OCZ’s EL PC-3200 Gold VX Memory

What is under the Heat Spreader?

When removing the heat spreaders the warranty is voided, so we do not suggest removing them unless you don’t plan on using the lifetime warranty. Once our heavy gold heat spreaders were taken off the modules were found to be to be using Brain Power 808 PCB’s and unmarked UTT memory IC’s. The OCZ Gold VX modules use a different PCB and an IC that has different packaging than Mushkin’s Redline Memory that we reviewed here last week. The Mushkin memory used Brainpower 815 PCB’s and their modules has three “holes” on the UTT Memory IC package whereas on the OCZ modules they only have one dimple or hole on the corner.

The green colored Brain Power 808 PCB’s differ from the JEDEC design, but have proven to have good overclocking results in the past. The PCB has six layers and holds 16 UTT IC’s on the double sided modules. This means the modules are using the 32M x 8 configuration. Let’s take a closer look at the IC’s themselves.

In the above photo you can better see the single marking on the IC package. Not much to say about the modules since the IC’s are naked (no markings) and come UnTesTed from the supplier. Last month we wrote an in-depth article on UTT IC’s, so if you don’t know what UTT stands for you need to read it. OCZ was sure that they used Winbond UTT IC’s, but did not comment on which revision (BH, CH, DH) they were using right now.

Key Features:

• Memory amount: 2 x 512MB
• Memory IC’s: Unmarked Winbond UTT IC’s
• 400MHz (PC-3200) Unbuffered DDR Modules
• CAS latency: 2 clock cycles
• RAS precharge: 3 cycles
• RAS active to precharge: 8 cycles
• Command rate: 1T (1 cycle)
• Polished gold color heat spreader for thermal diffusion
• Latency: 2-3-3-8-1T
• 3.2 Volts
• Lifetime Warranty

Now that we know what is going on under the heat spreaders we can take the modules out for a test drive!