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PC3000 DDR366 RAM Review
PC3000 DDR366 RAM Review - PCSTATS
The first thing you'll notice when you look at the pretty red 256MB OCZ PC3000 DIMM's are the nice large copper heat spreaders.
 85% Rating:   
Filed under: Memory Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: OCZ Technology Feb 21 2002   C. Sun  
Home > Reviews > Memory > OCZ Technology PC3500 DDR

Memory Benchmarks

Sisoft Sandra 2001 Source: Sandra

Sandra is designed to test the theoretical power of a complete system and individual components. The numbers taken though are again, purely theoretical and may not represent real world performance

SiSoft Sandra 2002 Pro Benchmark Results

Memory Bench

Score

1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 2598 MB/s Int/ 2437 MB/s FPU
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 2758 MB/s Int/ 2545 MB/s FPU
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 3011 MB/s Int/ 2753 MB/s FPU

The memory bandwidth scores of the OCZ PC3000 are very impressive. With a 200 MHz FSB a very relaxed memory timings, we were able to crack the 3 GB barrier in the ALU benchmark - a feat usually only reserved for highly clocked RDRAM/P4 systems! Sandra is a good benchmark for theoretical bandwidth so let's see how the system handles a little 3D gaming action. Oh, here's a little bench for those non believers...

3DMark2001 SE Source: MadOnion

3DMark2001 SE is the latest installment in the 3DMark series by MadOnion. By combining DirectX8 support with completely new graphics, it continues to provide good overall system benchmarks. 3DMark2001 SE has been created in cooperation with the major 3D accelerator and processor manufacturers to provide a reliable set of diagnostic tools. The suite demonstrates 3D gaming performance by using real-world gaming technology to test a system's true performance abilities. Tests include: DirectX8 Vertex Shaders, Pixel Shaders and Point Sprites, DOT3 and Environment Mapped Bump Mapping, support for Full Scene Anti-aliasing and Texture Compression and two game tests using Ipion real-time physics. Higher 3DMark scores denote better performance.

3DMark 2001 SE Benchmark Results
MSI 845 Ultra 3DMarks Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2)

9201

2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5)

9197

3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5)

9345

3DMark has always loved high bus speeds, however, it seems that it also likes the RAM to run with a setting of CL2 and everything else set too the fastest settings. Amazing that a few settings in the BIOS makes up for almost 13 MHz FSB!

Quake III Arena

Source: ID Software

Quake III Arena is a First Person Shooter (FPS) that revolutionized gaming as we know it. Using multiple light sources and having graphics textures that can fill videocards, even after 3 years it's still able to bring a cutting edge system to its knees.

Quake III Arena Fastest demo001
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 311.2
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 314.5
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 323.7

Quake III Arena Fastest nv15demo
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 87.4
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 89.1
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 91.2

It seems that Quake III contradicts what 3DMark2001SE says. The PC3000 seems to help out quite a bit especially in the nv15demo where everything is usually all CPU limited. Let's crank up the resolution to something more acceptable and see what happens.

Quake III Arena MAX 1024x768 demo001
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 199.4
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 202.7
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 202.9

Quake III Arena MAX 1024x768 nv15demo
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 66.2
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 67.1
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 67

The trend continues, however the differences are now a lot smaller thanks to our relatively slow GeForce 3 Ti500.

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Source: ID Software

Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a relatively new game benchmark. However, RTCW takes up where Quake III left off and continues to form the basis of the first person shooter system stressing that QIII has become a hallmark for. Based upon the Quake III engine, RTCS is obviously going to be quite taxing on even a top end system. Higher numbers denote faster frames per second (FPS), and hence, better performance.

RTCW Normal 640x480 atdemo6
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 65.8
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 66.1
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 65.1

RTCW Normal 640x480 atdemo8
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 183.7
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 185.1
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 186.4

We're not really sure how to explain our results here. Unlike the Quake III, the numbers in RTCW are too close to call. It seems that perhaps the CPU speed is making the difference here then what we saw in Q3. RTCW isn't as bandwidth hungry as Quake usually is, that's a reason why P4 chips don't do as well in this benchmark.

Serious Sam 2

Source: CroTeam

Serious Sam 2 is a game that uses OpenGL and is a little more advanced than the now retired Quake III Arena.Higher numbers denote faster frames per second (FPS), and hence, better performance.

Serious Sam 2 (Normal 640x480 Little Trouble) Benchmark Results
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2)

189.7

2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 195.8
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 201.7

Serious Sam 2 (Normal 640x480 Valley of the Jaguar) Benchmark Results
FSB FPS Ranking
1. 2x 256MB Corsair XMS PC2400 (170 MHz CL2) 97.1
2. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (183 MHz CL2.5) 96.4
3. 2x 256MB OCZ PC3000 (200 MHz CL2.5) 97.5

Serious Sam is more bandwidth hungry then RTCW, but the numbers are still a mixed bag. With each score in the margin of error, it's very difficult to determine a clear cut winner.

Conclusion:

OCZ PC3000 is a mixed bag. While SiSoft Sandra confirms the memory's ample amount of memory bandwidth, the performance in 3D applications isn't really there other then in Quake III Arena. Are we still CPU limited at 1.7-1.8 GHz?

Maybe a Pentium 4 would draw more benefit from the memory bandwidth then an Athlon based CPU since we all know the P4 craves that kind of bandwidth. It is kind of ironic, but it also looks like OCZ is walking in the steps of the Pentium 4 in terms of performance.

The two sticks of OCZ PC3000 DDR we tested didn't like the faster memory settings so the memory basically did less work then that of "slower" memory with faster timings. However, the OCZ PC3000 DDR366 makes up for this by clocking a hell of a lot higher! Is this bad?

No, not necessarily, it's just a different approach.

The 256 MB modules of PC3000 DDR366 sure are good for modders with their red PCB's cloaked in copper heat spreaders, this RAM is only meant for the extreme enthusiast who has performance components which can handle really high FSB's.

This is the first time we have seen commercially available memory with copper heatspreaders, or for that fact, copper heatspreaders, so youre really get the impression that this DDR means business. However, what really turned our heads was that the OCZ PC3000 retails for only about $90USD. For its class, that is really competitive!

Again, a special thanks goes to Mike down at PSI for hooking us up with a wicked Abit KR7A-RAID and to OCZ for sending over some pretty fast PC3000 DDR366! If you have any questions about this RAM, or overclocking it, please visit me in the Performance Area of the Forums and I'll try to answer what I can.

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Contents of Article: OCZ Technology PC3500 DDR
 Pg 1.  PC3000 DDR366 RAM Review
 Pg 2.  — Memory Benchmarks

 
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