Verdict: Yet more low-latency RAM
Corsair has always been well-known for its 'plug-n-frag' memory - DIMMs that are targeted at enthusiasts who want the best performance from their memory subsystem. However, the copious variations of Corsair memory now available makes choosing the right kind for your PC a bewildering task.
This kit is supposed to simplify things a little. Need dual-channel PC3200? Want ultra-low latency timings? This is the stuff. Rated at 2-2-2-5 timings at 200MHz (effectively 400MHz), you can stick this memory in any recent Pentium 4, Athlon XP or Athlon 64 box and it will be perfectly happy. The kit comprises a pair of 512MB sticks pre-tested for guaranteed compatibility, and has an impressive lifetime warranty.
Bizarrely then, for such a well-specified product, the SPD on the chips was programmed to boot at less strenuous timings, meaning you won't get the best out of the product at its standard settings. We had to manually edit the timings in the BIOS to get to the correct settings, which seems odd.
In the CPC Media Benchmarks, the Corsair produced some very good scores at stock speeds, reflecting the aggressive timings. However, we were unable to overclock it very far without lowering the latency timings, and had to drop them to 2.5 - 3 - 3 -7 to reach 215MHz. Performance at the higher clock speeds is good, but when Corsair's own PC4000 DDR costs less, we'd expect much more overclocking potential for the price.
