OCZ PC3500 Platinum: A Return to the Fastest Timings

Final Words

In its performance range of DDR333 to DDR466, OCZ PC3500 Platinum is the best performing memory that we have tested on the Intel 875. The performance is very similar to Mushkin 3500 Level II, with the added benefits that OCZ will do 2-2-2-5 timings at DDR433 at 2.75V, and it also operates with stability to a higher FSB than Mushkin 3500 Level II. When we asked OCZ about these improvements, they indicated that they were using a new PCB, which was designed to achieve higher clock rates with Winbond BH5 chips. Whatever the reason, the performance of the PC3500 Platinum is outstanding in its operating range.

OCZ PC3500 Platinum is the second current memory that 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 Revision has been replaced with Rev. 1.2, whose best performance at DDR400 is 2-2-3. Mushkin 3500 Level II, which also uses Winbond BH5 chips, also completed DDR400 benchmarks at 2-2-2-5 timings. With the ability to also perform at 2-2-2-6 at DDR433, the OCZ is certainly the fastest module at that speed we have tested. In fact, we were able to overclock to an astounding DD450 at 2-2-2-6 timings, although it required 2.85V for stability of the memory.

Looking at the larger picture of DDR400 performance, we now find OCZ PC3500 Platinum and Mushkin PC3500 Level II neck and neck with the fastest timings at DDR400. Either of these will provide the best possible performance at DDR400. Kingston HyperX 4000, OCZ 3700 Gold, Adata DDR450, and Adata PC4000 are also other good performers in the DDR400 range. So are the newest DDR500/533 modules based on Hynix Rev. B chips from Corsair, Mushkin, and OCZ.

If you do not plan to overclock, there is no doubt that OCZ PC3500 Platinum and Mushkin 3500 Level II 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 Pentium 4 CPU and plan to overclock, then you are likely to be limited to an overclock somewhere in the 240 to 245 FSB range. For the new Athlon64 CPU and Athlon XP Barton chips, you will also find that your overclocks will be limited to 233 or lower. For all of these processors, the OCZ PC3500 Platinum is an almost ideal match, providing the fastest memory timings currently available to about DDR466. Mushkin 3500 Level II is also recommended, topping out only a few MHz slower than the OCZ.

For a 2.4C or 2.6C Intel Pentium 4 processor, you may achieve overclocks up to the 290 FSB range, and the most recent winners of our DDR500 benchmarking — OCZ 4200EL, Corsair XMS4000 PRO, or Mushkin 4000 High performance should be your choice for 1:1 synchronous performance. OCZ 4200EL certainly reaches further than any memory we have tested, but for most of the range, Corsair and Mushkin are neck and neck in performance. If you intend to run 5:4 timings with your very high FSB settings on a 2.4 or 2.6, then you should again look to the OCZ PC3500 Platinum or Mushkin 3500 Level II, since they can provide the absolute fastest timings at the 5:4 memory settings you can achieve.

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 that you will run, and how you will run your computer. Our next memory roundup will take a look at performance of Registered ECC modules that are required for the new Athlon64 FX processor and the AMD Opteron.