With the overflow of enthusiast oriented RAM reviews one could forget that middle range, competitively priced RAM actually exists. There was a time, thankfully short, where users had to pick either low priced value modules or very expensive enthusiast modules. Today companies offer a wide range of products so users can pick whichever they feel will perform best in their systems and provide them the best value for money. Today we will take a look at a middle range 2GB RAM kit from Mushkin, the HP3200 (model number 991434).

The HP3200 2GB kit that we have here today may not be the fastest kit available on the market, however it does not cost much more than low end RAM modules. To further make the deal sweeter, it is backed up by a lifetime warranty, carries heatspreaders and boasts 2/3/2 RAM latency at 200MHz (400MHz DDR) which are nearly the fastest any DDR RAM can handleat those speeds and fantastic for a 2GB kit. However the overclocking capability and performance of this kit remain in question, so let us have a closer look at it.

Manufacturer specifications

Frequency: 400MHz
Latency: 2-3-2
Parity: Unbuffered
Voltage: 2.6V-2.8V
Pins: 184
Density: Module: 128Mx64, Chip: 64Mx8

“This 128Mx64 HP3200 module is an unbuffered 184-Pin Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous DRAM Dual In-Line Memory Module (DIMM), organized as a dual-bank high-speed memory array. 64Mx8 chip density. This DIMM achieves high-speed data transfer rates of up to 400MHz. Rated 2-3-2 at 400MHz.”

Packaging and the modules

The packaging of the modules is not anything special, but it is sufficient to keep them safe. There are not many RAM module packages which can be considered special anyway and we did not expect to see one of them being used to protect middle range products. Mushkin was clever enough to seal the plastic packaging so one cannot open it without damaging it, assuring the buyer and storekeeper that the product has been untampered with.

The modules certainly look much better than the vast array of cheap, bare modules we are used to seeing. That is mostly because of the heatspreaders but the black PCB helps as well. The heatspreaders are blue and are connected on the top of the modules, creating a semicircles pattern. This is mostly to make the modules look better, but can actually aid their cooling a little bit due to the larger heatspreader surface. On both sides of the heatspreaders we have the Muskin logo. The heatspreaders are attached well, making contact with all of the chips on the module. We did not remove the heatspreaders but were informed by Mushkin that these modules carry Infineon BE-5 chips.