PC3-12800 DDR3 Memory Roundup

Review Pages

1. About the Crucial Ballistix PC3-12800 6GB
2. Crucial Ballistix PC3-12800 6GB Package
3. About the OCZ PC3-12800 6GB kit (2GBx3)
4. Crucial OCZ PC3-12800 6GB 6GB Package
5. Overclocking tests
6. Performance comparison, final thoughts

With Intel's X58 platform been on the market for some months now, the available triple channel DDR3 memory solutions are enough to allow you choose the best one for your needs. Today we will examine two new kits from Crucial and OCZ rated at PC3-12800. Each kit is offering a capacity of 6GB (3x2GB).

- Crucial BallistiX 6GB kit (2GBx3) BL3KIT25664BN1608

The Crucial PC3-12800 6GB kit (6GBx3) is an enthusiast level product rated at PC3-12800 , meaning that it will operate at 1600MHz with CL8 at 1.65V. The 6GB kit can be used in both 32&64bit operating systems like XP, VISTA and Windows 7. Remember that 32bit operating systems recognize no more than 3GB. The retail price of the kit is around $282 as found at Crucial's web site.

Crucial 240-pin DIMMs are used in DDR3 memory for desktop computers. DDR3 is the latest generation of memory with an improved architecture that allows it to transmit data more quickly.

A dual inline memory module (DIMM) consists of a number of memory components (usually black) that are attached to a printed circuit board (usually green). The gold pins on the bottom of the DIMM provide a connection between the module and a socket on a larger printed circuit board. The pins on the front and back of a DIMM are not connected to each other.

Each 240-pin DIMM provides a 64-bit data path (72-bit for ECC or registered or Fully Buffered modules). (The Ballistix and Ballistix Tracer high-performance memory do not come in 72-bit or registered modules.) Standard DDR3 240-pin DIMMs are currently available in DDR3 PC3-8500 SDRAM. Additional speeds will be added as the technology becomes available.

To use DDR3 memory, your system motherboard must have 240-pin DIMM slots and a chipset that supports DDR3. This is because a DDR3 SDRAM DIMM will not fit into a standard DDR2 DIMM socket or a DDR DIMM socket.

The number of black components on a 240-pin DIMM can vary, but it always has 120 pins on the front and 120 pins on the back, for a total of 240. 240-pin DIMMs are approximately 5.25 inches long and 1.18 inches high, though the heights can vary. While 240-pin DDR3 DIMMS, 240-pin DDR2 DIMMs, 184-pin DDR DIMMs, and 168-pin DIMMs are approximately the same size, 240-pin DIMMs and 184-pin DIMMs have only one notch within the row of pins.

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