Monday Hardware Reviews

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In the following pages of this review, PCSTATS will be benchmarking and overclocking a 1GB set of Crucial Ballistix PC2-4200 DDR2 memory (2x 512MB) which come packed in bright yellow/orange aluminum heatspreaders. By default Crucial's Ballistix PC2-4200 runs at DDR2-533 speeds with memory timings of 4-4-4-10, at a voltage of 1.8V. Crucial has always been on the conservative side of 'enthusiast' level gear, but we're hoping that this Ballistix DDR2 RAM will still be up to the overclocking challenge.

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This kit features SamsungTCC5 modules (new cousin to the TCCD line) which allow for this RAM to reach the phenomenal stock speed of 600MHz DDR at 2.85V. I was especially keen to benchmark this RAM vs the PC3200 BH5 RAM previously reviewed. Where the PC3200 Gold Ed. RAM brought speed via low latencies combined with stellar overclocking, the PC4800 Platinum Kit aims to supply this speed via raw FSB speeds coupled with respectable latencies.

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OCZ has delivered another kickass product and while some of the testing showed that 4x UTT using 2-2-2-5 with 2T settings was a faster alternative when running 2GB, when using TCCD we were limited in our overclocking even when both kits can do 300+ on their own. Also, not all motherboards will provide the 3.1 volts UTT needed to run these speeds. Obviously, popping in two 1GB sticks of memory will be the preferred way of running 2GB of memory however, if you already have an existing gig of memory and are looking to add more moving to this type of kit may not be the most cost effective option. However, if you are building a new system or looking to upgrade an older memory kit then a kit like this is the perfect solution. OCZ memory includes a lifetime warranty and this particular kit is warrantied to 2.9v +5%.

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Whether you are a gamer looking for a little more out of your video card, or a multimedia enthusiast that has had to give up gaming performance in the past for a top of the line multimedia card, the X800XT AIW deserves a serious look.

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Apparently, ECS was tired of getting overlooked by enthusiasts and decided to start an 'Extreme' line of motherboards. While the term 'extreme' has become a silly 2000's cliche, it still manages to catch our attention. What is catching more people's attention, though, is the early success of these Extreme mainboards. ECS is now not only delivering great buys but also great performance, competing quite well in a previously untapped segment with compelling bang-for-the-buck offerings.

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Overall, the layout of the ASUS P5WD2 Premium is as close to flawless as I have seen. I was extremely impressed by the clean, uncluttered layout that ASUS devised. It is obvious that this board was built with an incredible amount of flexibility in mind.

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With no loyalties, we're free to openly jump between platforms and manufacturers, sometimes to the dismay of brand-fans, in search of faster speeds that bring better performance. Before the ABIT AN8-SLI was released, rumors flourished that it would challenge the DFI LANParty NF4 SLI-DR for top spot, so you can be sure that this review is going to be an exciting one as we try to settle that question. Call it an ABIT vs. DFI battle royal if you will. Based on the nVidia nForce4 SLI chipset, the ABIT AN8-SLI supports AMD Athlon64/FX/X2 processors and includes a Port 80 diagnostics card and of course the ABIT Q-OTES chipset cooling solution.

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ECS have put together a very stable and well rounded package with the PF21 Extreme. It is very overclocker friendly due to the huge amount of BIOS tweaks available to the user. Being the underdog, the PF21 is priced less than similiar specced boards from the more well known manufacturers, this makes the ECS PF21 Extreme an excellent choice whether you are a novice overclocker or a seasoned vet.