"optimized for dual channel ddr"?

I've noticed both Corsair and OCZ have released ram that's supposedly optimized for dual channel DDR. (i.e. nForce2)
Naturally they cost a premium over their "unoptimized counterparts"..

Is there anything that actually makes them more suited for dual channel operation.. Or is this just another marketing gimmick?

OCZ = Gimmick

Corsair = Original pc3500 XMS modules gave false signal to Nforce2 chipset, causing the bios to autodetect and load an inoperable setting. The new version has corrected this issue.

So corsair basically corrected a flaw that never should have been there and is now selling the bug fix for more?

Well, it's not really a flaw. It's not Corsair's fault. Nvidia and corsair just were working on two different products at the same time, and they turned out to be incompatible. This is what JEDEC is supposed to prevent. But JEDEC hasn't approved the pc3200 standard yet.

don't you mean PC35oo stnadard? I think I read they already apporved PC3200 standard! Unless i'm wrong.

ClayMan said:

I've noticed both Corsair and OCZ have released ram that's supposedly optimized for dual channel DDR. (i.e. nForce2)
Naturally they cost a premium over their "unoptimized counterparts"..

Is there anything that actually makes them more suited for dual channel operation.. Or is this just another marketing gimmick?

Click to expand...

The OCZ and Corsair memory is selected samples that were pretested before packaged to see which ones run best together in a DC configuration. OCZ is not a gimmick as one said. Its actually good ram for a decent price over its more liked competitors. A friend of mine runs it in his system and I will in mine. It performs very nicely.

I'll believe what OCZ says once they produce two batches of memory that actually work as promised. They seem to make a good stick for a while, then drop the ball.

Honestly, this recent set of products by them seems to be turning out OK... as in I haven't heard any problems with it yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

iceman2g said:

don't you mean PC35oo stnadard? I think I read they already apporved PC3200 standard! Unless i'm wrong.

Click to expand...

Nope. Only PC2700 is Jedec approved. Everything else is just marketing...

Marketing... Well, places like Corsair and Kingston test their modules at, say, 200mhz before selling them as pc3200. They also guarantee that they will work at that speed. If they don't, you'll get a replacement or a refund.

Some places just buy a bunch of sticks with a good reputation for overclocking and slap a pc3200 sticker on them. And some will say, "PC3200 is not Jedec approved. You knew you might not get that speed when you bought it. You're SOL."

Going to www.resellerratings.com is important before you buy from an online retailer. And come here for advice if you don't know the brand.

Also important: Never assume. If it just say pc3200, it could be cas3. You want cas2, or at the very least cas2.5. Also, if it says "samsung," don't assume that it is genuine samsung. It may just use samsung chips. Look for something like "Genuine Samsung," or, "Original Samsung."