When someone asks for my recommendation on how much RAM they should buy, it simply comes down to what you intend to do with that computer. Gaming computers realistically don’t need much more than 2GB. Heavy multi-taskers and moderate power users would benefit using 4 to 6GB of RAM. And the advanced power users who compile large amounts of code, create large renderings, or run a large array of programs all at once definitely want 6 to 8 GB of RAM.
The larger amount of RAM is used as cache for the Operating System, the large programs you’re using, and allows extra memory space for doing other things like running even more programs. Without the extra resources, your system’s computing power is greatly hampered because it has to juggle data around to make room as you open more programs. Often times that means swapping to the much slower hard drive which brings things down to a grind.
One option to remedying your system’s limited resources is to acquire Patriot Memory’s Extreme Performance DDR2 8GB (4 x 2GB) PC2-6400 Low Latency Quad Memory Kit. With 8GB’s of memory at your disposal, that should be enough right? Let’s find out!
Why Eight Gigabytes of RAM?
Motherboards that support “Dual Channel” DDR2 or DDR3 memory benefit greatly from matched pairs. The memory controllers built in to the Chipsets are designed to access memory in pairs simultaneously. For example, in Dual Channel mode, the system accesses the two memory modules at a time for greater memory bandwidth. If you add a third module, even if it matches the specs of the other two, the system will actually operate more slowly since the memory controller now has to access the other individually.
That’s also why you see them sold in even numbers which includes the 4 x 2GB memory kit here by Patriot Memory. Most every supporting motherboard can continue operating in Dual Channel mode since the system is still accessing two memory modules from the four memory banks called DIMM slots. As long as you install even numbered matching memory kits, your system will continue operating at its best.
Specifications and Features
Patriot’s value proposition on the Quad 8GB Kit (PDC28G6400LLQK) is that it expands your gaming options. When you have 8GB carrying vital data to and from the processor, you’re bound to do a lot more than just gaming. There’s also more benefits to having 8GB like improved memory bandwidth, stability, and no longer worrying about programs crashing due to limited resources.
The Patriot Kit also features…
- PC2-6400LLQK (800 MHz DDR2)
- 4 x 2GB Quad Kit (8GB Total)
- Extra Low Latencies
- Memory timings: 4-4-4-12
- Bladed aluminum heat spreaders
- 64-bit Operating System for best performance
- Tested, Validated, and Verified
- Lifetime Warranty
An important thing to remember is that you’ll need a 64-bit Operating System in order to put the full 8GB to work. The optimal choice would be Vista 64-bit as 32-bit will only page about a maximum 3.5GB worth of RAM. Plus, it’s the current fully supported OS until something else (Windows 7) comes along.
The Quad Kit contains Patriot’s patented Aluminum Bladed Heat Shields. They aren’t the most up to date heat spreaders but it doesn’t mean the kit is built with anything less than quality ICs. The ICs underneath here are strong enough to last for years to come and probably well in to the age of your next computer system. Also, when it comes to professional end users, “style” isn’t quite as important as function. The goal of such a kit is to last and last handling daily tasks efficiently.
The memory’s 4-4-4-12 timings can accomplish more than a comparably tuned 5-5-5-15 memory kit. These lower timings are a big bonus for faster read and write transfer rates not to mention quicker system operations.
Making Sure You Get All Eight…Gigabytes…
The trick to ensuring memory is compatible with your motherboard is by checking out its specs. Some older boards simply do not support this much memory or required specific types of memory with particular specs. If you’re out searching for a DDR2 motherboard, make sure you choose a good quality platform with an nVidia 590-SLI or newer, or AMD 790 Chipset for optimal performance. The latest of the DDR2 Chipsets can handle the lower 4-4-4-12 timings where as some early revisions may require 5-5-5-15 timings which isn’t a big deal.
Once you’ve got them installed, you can try powering up. If you get to the desktop, then your system is happy and ready to go. However, if your system exhibits sluggishness and random strangeness, it might just be that your motherboard just won’t play nice with all four slots filled. Then further troubleshooting will be required or perhaps an adjustment to voltage. Some older boards only support up to 2.1 Volts while this kit requires 2.2 Volts.
