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Ever since DDR3 hit the market, there really hasn't been a whole lot to get excited about. Sure we had the new cutting edge systems, but the memory performance of DDR3 compared to the low latencies and blazing speed of DDR2 didn't excite the enthusiast crowd. The fact is, DDR3 has been a hard sell...until now. With Intel releasing the Core i7, there is finally something to get excited about. The Intel Core i7 and the Triple Channel technology has made the move to DDR3 far more appealing, maybe even mandatory. Triple Channel memory technology has literally doubled memory bandwidth, leaving DDR2 in the dust and totally obsolete. Today we take a look at a new Triple Channel kit from our friends over at OCZ in the form of the PC3-10666 Platinum Series. This kit, part number OCZ3P1333LV3GK, contains three 1 gigabyte DDR3 memory modules designed specifically for the Intel Core i7 platforms. This kit could also be used for any system running DDR3, including all 32 and 64-bit operating systems. For 64-bit users who need more than 3GB of memory, OCZ also has 6 and 12 gigabyte kits.
Specs:
Triple Channel Memory Defined The Intel® Core i7 family of processors is the first to introduce triple channel DDR3 memory support. This new technology will take memory data transfer rates to the next level. With dual channel memory support, there are 2 memory channels. With Triple Channel, there are simply 3 memory channels. With Triple Channel technology, data bandwidth actually doubles to rates of up to 25.6 GB/s when operated in triple channel interleaved mode. Furthermore, the memory controller for the i7 is located on-die, which helps increase memory performance as well. Memory Voltage and the Intel Core i7 Over the past few months there has been some confusion and controversy over the memory voltage requirements on the Intel Core i7 platform. Apparently there were quite a few people who didn't realize the required memory voltage was much less than they had thought, causing some proud i7 owners to fry their new processor. Soon after Intel released the Core i7 they released a statement saying the recommended DDR3 voltage was 1.5 volts and to NOT over-volt the DDR3 because it can damage the integrated memory controller in the Core i7 processor. From that statement, along with numerous blogs from Core i7 owners, one can assume the Core i7 should ONLY be used with 1.5 volt DDR3 memory. So 1.5 volts is the law right? Wrong... Since the initial Core i7 release, Intel has eased up on the voltage requirements. According to Intel, the DDR3 voltage on Core i7 platform should be 1.5v, not to exceed 1.65 volts. Here is the official Intel statement: "Intel recommends using memory that adheres to the Jedec memory specification for DDR3 memory which is 1.5 volts. The Intel® Core™ i7 processors should not be used with DDR3 memory that is rated for voltage over 1.65 volts. Anything over this voltage can either damage the processor or significantly reduce the processor life span." Thankfully, overclockers have a little voltage leeway to play with. Just remember that the main concern by over-volting your DDR3 is damaging the Core i7 processor, not the memory itself. Therefore, you should definitely abide by the 1.5 to 1.65 volt law.
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