Introduction

DDR2 memory entered the consumer PC market back in May of 2004 with Intel's then introduction of 925x and 915x series chipsets. Along with the shift from socket 478 to 775 - sometimes also called socket T - DDR2 was designed to bring increased headroom in terms of bandwidth and clock speed over that of its predecessor, DDR. Originally brought to market in PC3200 and PC4200 variants (400 and 533MHz effective), many enthusiasts argued that as a result of its slower timings than DDR it delivered no performance benefit. Does this same statement still hold credit today? The answer is twofold – whereas DDR2 timings have decreased, they are currently still not at the level of high speed DDR memory modules. Luckily DDR2 has another talent up its sleeve to which DDR must simply admit defeat, namely clock speed. Today select brands of DDR RAM top out around 500-700MHz effective, high performance select DDR2 RAM is available at up to 1000MHz effective. If we add the truth that Intel has phased out DDR chipset solutions and mention AMD is moving to DDR2 as early as next year, this underlines one vital aspect changing the PC industry - DDR is out and DDR2 is definitely in. Today we take a look at some performance DDR2 memory from Crucial, a well known and respected force in the memory business. From hereon in we undertake closer examination at 1GB of Crucial Ballistix PC2-6400 DDR2 memory.

First Impressions

Crucial launched their Ballistix memory series back in 2003 as an option for enthusiasts who crave reaching every element of performance their systems can provide. The PC2-6400 tested here is no different and is also aimed at the hardcore PC user whose mind is well focused in increasing memory bandwidth and reducing its latency. The sample we received from Crucial came as two 512MB modules with default timings of 4-4-4-12 at 800MHz and 2.1V. These timings may seem to some as somewhat conservative for performance memory but as our tests reveal this isn't all this memory can achieve. The copper heatsinks add a slight touch while keeping heat levels under control. Upon closer inspection one can distinguish a black PCB onto which the memory modules themselves have been soldered. Whereas some may feel the Ballistix offering appears less flashy than some similar products from Corsair, it is nevertheless elegant and will look right at home within a windowed or standard case. Crucial adds a limited lifetime warranty into the bundle should anything ever go wrong.

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Specification

Part Number: BL2KIT6464AA804
Module Size: 1GB (2pc kit)
Package: Ballistix 240-pin DIMM
Feature: DDR2 PC2-6400
Configuration: 64Meg x 64
DIMM Type: UNBUFFERED
Error Checking: NON-ECC
Speed: DDR2-800
Voltage: 2.1V
Memory Timings: 4-4-4-12
Specs: DDR2 PC2-6400, 4-4-4-12, UNBUFFERED, NON-ECC, DDR2-800, 2.1V, 64Meg x 64