Max Memory Overclocking Chart and Conclusions

It's great to see how individual memory stacks up against the competition under stock configurations, but we're also going to show how it compares when overclocked. With performance in mind, we're going to compare the maximum overclocked results of the various DDR-2 memory modules PCSTATS has tested in the past which are listed below. Remember, just because memory is clocked fast doesn't mean it's the best thing for a computer. Timings are also important, and getting the right ratio of both is the real key to performance based overclocking!

Maximum Overclocked Speeds - PCstats Results
Maximum Speed w/ Low Latency	Timings	Capacity	Max Speed	Ranking
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-8888C4DF	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1260 MHz
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-8888C4DF*	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1244 MHz
Patriot PDC22G9200ELK	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1170 MHz
PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8**	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1160 MHz
OCZ PC2-7200 Platinum SLI*	4-4-3-15	1024MB	1142 MHz
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-9136C5D*	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1142 MHz
PNY XLR8 D22GX85XL-5*	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1120 MHz
Mushkin XP2-6400	4-3-3-10	2048MB	1066 MHz
SuperTalent T1000UX2G4	4-5-4-12	1024MB	1044 MHz
Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C4*	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1000 MHz
Patriot PDC22G8000+XBLK	4-4-4-12	1024MB	1000 MHz
Corsair Twin2X2048-8500C5*	4-4-4-12	1024MB	977MHz
Crucial PC2-6400	4-4-4-12	1024MB	890 MHz
Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C3*	3-4-3-9	1024MB	888 MHz
PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8	4-4-4-12	1024MB	N/A
Maximum Speed	Timings	Capacity	Max Speed	Ranking
PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8**	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1320 MHz
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-8888C4DF	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1300 MHz
PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1280 MHz
Patriot PDC22G9200ELK	5-5-5-12	1024MB	1260 MHz
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-8888C4DF*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1244 MHz
Corsair DOMINATOR Twin2X2048-9136C5D*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1244 MHz
PNY XLR8 D22GX85XL-5	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1220 MHz
OCZ PC2-7200 Platinum SLI*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1219 MHz
Corsair Twin2X2048-8500C5*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1200 MHz
SuperTalent T1000UX2G4	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1160 MHz
Patriot PDC22G8000+XBLK	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1155 MHz
Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C4*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1142 MHz
Mushkin XP2-6400	5-5-5-15	2048MB	1130 MHz
Crucial PC2-6400	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1080 MHz
Corsair Twin2X2048-6400C3*	5-5-5-15	1024MB	1066 MHz

* - denotes tested on ECS PN2 SLI2+ platform
** Retested PNY D22GX93XLP-5 Memory

When it comes to high latency testing, the previous PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8 memory performed pretty well and the new set of memory were also able to hit high speeds. The new set bests the old by an additional 40 MHz which allows it to reach 1320 MHz and is the fastest speed PCSTATS has ever reached with DDR2 memory. In low latency testing the D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8 is able to reach a very respectable 1160 MHz. Anyway you put it, the PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8 is pretty darn quick!

XLR8 Performance Edition

I receive a lot of emails from novice computer enthusiasts asking why people spend such large sums of money on memory when overclocking often barely affects performance. System memory can be thought of as a piece of hardware that supports your overclocking. By that I mean good memory will allow you to clock the motherboard higher and thus processor at a higher speed. Also as a CPU speed increases, it requires more and more bandwidth which is provided by the faster memory.

Slow memory on the other hand will limit how high a motherboard can reach and thus give you a lower overall CPU speed. Even if you use a lower memory divider to get around this particular issue, the next problem is that the processor and system will quickly outrun the memory's ability provide the various components in the computer with bandwidth.

PNY's D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8 Performance Edition memory is pretty swanky. In terms of performance, well you saw it in the benchmarks... The PNY D22GX93XLP-5 RAM is pretty darn fast. The XLR8 Performance Edition DIMMs really shine when overclocked, hitting 1170 MHz with 4-4-4-12 timings and 1320 MHz with 5-5-5-15 memory timings! For some reason though our initial set of memory would only run with lax timings and it hit 1280 MHz which isn't half bad either.

By default the PNY D22GX93XLP-5 is rated to run at DDR2-1173 speeds with 2.2V. Increasing the voltage allowed PCSTATS to run the PNY memory at a blistering 1280 MHz! With a retail price of at $340 CDN ($310 US, £157 GBP) the PNY D22GX93XLP-5 XLR8 Performance Edition memory is pretty aggressively priced.

The PNY memory supports EPP so if you're a newbie simply stick the memory into your SLI Ready memory compatible motherboard and let it do the rest!

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