Mushkin PC3200 2-2-2 Special: Last of a Legend

Conclusion

There is no doubt that Winbond BH5 will be missed in the memory market. The discontinued modules from Corsair, OCZ, and Mushkin that were based on BH5 remain the fastest memory in the DDR400 to DDR466 range that we have tested. Mushkin PC3200 2-2-2 Special represents the last of the legendary BH chips that you can actually buy. If this is what you have to have, it is your last chance to buy them. However, the Mushkin Special is based on BH6, and while performance is near the top, it is not the equal of BH5-based modules. It is also pretty expensive.

Of the tested memory that you can still buy, Mushkin PC3200 2-2-2 Special is at the top of the performance curve at DDR400 along with OCZ 3700 Gold Rev. 2 and Kingmax DDR500. In the range from DDR400 to DDR454, these 3 memories are neck-and-neck, while above this, the OCZ 3700 Gold R2 and Kingmax DDR500 reach a much higher FSB. We confirmed with OCZ that 3700 Gold R2, based on promos chips, is a current product with no expected supply problems; Kingmax DDR500 is still not in the US market, but is expected in this quarter. We remain cautious with Kingmax DDR500 until we can actually confirm that shipping DDR500 performs similarly to the remarkable DDR500 modules that we reviewed.

The point is that if you have to have the tried-and-proven Winbond BH memory, then Mushkin Special is your last opportunity. While the BH6 memory is not quite the equal of the discontinued BH5, it is very close to BH5 in performance and is the fastest you can buy in the DDR400 to DDR454 range. However, OCZ 3700 Gold Rev.2 and Kingmax DDR500 performed almost the same in the DDR400 to DDR454 range, and both reach a much higher speed. The OCZ 3700 Gold Rev.2 is a proven performer in the market, and Kingmax DDR500 is expected to appear this quarter. We can understand if only Winbond BH will do, but if we were in the market for fast DDR400, we would consider these 3 contenders based on price and proven performance.

If overclocking is more important to you than the absolute fastest performance at DDR400, then you should also consider the excellent performance across the band of memory based on second-generation Hynix chips. These include Corsair PC4000 PRO, OCZ4200EL, and Mushkin PC4000 High Performance. These memory choices are not quite as fast at DDR400, but they are much closer in performance at DDR400 than first-generation DDR500. All three also reach much higher speeds than BH-based memory, with top speeds in the DDR533 to DDR560 range.

With Winbond exiting the memory chip market and DDR2 on the horizon, the quest for DDR memory with fast timings has certainly changed in recent weeks. This chapter is not yet over, however, as we will be looking at a new and unique "Enhanced Bandwidth" solution from OCZ in our next memory review.