Verdict: The second-fastest RAM in the Labs test, but it's expensive.

With its shiny dark red heatspreaders, this high-end PC2-9200 overclocking kit manages to look the part of enthusiast memory without resorting to a more esoteric cooling system, such as that used by Corsair's Dominator and OCZ's Reaper memory.

However, the £170 price tag means that the CellShock follows in the footsteps of most premium memory in being very expensive.

Like Mushkin's XP2-9200, CellShock's CS2221650 RAM is officially rated as PC2-9200, which equates to an impressive and guaranteed stock clock speed of 1,150MHz at 5-5-5-18 latency timings. Even though this is one of the highest-rated kits of DDR2 in this Labs test, most of the RAM on test is capable of hitting speeds in excess of 1,150MHz with some tweaking, so the CellShock has its work cut out to justify its relatively high price.

In this respect, however, the PC2-9200 memory didn't disappoint; increasing the voltage to a stonking 2.5V meant that it was stable up to 1.22GHz. Dropping the latencies to 6-6-6-18 allowed the RAM to match the achievement of the imperious OCZ Reaper PC2-8500, with a top speed of 1.23GHz. Ultimately, though, with the OCZ kit costing around £50 less than the CellShock, the OCZ is the obvious choice for high-end overclocking.

• Cases - 21st November 2008
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