When I rebuilt my main PC I decided to go with a DDR3 setup as I decided prices had come down enough and it would make it a bit more futureproof.

So I opted for a 2gb kit of OCZ Gold because it was the cheapest 2Gb DDR3 kit I could find, at just over £125 also I’ve used OCZ memory before and been happy with it. Unfortunately prices have fallen even further and you can now get this for well under £100 if you look hard enough.

The standard voltage for DDR3 is 1.5V but this memory is rated for 1.6V minimum. It also has a Lifetime Warranty which covers it for up to a maximum of 1.8V which is useful for overclockers who want greater performance but still retaining the warranty.

The standard specs for this memory are 1066Mhz clockspeed with 7,7,7,21 timings as shown by the sticker but they will run at 6,6,6,15 at the standard clock speed. The following screenshot shows the SPD as read by CPUz.

The modules are packaged in a resealable plastic pack that is easy to open without cutting yourself, which unusual for blister packs these days! There’s a small card with basic details and each stick has the spec printed on a small sticker.

To aid cooling and also to add a bit of flair the sticks are encased in OCZs usual heatspreaders and because this is from the gold series the heatspreaders are gold coloured. The case they are being used in doesn’t have a side window but I must admit they do look good alongside all the copper found on the ASUS P5E3 – maybe the time has come for my first window mod!

With the voltage up at 1.8V the modules will manage 1333Mhz with their default timings on a 1T command rate. On that same voltage I’ve also had them running at 1468Mhz with the timings relaxed to 7,7,7,18. All quite impressive really. Overclocking from 1066 to 1468 is a 38% increase and this is while keeping within the warranty voltage set by OCZ. I’d expect that they’d go further than that too but my CPU overclock has maxed out and so I don’t need any more from them.

For performance benchmarks see this study of how overclocking your memory effects PC performance.

Pros

• Covered by OCZ lifetime warranty
• Overclocks exceptionally well, even within warranty voltages
• Cheaper than most other DDR3 kits
• Looks good in gold especially with a motherboard laden with copper heatsinks

Cons

• DDR3 is still expensive compared to DDR2
• Only 1066Mhz when other kits offer upto 1600Mhz out of the box

Overall Score: 9/10

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