There was a day when in my planning a new system, the cost of a good high-performance memory kit would be the deal breaker. $200 was the starting point of decent memory, and you could expect to pay in the $275-$325 range to get something exceptional. High-performance DDR3 memory prices have reached the econo-price range of well under $150, and I’m talking triple-channel kits. It was only a year ago that 2GB DDR3-2000 Dual-channel kits cost over $500, and DDR3-1600 was over $300. Thus are the falling prices of technology.
So I find it incredible that less than six months after the release of the i7 that you can actually build a pretty awesome i7 rig at budget prices. Add to that the fact that last year the bar was raised quite a bit for video card performance, you can build a really butt-kicking i7 gaming rig for under a grand. Sure, you can spend twice that or more if you wish, but there is really no need to.
Today I will be looking at OCZ’s DDR3-1600 Platinum 6GB kit. With its shiny XTC heatspreaders, 6 gigs of triple-channel goodness, and OCZ’s reputation for high quality memory, along with a low price that will really blow you away, this memory kit should be a winner. Will it pass the test? Read on to see!
Specifications:
Part Number: OCZ3P1600LV6GK
Memory Type: DDR3 240-pin DIMM non-ECC 2GB modules
Speed: DDR3-1600
VDIMM: 1.65v
Timings: 7-7-7-24 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS)
Heatspreader: Platinum Z3 XTC
Warranty: Lifetime
Packaging
I suppose it will be interesting to see how the memory companies will accommodate that third module in their packaging. OCZ has used an attractive hanging box containing blisterpacks.
A Closer Look
I’ve had a few other OCZ Platinum kits, so I already know what to expect from this memory. It will have their cool-looking nickel-plated XTC heatspreaders, will be rock-solid, and won’t be a great overclocker, but OCZ makes plenty of other kits to satisfy those guys looking for an extreme-overclocking memory kit for their X58 motherboard.
OCZ has adopted a new XTC heatspreader for the Platinum series DDR3 modules, the Z3. If you aren’t familiar with the OCZ XTC concept, the heatspreader is designed to allow increased airflow around the memory chips via the perforations in the heatspreader.
The memory runs at 1.65v to accommodate Intel’s recommendation of max VDIMM of 1.65v to prevent damaging the i7’s internal memory controller. Timings are 7-7-7-24.
Not much else to say here except that the memory sports OCZ’s lifetime warranty. Let’s get these modules in a rig to check `em out.
