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Mushkin HP2-6400 4GB Memory Review
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Introduction
Some may argue this point but memory is the life blood of any computer system. Simply put without it your system cannot do anything. When you don't have enough you're overall processing power is reduced and things get slower, and in some rare cases having too much memory can even be a waste of money. In fact there is no straight line hardcore method for determining how much memory you really need, only a baseline recommendation that says “the more the better”.
Knowing that size plays a deciding factor in performance what separates one module from another? In a word, speed. Every module is assigned a speed rating from the manufacture that is largely dependent on the quality of the chips but can also be affected by module (PCB) design, the voltage requirements, and settings required to maintain a given level of performance. This roughly translates into frequency and latency.
We here at Ninjalane are rather picky when it comes to purchasing memory for our own machines. In fact we'll often pay quite a bit extra to get a good performing module with a high speed rating and extremely low latency. In the DDR2 world this is a PC8500 capable product running CAS5 or lower.
Knowing that size plays a deciding factor in performance what separates one module from another? In a word, speed. Every module is assigned a speed rating from the manufacture that is largely dependent on the quality of the chips but can also be affected by module (PCB) design, the voltage requirements, and settings required to maintain a given level of performance. This roughly translates into frequency and latency.
We here at Ninjalane are rather picky when it comes to purchasing memory for our own machines. In fact we'll often pay quite a bit extra to get a good performing module with a high speed rating and extremely low latency. In the DDR2 world this is a PC8500 capable product running CAS5 or lower.
In this review we will be looking at the Mushkin HP2-6400 “blue label” modules. These are a DDR2 800Mhz modules in a 4GB kit, a 2 x 2GB configuration. For those unfamiliar with the Performance line of Mushkin memory the blue modules fall into the lower end of the line up between the XP “black” modules and EM “silver” modules.
As was mentioned earlier our modules are part of a dual channel memory kit, the modules are paired up using a binning process to ensure they share a common speed, timing, and voltage specification. When the match has been found they are assigned a number and given a colored heatspreader. Our modules feature a CAS5 timing with a voltage range of 1.8 to 2.1volts. It should be noted that this is also the voltage range covered by the Muskin warranty, exceeding this will render it null and void.
In terms of size the Mushkin HP2-6400 is comparable to any standard module with the exception of some additional height added to the heatspreader. This additional space and open area helps to promote cooling and airflow.
