1GB Kit Corsair XMS4000

Overclocking:

We initially started working on this review using the ABIT IC7-G motherboard, but after 10+ hours of benchmarking we found that ABIT had a BIOS issue with the IS7/IC7 series when running memory over 255FSB so we tossed all of our results along with the IC7-G and used the EPOX 4PCA3+ i875P motherboard that has a Vdimm that goes to 3.3V!!! We were simply amazed that we could reach 532MHz at aggressive 2.5-5-4-3 timings and 3.0V! The XMS DDR500 is the fastest memory we have seen to date! Anything above 532MHz would lead to application stability issues no matter how aggressive or loose the timings were set. Before I get a million e-mails we did try 3.3V, but it did not fix our stability issues.

Below are the buffered and unbuffered memory bandwidth results when running overclocked at 532MHz at 2.5-5-4-3 timings.

Conclusions:

Corsair has answered the call of enthusiasts and released a product that eliminates the worry of having too little memory bandwidth! As we have shown by our benchmarks we saw very little real world gain at higher front side bus speeds when we kept the CPU clock at a constant 3.0GHz. We have reached a point in time where memory bandwidth is no longer a major factor for the Intel Pentium 4.

After looking at DDR500 memory we found out that almost all motherboard manufacturers have BIOS issues with DDR500 memory modules. For example our ABIT IC7/IS7 would not run above 255FSB or below CL3 due to BIOS issues. ABIT is aware of the problem and is currently working on a BIOS update to fix this issue. Our EPOX 4PAC3+ would not post with DDR500 inserted because their BIOS would not correctly read the SPD on the memory module, so we found ourselves using a pair of Corsair XMS PC3500 modules to get the memory to post and then increasing the Vdimm to 2.8 volts. This allowed us to then insert the DDR500 modules and run them up to DDR532, which is the fastest dual channel memory speed we have ever seen in our labs.

Having the ability to run DDR500 & DDR532 at 2.5-5-4-3 puts Corsairs XMS4000 performance above the spec any PC4000 memory on the market today and really shows that it is memory with muscle. Kudus to Corsair for releasing memory that the market was demanding even though the performance increase is not very large. Not everyone is able to even run this fast, but if you can Corsair has allowed you to run at extremely fast clock speeds. If you are looking for Xtreme memory speeds then look no further as Corsair XMS 4000 has arrived!

If this line of memory does not suit your needs check out and see if Corsair has any memory for your individual needs!

PROS

• Uber Fast (Arguebly The Fastest Currently)
• Lifetime Warranty
• Great Overclocking
• Aluminum Heat Spreader
• 4.0ns Modules

CONS

• Pricey, But Understandably So
• Motherboard Manufacturers Need To Fix BIOS’s