Performance Test Configuration

The Memory testbed for evaluating the OCZ 4200EL is the same used in our earlier reviews of DDR500 and other High-Speed Memory.

Mushkin PC4000 High Performance: DDR500 PLUS
Corsair TwinX1024-4000 PRO: Improving DDR500 Performance
Mushkin & Adata: 2 for the Fast-Timings Lane
Searching for the Memory Holy Grail — Part 2

All test conditions were as close as possible to those in our earlier memory reviews.


 INTEL 875P Performance Test Configuration
Processor(s): Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz (800MHz FSB)
RAM: 2 x 512MB OCZ 4200EL(DS)
2 x 512MB Mushkin PC4000 High Performance (DS)
2 x 512MB Corsair TwinX4000 PRO (DS)
2 x 512MB Mushkin Level II PC3500 (DS)
2 x 256MB Adata DDR450 (SS)
2 x 512MB Adata PC4000 (DS)
2 x 512MB Corsair PC4000 (DS)
2 x 512MB Geil PC4000 (DS)
4 x 256MB Kingston PC4000 (SS)
2 x 256MB Kingston PC4000 (SS)
2 x 512MB OCZ PC4000 (DS)
4 x 256MB OCZ PC3700 GOLD (DS)
Hard Drives 2 Western Digital Raptor Serial ATA 36.7GB 10,000 rpm drives in an Intel ICH5R RAID configuration
PCI/AGP Speed Fixed at 33/66
Bus Master Drivers: 875P Intel INF Update v5.00.1012, SATA RAID drivers installed, but IAA not installed
Video Card(s): ATI 9800 PRO 128MB, 128MB aperture, 1024x768x32
Video Drivers: ATI Catalyst 3.7
Power Supply: Vantec Stealth 470Watt Aluminum
Operating System(s): Windows XP Professional SP1
Motherboards: Asus P4C800-E (875) with 1011 Release BIOS

OCZ targets their 4200EL at the Intel 875/865 enthusiast. Since 4200EL is not targeted at Athlon, performance on an Athlon64 or nForce2 Ultra 400 was not tested.

Test Settings

The following settings were tested with OCZ 4200EL:
  1. 800FSB/DDR400 — the highest stock speed supported on 875/865 motherboards.
  2. 1000FSB/DDR500 — the specified rating of the majority of recent memory modules that we have tested.
  3. 1066FSB/DDR533 — the specified rating of OCZ 4200EL.
  4. Highest Stable Overclock — the highest settings that we could achieve with this memory and other memory that we have tested.
These are the same settings used in benchmarking other memory in the above list of memory tests, except for the addition of a 533 value for 4200EL.

Index Test Results
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  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    awesome review wes...thanks for the good work...i was less then an hour away from ordering the corsair xms4000pro and you changed my mind to ocz (i have ocz el 3200 now).....
  • Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    #13 -
    OCZ says it will be available beginning 10/14, which is today's date.
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    I might have missed something, but when will it be available? Screw all the crap said above. I want to try some out, thats what it is all about.
  • Wesley Fink - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    #11 - This memory performed at 2-3-3-5 at DDR400 as shown in the review. If you choose not to buy anything but official Jedec DDR400 memory then that is your business, but I would appreciate it if you read enough of the article to get your facts correct.

    #4 and #7 - We can also show you that in REAL APPLICATIONS in Content Creation that the Intel integrated Graphics are just as fast as a 9800 PRO XT. To state from those REAL APPLICATION tests that the 9800 PRO XT is just as fast as Intel on-chip graphics would be a lie - just as your supposition is only a portion of the true picture. Memory is only one part of the performance puzzle, but it does make a difference. It is not serving our readers to overhype it's importance, but it is also not serving readers to pretend it makes no difference at all. You are correct that it makes no difference at all if you only run Microsoft Word and surf the web with dial-up.

  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    I agree above. How can this be better then using DDR 400 with timings a hell of a lot better? Cas 2.5 with a 4-4-7 timing? That's sad. I rather be at 400 with a Cas 2 with 2-2-5 any day....
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    Got to love OCZ ripping off quotes from other companies. "Powered By" ? Oh please................ Once again stealing quotes from other companies seems to be in their deck of cards. What a shame. Plus guys there really isn't such thing as DDR533. It's just overclocked memory! You're a fool if you buy this stuff.
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    Thanks for the awesome review Wes.

    Tony
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    You crackface, there ARE performance benefits, that's the point. These modules are for extreme users, not some dope on a budget that can't afford an extra $100. No idiot in their right mind should go for DDR533 if they can't spare $100 for a system. Come on now...
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    #5, results? Here's results using ACTUAL APPLICATIONS instead of pointless synthetic benchmarks. If you can give me a reason to pay double the price or more for such minuscule benefits, I'm listening.

    http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/memory/display/co...
  • Anonymous User - Tuesday, October 14, 2003 - link

    awesome memory now we can only wait for the "GOLD" version. I bet it will be faster.

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