I originally was going to title this post as "waiting for an OCZ RMA number: an endurance test harder than dual prime95" but I decided as amusing as that title was, it would be too inflammatory. These recent problems really are a unfortunate, since OCZ make incredible memory, which I’m currently enjoying in my new system. However, now I’m sitting here with an inoperable computer because OCZ has not responded for two weeks. It’s hard to overclock without a good power supply.
I’ve had three major problems with OCZ products in the past few months.
1. OCZ VX PC4000 GOLD series: This ram is rated for 250fsb at 2-2-2-8 timings using 3.3v. If it actually performed at those specifications, it would be well worth the money. However, it does not on an intel 875 platform. Although OCZ mentions it is optimized for AMD 64 it does not say it will not work on an intel system. In fact at the bottom of the product page it states *OCZ VX series is not recomended for use on legacy nForce 2 platforms* and yet it forgets to mention that it does not perform to spec on i875 intel chipsets. Quite an obvious oversight and in my opinion, quite an obvious mis-advertisement. It clocks to a mere 225fsb using 2-2-2-8 on an i875 using 3.5v; 50% less than the product specifications. So it took exactly 3-4 e. mail exchanges to get an RMA number. I did not return it, and rather decided to sell it to someone with an AMD board.
2. OCZ booster: The OCZ booster worked well for about a two weeks. But when you are over clocking, you change the voltage often depending upon what you are doing: ie. Benching or 24/7 settings. After about two weeks the rheostat died on the booster. There suddenly was a fluctuation between 2.65-3.8v. This kind of fluctuation is deadly. After testing the item with a multimeter I discovered the rheostat was broken. Basically it was fluctuating between an on and off state. OCZ got me a RMA number with in 24 hours and got me a new booster in about a week. NICE TECH SUPPORT…. Just a bad product. I was thorough satisfied.
3. OCZ powerstream 520w: My powerstream 520 was making a hissing sound under prime95 full load or in memtest. The sound got louder over a few weeks. Then suddenly it just stopped supplying power to the board. I tried to hot jump it by connecting the green \"power on\" pin to a ground. However, the powerstream did not start. I put in a cheap Thermaltake and the system booted right up. Two weeks have passed since my first e. mail. I’ve contacted two people at OCZ and neither one has provided me with an RMA number. THREE e. mails have been ignored over the last two weeks. One of the reasons I bought this power supply was because of the 5 year PowerSwap warranty. Now, I’ve been sitting hear for two weeks without a power supply. I’ve been trying to overclock with a thermaltake 320w power supply with very little success; it just can’t handle the load of an x800, a Dothan, HD, and a water cooling system. I really need a better power supply. Should I buy a new one? NO I should not. I should not have to with a 5 year warranty.
So thank you for listening to my ranting. I apologize, but it had to be done. The animosity was building and had to be released before my temper detonates, exploding into an outright flaming of OCZ. I wanted to provide you with a level headed assessment of my problems, since the function of the forums are to provide people with unbiased user information.
I’ve had three major problems with OCZ products in the past few months.
1. OCZ VX PC4000 GOLD series: This ram is rated for 250fsb at 2-2-2-8 timings using 3.3v. If it actually performed at those specifications, it would be well worth the money. However, it does not on an intel 875 platform. Although OCZ mentions it is optimized for AMD 64 it does not say it will not work on an intel system. In fact at the bottom of the product page it states *OCZ VX series is not recomended for use on legacy nForce 2 platforms* and yet it forgets to mention that it does not perform to spec on i875 intel chipsets. Quite an obvious oversight and in my opinion, quite an obvious mis-advertisement. It clocks to a mere 225fsb using 2-2-2-8 on an i875 using 3.5v; 50% less than the product specifications. So it took exactly 3-4 e. mail exchanges to get an RMA number. I did not return it, and rather decided to sell it to someone with an AMD board.
2. OCZ booster: The OCZ booster worked well for about a two weeks. But when you are over clocking, you change the voltage often depending upon what you are doing: ie. Benching or 24/7 settings. After about two weeks the rheostat died on the booster. There suddenly was a fluctuation between 2.65-3.8v. This kind of fluctuation is deadly. After testing the item with a multimeter I discovered the rheostat was broken. Basically it was fluctuating between an on and off state. OCZ got me a RMA number with in 24 hours and got me a new booster in about a week. NICE TECH SUPPORT…. Just a bad product. I was thorough satisfied.
3. OCZ powerstream 520w: My powerstream 520 was making a hissing sound under prime95 full load or in memtest. The sound got louder over a few weeks. Then suddenly it just stopped supplying power to the board. I tried to hot jump it by connecting the green \"power on\" pin to a ground. However, the powerstream did not start. I put in a cheap Thermaltake and the system booted right up. Two weeks have passed since my first e. mail. I’ve contacted two people at OCZ and neither one has provided me with an RMA number. THREE e. mails have been ignored over the last two weeks. One of the reasons I bought this power supply was because of the 5 year PowerSwap warranty. Now, I’ve been sitting hear for two weeks without a power supply. I’ve been trying to overclock with a thermaltake 320w power supply with very little success; it just can’t handle the load of an x800, a Dothan, HD, and a water cooling system. I really need a better power supply. Should I buy a new one? NO I should not. I should not have to with a 5 year warranty.
So thank you for listening to my ranting. I apologize, but it had to be done. The animosity was building and had to be released before my temper detonates, exploding into an outright flaming of OCZ. I wanted to provide you with a level headed assessment of my problems, since the function of the forums are to provide people with unbiased user information.
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...but you really should call 1-800-459-1816 (Toll Free) and talk to sean...
It does'nt get much better than that.
