DDR 2 RAM
Micron DDR2 PC2-4800 Memory CORSAIR DDR2 XMS 2 Standard Ram Gaming Ram
DDR2 memory is the next evolution in SDRAM technology that aims at upping the clock speed of DDR memory to the next level. You will notice our samples of DDR2 memory in the image above. Physically, you can see two main differences. First, the socket has changed to 240 pins from the DDR 184-pin slot. The next physical change is the use of FBGA memory modules instead of the traditional TSOP modules found on DDR memory. This means that the pins of the individual modules are now underneath the chip and not on the sides. Internally, the chips have several changes. DDR2 now only uses 1.8 volts instead of the 2.5 volts of DDR. DDR2 memory will first be found starting at 400MHz which is where DDR left off. From there, DDR2 will ramp up to 533MHz and then 667MHz which are currently available through some manufacturers. Finally, in exchange for the extra MHz, DDR2 memory is, initially at least, a slower latency part. This will play a significant factor in how much performance the processors will get from this new memory. While the Intel platform can handle some of this latency loss due to an already higher latency to the memory, the Athlon 64, which has a direct connection to system memory, would suffer a lot more by this latency hike. For our testing, we have the medium grade memory running at 533MHz (PC2-4800) with timings of 4-4-4-12. 667MHz memory is difficult to come by and none was available at time of review.
 Micron DDR2 PC2-4800 Memory Above
 Samsung PC 2700 DDR 128MB RAM from a DELL DIMENSION 2400
|