OCZ AMD Black Edition DDR3-1600/PC3-12800 4GB Kit OCZ3BE1600C8LV4GK Memory Review

Let us continue with the most important part of the test report, because the optics and packing is of course rather secondary and the highest possible stable performance is the most important factor. The multiplier adjustment remains on 13x with all frequencies, because an adjustment for the CPU in half multiplier steps would be too inaccurate to get nearly the same CPU frequency for all tests. Microsoft Windows 7 RC Ultimate Edition is used as the operating system. The stability was examined with the software Memtest86
and SiSoft Sandra Lite 2009 SP3 program is used for all benchmarks, since it offers extensive adjustments and a fast result comparison. BTW. the latest SiSoft Sandra 2009 version is available on our download server and can be downloaded much faster. All benchmarks are also included in the free Sandra Lite version.

First the maximum possible frequency of the memory module was determined with default 1.50 Volt (1,53V). The memory frequency was increased in small steps with a fixed memory timing of 8-8-8-24 2T and default memory voltage, as long as the detailed memory test with Memtest86 runs without any errors. This quite long testing time ensured that this frequency works really stable with these modules.

The highest possible frequency with 8-8-8-24 2T (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS) timings and 1.53V was 750 / 1499 MHz.

Here is a Snipping screenshot of CPU-Z with 750 / 1499 MHz and 8-8-8-24 2T with 1,53 Volt:

Of course it’s possible to run much higher frequencies with increased voltages or lower timings, because the frequency values and timings depends directly from each other. Officially OCZ specify the voltage of 1.65 Volt without loosing the warranty. On the test board it was necessary to increase the voltage a little bit higher to run them stable at 800 / 1600 MHz with the 8-8-8-24 2T timings. Only on 1.71 – 1.77 Volt it was possible to run all testing tools without errors.

Here is a Snipping screenshot of CPU-Z with 800 / 1600 MHz (DDR3-1600) and 8-8-8-24 2T with 1.77 Volt:

The benchmark comparison of all DDR3 memory modules are tested with the default 1.53 Volt, where these modules nevertheless reached 1499 MHz. This highest possible clocking on the default DDR3 voltage was compared now with two other settings. On the one hand they were tested with 200 MHz reference clock x6,66 = 1333 MHz and SPD values (SPD values are programmed in the SPD IC by the manufacturer). On the other hand the highest possible frequency with the permitted manufacturer voltage was determined at 8-8-8-24 2T.

The highest possible frequency with 8-8-8-24 2T (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS) timings and 1.65V was 773 / 1545 MHz.

Here is a Snipping screenshot of CPU-Z with 773 / 1545 MHz and 8-8-8-24 2T with 1.65 Volt (manufacturer voltage):

And to justify an acquisition of the new OCZ XTC Cooler2 active RAM cooler, we have tested the modules again without any influence to the test results outside of the specification with 2.00 V. The higher voltage was a pleasure for the modules, because even with the 8-8-8-24 2T timings it was possible to overclock them to enormously high 826 MHz and/or 1651 MHz with a RAM Range Int Buff’d iSSE2 of 15.00 GB/s (memory bus range 25.84 GB/s and memory latency 69 ns).

Here is a Snipping screenshot of CPU-Z with 826 / 1651 MHz and 8-8-8-24 2T with 2.00 Volt (voltage without valuation):

Here are the SiSoftware Sandra 2009 benchmark results:

Frequency Timing Memory Voltage RAM Range Int Buff’d iSSE2 Memory Bus Range Memory Latency
225 MHz * 6,66 = 1499 MHz fix (8-8-8-24 2T) 1.53 Volt 13.51 GB/s 23.44 GB/s 75 ns
232 MHz * 6,66 = 1545 MHz fix (8-8-8-24 2T) 1.83 Volt 14.00 GB/s 24.16 GB/s 74 ns
200 MHz * 6,66 = 1333 MHz SPD (8-12-12-30 2T) 1.53 Volt 11.82 GB/s 20.84 GB/s 91 ns

By the way, the “Memory Bus Range” is no benchmark value, but this value is quite simple to calculate by the frequency and this is useful for a benchmark comparison.

Here’s a diagram of the benchmark values:

Here is a direct benchmark result comparison of some DDR3, DDR2 and DDR memory modules:

The OCZ AMD Black Edition PC3-12800 memory modules achieved an identical result with the comparison voltage of 1.53 V, like the Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB kit DDR3-1333/PC3-10600 CL6 modules tested before. Hence, it is not surprising, because the latency and frequency depends from each other and the OCZ PC3-12800 modules have CL8 latency and the Crucial Ballistix PC3-10600 modules have CL6 latency. With a little voltage increasement to the manufacturer voltage of 1.65 V the modules reached already 1545 MHz (773 MHz) – in the comparison to it the Crucial Ballistix PC3-10600 RAM needed for this frequency a higher voltage of approx. 1.83 V.