Maxit Mag - Mushkin Redline XP2 8000 DDR2 Memory Review

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Mushkin Redline XP2 8000 DDR2 Memory Review

Written by Maxit

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Mushkin Redline XP2 8000 DDR2 Memory Review
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Price: £230
Supplier: Mushkin
Manufacturer: Mushkin

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With AM2 on the market and continued support from Intel in the new Conroe lineup, DDR2 is officially the memory choice for the latest systems. With the latest motherboards supporting memory speeds up to DDR2-1000 (PC2-8000), the latest edtiion of Mushkin's Redline extreme performance series is right on target to take hardware to new levels. The XP2-8000 DDR2 2GB kit provides competition proven performance backed up by over ten years of pedigree and Mushkin's committment to rigid quality control. No wonder their award winning series has made them the choice of enthusiasts who demand the best.

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The eXtreme Performance 1GB XP2-8000 Redline modules (DDR2-1000) offer enhanced second generation memory throughput and stability for the most demanding DDR2 computing platforms. A product of Mushkin's exclusive EPIC (Enhanced Performance IC) selection process, the XP2-8000 is hand-tested to the highest quality and performance standards. The module is an unbuffered 240-Pin Double Data Rate x2 (DDR2) Synchronous DRAM Dual In-Line Memory Module (DIMM), organized as a dual-bank 128Mx64 high speed memory array using 64Mx8 chip density. This DIMM achieves high-speed data transfer rates of 1000MHz at latencies of 4-5-4-11 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS). The XP2-8000 Redline is enhanced by Mushkin's red Frostbyte heatspreader to ensure superior thermal performance and system reliability.

Practical packaging without any gimmicks - proper enthusiasts memory !

Testing Bay

Our test rig consisted of a brand new Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz processor watercooled with a Danger Den 4100 kit and a superb ASUS P5B Deluxe Intel 965 motherboard with special bios to allow the FSB OC to be pushed over 500MHz. A PC Power and Cooling 510 Deluxe power supply was used to make sure power remained rock solid throughout testing. The memory voltage was pumped up to 2.3V and memory timings slackened to 5-5-5-15 to see how far these memory modules could go.

An incredible DDR2 1180MHz memory speed was achieved at a cpu ratio of 1:2. By comparison the Corsair DDR2 1066 8500C5 2GB kit only managed an unstable 1086MHz at the same timings and voltage.

The best memory timings you could hope for with current DDR2 are 3-2-2. The Mushkin was able to handle these tight timings up to DDR2 533 (3-2-2-7) with only a small increase in voltage. And it continued on up the scale setting the best latency timings we have seen at MaXit HQ. Even the higher spec'd Corsair couldn't match the Mushkin, managing only 3-2-2-8 at DDR2 533. A quick run of Sisoft Sandra 2007 was completed at the tightest possible timings shown in the table above.

A quick look round the internet showed similar results for AM2 systems. Bjorn3d.com in their AMD X2 5000+ system reported DDR 1120 speeds with the Mushkin XP2-8000 Redline and incredible Sandra 2007 Buffered memory scores of 10,552 Mb/sec INT buffered and 10,610 Mb/sec float buffered.

The Bottom Line

The Mushkin XP2-8000 Redline modules simply blew us away with their muscle car performance. Surpassing the PC2-8500 modules from Corsair, the redline series is proper enthusiasts memory as it should be. No gimmicks, no flashing lights, no fancy packaging. Real hardcore stuff for cutting edge systems. Whatever your swing, be it Core 2 Duo or X2, the XP2-8000 Redline series should be number one on your list.

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