHz with CL4 timing. The total kit capacity is 1GB (2x512MB) and the components on each module include eight(8) 64M x 8bit (16M x 8bit x 4 Bank) DDR2-533MHz SDRAM in FBGA packge, and requires 1.8v to operate properly.

Source:Article: Kingston® KVR533D2N4K2/1G Dual Channel Kit Value RAM (Affordable Overclocker's RAM?)