Running with memory in all four slots does require a bit of tweaking for some boards but hopefully our benchmarks show that it’s all worth it.
Taking the Quad Off-Road
Since we know 800 MHz DDR2 memory works great for gaming, the bulk of the testing involved more professional as well as realistic uses for the Quad Kit. Only one gaming benchmark using Crysis was included. Otherwise, SANDRA CPU, Memory Bandwidth, and MPEG4 Encoding completed the test suite.
In order to properly test out the modules, we built two systems based on both an AMD and INTEL platform that uses DDR2 modules. Here are a look at the specs…
- Intel E6750 Core 2 Duo – GIGABYTE X48-DQ6 Motherboard
- AMD X2 5000 Black Edition – MSI K9A2 790X Motherboard
- Patriot Extreme Performance DDR2 8GB (4 x 2GB) PC2-6400 Low Latency Quad Memory Kit (As Reviewed)
- 500 GB Western Digital SATA II
- Zotac nVidia Geforce GTX 295 Video Card
Overclocking wasn’t part of the exercise due to some chipset limitations in regards to support for this amount of memory. Each motherboard was able to overclock two memory modules to about 1000 MHz, but when all four modules were used, the systems couldn’t maintain stability beyond an extra 50 MHz even when adding extra voltage. If it’s overclocking you want, consider using two faster rated modules.
Crysis
Again, with a capable video card installed, even the AMD X2 6000 made quick play of Crysis. As you can see, DDR2 might not be new hotness anymore, but it’s still quite capable in a solid gaming system.
SANDRA CPU
Compared to other systems of the same caliber, DDR2 has no problems keeping the processor swimming in data. These are very healthy results even on a Dual Core, whether INTEL or AMD.
Memory Bandwidth
This is the memory’s main commodity. It’s the most important feature that produces the data that the processor needs to get tasks completed. The Dual Core AMD’s integrated memory controller makes great use of the memory in this respect.
MPEG-4 Encoding
This benchmark is excellent for showing the system’s processing power and how the amount of memory available impacts performance. As you can see, when multitasking, the system has to work harder caching data while putting all its resources towards the encoding task.
The Patriot 8GB Quad Kit simply offers more room to stretch and is quit happy to oblige when running the same test a second time. Now, imagine your own system on 8GBs while using some very large files and your favourite 3D rendering software. Another thing that benefits from extra memory are virtualization where the more memory you can assign the virtual machine, the faster it can run.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
You would never know that the package has so much to offer just by simply looking at it. It’s not uncommon for users to misunderstand the purpose behind a healthy 8GB memory kit. While DDR3 memory is the latest and greatest memory standard in the PC industry, DDR2 still continues to thrive due to its level of performance and value. Plus, it’s built on some of the best IC designs that can literally last for years under heavy use.
This 8GB kit may seem like a lot till you consider two things: Performance and Price.
The performance benefits of this particular Quad kit are productivity and stability. It really allows you to run really large programs much more quickly than your typical 4GB memory kits. This avoids the frustrating resource “bottlenecks” like hitting the hard drive and can mean better overall responsiveness in general. Have more memory can also lead to far fewer programs crashes due to insufficient memory.
On the price side…well…have you seen what DDR2 memory kits costs these days? It’s so cheap, there’s no reason for a power user or professional not to consider a Quad-2GB memory kit. This stuff is your best option for smoothly running multiple office applications, rendering software, virtual machines…all at the same time. Though not many games can use this much memory, you’ll just get more time to play them because your work is getting done faster.
Even if you don’t need 8GBs or RAM, one could easily separate this kit between two machines. Just go buy some!
Pros
- Low 4-4-4-12 Timings
- Super cost effective
- Large program friendly
- Stable performance
- Include Bladed Heat Shields
Cons
- Faster ICs are not offered in DDR2 for this kit
Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10.0
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Patriot Extreme Performance DDR2 8GB (4 x 2GB) PC2-6400 Low Latency Quad Memory Kit Photo Gallery
