|
Packaging and
Installation
We are used to seeing memory arrive to us in the standard plastic bubble
package. Crucial sent theirs in a nice cardboard box.
As you can see, the RAM is
very secure in the box with individual slots for the RAM and each stick
in its own static pack. Memory installation is extremely
simple, align the notch, push down. Make sure you put the sticks
in their proper slot to give you dual channel performance.
Testing and Overclocking
For this review we'll be
using an eVGA nForce 680i motherboard which is based on nvidia's 680i
chipset. The CPU is overclocked to 3.2GHz using a 400MHz FSB and voltage
of 1.325. Here is a basic rundown of the test system:
|
Hardware |
Model |
|
Motherboard: |
eVGA nforce 680i SLI |
|
CPU |
Intel C2D E6400 |
|
Video Card |
eVGA 8800GTS 320 |
|
Storage |
Seagate 400GB SATA |
|
Optical |
Lite-On 16X DVD+/-RW with
Lightscribe |
|
Memory |
Crucial Ballistix Tracer
PC2-8500 |
|
Cooling |
Corsair Nautilus 500 Water
cooling kit |
According to Crucials website, it's safe to run the memory at 2.2v.
For overclocking, I used 2.4v. It's generally safe to increase
the voltage by 0.2v, but check with the manufacturer to see if this
voids the warranty. You
can overclock this memory a couple of ways, manually or using the EPP
settings.
EPP and SLI-Ready
Memory Explained
The EPP feature only works with "SLI-Ready"
memory. The SLI-Ready Memory setting in the bios is, in my opinion,
for the inexperienced, and/or to quickly setup the memory bus speed
settings. It identifies the memory and correctly sets the memory bus
speed. It does not change anything else, including memory timings.
Not to knock the EPP feature, but EPP is not a magical setting that
will automatically overclock memory or lower memory timings below
factory recommendations. SLI-Ready memory will work with just about
any non EPP motherboard and you do not need SLI-Ready memory to run
in a SLI motherboard. EPP and SLI-Ready memory is only an
enhancement feature. I decided to set the BIOS to expert and
manually configure the memory.
Results
While I didn't expect the memory
to overclock very much, I was able to get a little more out of it. I was able to
push the memory to 1250MHz. I was impressed with the memory's
ability to overclock, while keeping the memory at its
default timings of 5-5-5-15. This
provided a nice little boost in performance.
 |
 |
|
