Mushkin & Adata: 2 for the Fast-Timings Lane

Final Words

In its performance range of DDR333 to DDR458, Mushkin PC3500 Level II is the best performing memory we have tested on the Intel 875. It is the only current memory we have tested to pass our benchmark tests on the Intel 875 in Dual-Channel mode at 2-2-2 timings, which is even more remarkable considering our tested modules were 512MB Double-Bank. Corsair 3200LL Rev. 1.1 also completed 2-2-2 tests at DDR400, but that Rev. has been replaced with Rev. 1.2, whose best performance at DDR400 is 2-2-3.

On the nForce2 Ultra 400 platform, the Mushkin Level II is as fast as you will find. And, it performs well in the complete range of FSB speed you are likely to reach on an Athlon platform with a 200FSB CPU. The Mushkin PC3500 Level II 2-2-2 is a close to perfect High-Performance memory for Athlon platforms.

The Adata DDR450 is an excellent performer at DDR400 and covers a broad range to DDR488. It is comparable to any current memory and is a very good value. For best performance, we recommend that you use four 256MB modules on the Intel 875/865 platform. On nForce2 Ultra 400, the Adata 450 is a very good performer, but with the requirement that Ras-to-Cas must be set to 3 or above. It is out-performed by other modules capable of 2-2-2 operation on nForce2 boards.

Looking at the larger picture of DDR400 performance, we find Mushkin PC3500 Level II and OCZ 3700 GOLD at the top of all the performance categories. Either of these will provide the best possible performance at DDR400. Kingston HyperX 4000, Adata DDR450, and Adata PC4000 are also other particularly good performers in the DDR400 range.

If you do not plan to overclock, there is no doubt that Mushkin PC3500 Level II or OCZ 3700 GOLD offer the best performance at DDR400 on the Intel 875/865 platform. Corsair 3200LL Rev. 1.1 — if you can still find it — is certainly in this same league and won Evan Lieb’s DDR400 shootout a few months ago.

If you have a 2.8 to 3.2GHz CPU and plan to overclock, then it is likely to be limited to an overclock somewhere in the 240 to 245 FSB range. For mild overclocks to about 228FSB, the Mushkin PC3500 LII is a great choice. But to cover the full overclocking range at 1:1, you would require OCZ 3700 GOLD, Adata DDR450, or any of the DDR500 modules tested in “Searching for the Memory Holy Grail — Part 2”.

For a 2.4C or 2.6C Intel Pentium 4 processor, you may achieve overclocks up to the 290 FSB range. The winners of our DDR500 shootout — OCZ PC4000 Copper and Geil Platinum 4000 — will let you reach the highest 1:1 or synchronous ratios possible. Be aware, however, that there is a downside to the very fastest DDR500 modules. We have found that many of them do not perform at all in asynchronous mode — ratios like 5:4 or 3:2. We have yet to find a pattern to this issue, and it almost seems a roll-of-the-dice with current DDR500 memory and Intel 875/865 motherboards as to which combo will work at 5:4 ratio.

For an Athlon on an nForce2 Ultra 400, Mushkin PC3500 Level II seems almost an ideal choice, since it is able to provide 2-2-2 timings at any FSB that we could reach in our tests. Another good choice for best performance would be Corsair 3200LL Rev. 1.1.

In the end, there is not just one answer to “What is the best memory for my computer?” It depends on your motherboard, your CPU, the applications you will run, and how you will run your computer.