|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Testing The system in today's tests will be a build that starts with the new ASUS P6T Pro motherboard with the x58 chipset and the Intel Core i7 2.66GHz processor.
For today's testing I'll be sticking with SiSoft Sandra 2009 SP2 (v2009.1.15.72). My objective here is to show you the capabilities of this OCZ PC3 10666 3GB Triple Channel memory kit on the Core i7 platform. For stability testing I'll be running Sandra Burn-In test for one hour at each setting before the benchmark is accomplished. Dual and Triple Channel Tests The first set of tests I want to perform is to test the memory in single, dual and then triple channel modes. This will give us an idea of what kind of performance we can expect when using one, two, or all three memory channels. Dual Channel Test
Triple Channel Test
From the numbers above, we can see that with Triple Channel we are achieving a 130% increase over Dual Channel when using the ASUS P6T Dlx motherboard. No matter how you look at it, a 130% increase in any type of performance is extremely impressive. Memory Timings Tests So far we can see that i7 and Triple Channel technology has some incredible bandwidth compared to dual channel. Now let's test the stability of OCZ's Triple Channel kit by lowering the memory timings.
The latency timings tests were good, but not great. At the default DDR3 speed of 1333MHz, timings of 7-7-7-18 is about all you should expect. At 1.65v, there really isn't much room for latency tweaking. I was able to drop the TRAS down to 16, but the performance increase is minimal. Voltage Tests
The voltage tests were fairly impressive. With our particular configuration, we found that the full 1.65 volts isn't even necessary as the system ran 100% stable with the memory voltage set to 1.5 volts. We were even able to tighten the TRAS timing down to 18 without any problems. On another note, while looking at the programmed timings table through CPU-Z, the recommended memory voltage at 1333MHz DDR3 is actually 1.5v. In this case, the required memory voltage is only 1.5 volts at default settings. My take on the 1.65v in the memory specs is that OCZ is saying not to exceed 1.65 volts, the same as Intel's warning. Overclocking Next we set the timings back down to default and then ramp up the DDR3 bus speed. Take a look...
The overclocking tests were far more impressive than the latency timings tests. I was able to easily achieve 1866MHz at 8-8-8-24-1T, with SiSoft Sandra showing an impressive memory bandwidth performance increase.
Conclusion OCZ has a nice, inexpensive Triple Chanel memory kit for the Intel Core i7 platform here. The performance is good, the memory is stable, and there is some nice overclocking headroom. All that for about $130 at NewEgg. The Intel Core i7 platform ceases to amaze me. Every time I think I've reached the overclocking limits of my hardware, I simply tweak a few settings and I'm able to push it even further. Although this OCZ PC3-10666 Platinum series kit isn't the fastest triple channel kit we've tested, or are currently testing, it is one of the least expensive. Therefore this kit is at the top of our list for giving the consumer more bang for the buck. Kudos to OCZ for giving us overclockers a great way to get into a Core i7 upgraded without breaking the bank. Club Overclocker recommended!
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
