One of the first memory modules to reach stable DDR500 performance levels was OCZ 3700 GOLD. Many of us at AnandTech have been impressed with the performance levels and timings we have seen with this memory. We were a bit surprised, therefore, when we learned that this memory was reportedly achieving these performance levels using Samsung TCB3 memory chips.

The surprise was not that OCZ was using Samsung chips in 3700 GOLD — it is common knowledge that almost every high-end memory manufacturer builds their modules with memory from a wide range of memory chip makers. They may order custom blanks, custom label, or do special "binning" to choose chips for their DIMMs, but virtually all of the custom memory makers use chips from huge memory makers like Samsung, Micron, and Hynix. The surprise in this case was the Samsung chips OCZ was using. We had seen the chips used in DDR333 and DDR400 DIMMs from Samsung and a few other manufacturers. In fact, we had a pair of Crucial DDR333 DIMMs that used Samsung chips with the same ID. We wondered how OCZ was able to get these DDR333/400 chips to perform at the stable DDR466/500 levels, which we had seen in our OCZ 3700 GOLD tests for the upcoming article, 'Searching for the Memory Holy Grail — Part 2'.

A Closer Look
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  • Anonymous User - Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - link

    #63, you clearly don't read AT's reviews very closely. Take a look at AT's recent KT600 reviews and you'll see that they continually suggeset purchasing nForce2 U400 motherboards instead. They don't go all out and bash the KT600 motherboard because there IS NO REASON TO. KT600 boards are SLIGHTLY slower, SLIGHTLY poorer overclockers, and come with the same features for a lower price. Sure, enthusiasts will always go with nForce2 U400, but that doesn't make KT600 motherboards terrible, and therefore deserving of a bad review.

    Yikes, get a clue.
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - link

    Well, Mushkin is here and pleaes post your questions....Let me know what you need and we will try to assist.

    You can also post your questions at
    http://forums.mushkin.com/phpbb2/

    Duonger
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - link

    Well, Mushkin is here and pleaes post your questions....Let me know what you need and we will try to assist.

    You can also post your questions at
    http://forums.mushkin.com/phpbb2/

    Duonger
  • Anonymous User - Monday, August 18, 2003 - link

    What it all boils down to isn't how the memory is made, it is the quality of product.

    OCZ has a quality product. One OCZ rep in particular, Sean Sinah, has stayed up until 3 AM to personally answer my question. Let's see Corsair or Mushkin do that.

    I personally believe that Mushkin, Corsair and OCZ all make good product. Beyond product, OCZ has the customer service.
  • Anonymous User - Sunday, August 17, 2003 - link

    to post #63, so your saying AT can't review anything to do with an Intel or AMD CPU since I see AMD and Intel advertised here, which means they can't use it in any reviews at all, gee you sure are a smart one.
  • Anonymous User - Saturday, August 16, 2003 - link

    It doesn't take a genius to search the sites of AT and see that the advertisers products that do get reviewed never get bad ratings. Why is this? Or better yet, why review an advertisers product? Don't you think people won't think something is fishy behind that?
  • Anonymous User - Thursday, August 14, 2003 - link

    To clarify that last post, all OCZ advertisements on the website are co-brand advertisements, meaning they do not come from OCZ. For example, the ATACOM banner with OCZ on it is ATACOM promoting their OCZ products.
  • Anonymous User - Thursday, August 14, 2003 - link

    #49

    We do not get paid by OCZ nor will we anytime soon. Unlike other hardware sites (whom OCZ can probably vouche for), we just dont do those kinds of things
  • Anonymous User - Thursday, August 14, 2003 - link

    #49

    We do not get paid by OCZ nor will we anytime soon. Unlike other hardware sites (whom OCZ can probably vouche for), we just dont do those kinds of things
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, August 12, 2003 - link

    56, WHO CARES?!!!! Does it run good? Buy it, use it, and be happy for crying our loud! I've never seen so many whiners in all my life...is this what AT is reduced to? :(

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