DriverHeaven.net: Geil Gaming Series PC2-6400 Quad

Test system setup

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 (OC @ 3.00GHz, 300MHz FSB)
Zerotherm BTF90 cooler
Motherboard: eVGA nForce 650i Ultra
HDD: Samsung 160JJ SATA-II
VGA: eVGA Geforce 7900GS
PSU: Hiper 5M730

Software used:
Sisoft Sandra 2007.5.11.35
Everest Ultimate Edition
PcMark 2005

In order to create a more ideal ‘real world’ scenario, we are using a system with a mildly overclocked popular Core 2 Duo processor. Since this set of modules is aimed firmly towards enthusiasts and gamers, they are far more likely to be found in a mid-range overclocked system than a very expensive but un-tweaked PC. Timings are manually set in the BIOS. Intel Speedstep technology is disabled.

This particular Black Dragon set is rated for operation at 1.8V, however we set the DIMM voltage at 2.0V in the BIOS in order to slightly enhance the overclocking abilities. The 650i chipset allows us to change the timings and the speed of the RAM modules without altering the speed of the processor, allowing the results to be comparable. We managed to run the modules up to 900MHz without loosening the timings any more. It is not a high overclock but you should take into account that the memory controller will be under considerably higher load with all of the banks populated. Running two sticks instead of four allowed us to push the modules to 980MHz with ease, but running them as a Quad channel set is the purpose of this review. We were also able to run the set at 800MHz with 4-4-4-12 timings without any problems, even by running the voltage down to the stock 1.8V, but they could not withstand timings any lower than these no matter the voltage.