TwinMOS Speed Premium PC3200

[W1zzard]

[PAGE=Introduction, Specifications]

Introduction
The TwinMOS Speed Premium PC3200 memory modules are geared towards the casual overclocker, who wants to get more out of his PC. Those modules are built using TwinMOS/TwinMOS PC3200 chips which have been selected to allow overclocking to DDR450 without any previous experience in overclocking. While the tests are performed at TwinMOS, the price does not increase.

Official Press Release
Though this model is labeled DDR400, it has outperformed standard DDR400 modules. Moreover, all overclocking settings have been completed before shipping, so users can easily enhance the speed to nearly 450MHz without operating complicated BIOS setup. Most importantly, Speed Premium DDR400 is compatible with most motherboards on the market. Currently this series offers both 256MB and 512MB memory capacity. In addition to using matched dies of the latest wafer process technology, advanced ADVAN-TEST T5585/T5593 also have been applied to all modules before shipping to ensure their stability and compatibility is superior to products of the same category from other manufacturers.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/Frontbeide_small2.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/Frontbeide_big2.jpg)

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/Backbeide_small2.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/Backbeide_big2.jpg)
The PCB is made by Brainpower and has Revision No. B6U808

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/Chip_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/Chip_big.jpg)
The chips are PowerChip TSOP, rated by Twinmos for 4.4 ns. That is why every module should be able to run 227 Mhz (1000/4.4).

Specifications


Double Data Rate architecture
MRS cycle with address key programs
- CAS latency: CL2, 2.5
- Burst length: 2, 4, 8
- Burst type: Sequential & Interleave
2 variations of refresh
- Auto refresh
- Self refresh
Serial Presence Detect support
2 Banks to be operated simultaneously or independently
Package: TSOP
184 edge connector pads
Clock frequency: 133/ 166/ 200 (2.5-3-3-X) MHz
SSTL-2 interface: 2.6 Voltage +/- 0.2v


[PAGE=Overclocking & Testing]
Test System

AMD Athlon-FX53 (max: 2.9 GHz)
MSI K8N Neo2 (Bios 1.5b1 - max HTT: 345 MHz) (nForce 3 Ultra, DualChannel)
X800 XT PE
Antec 550 W PSU

Overclocking
After some testing we could reach 202 MHz @ 2-3-3-X-1T and 227 Mhz @ 2.5-3-3-X-1T, completely stable. So the memory is able to reach the advertised DDR450 speeds, but not much more. Increasing voltage from 2.6 V up to 3.6 V did not yield any higher overclock. Reducing the timings to 3-4-4-X-2T did not help either.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/overclocking.jpg

Testing
The first thing we noticed was that the memory has absolutely no problems running at a command rate of 1T. Value memory often can't run at 1T and requires a command rate reduction to 2T, resulting in a loss of about ~200-300 MB/s.
Now the benchmarks:

SiSoft Sandra 2005 Memory Bandwith
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/testsandra.jpg

<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">RAM Timings</th>
<td>Int (MB/s) </td>
<td>Float (MB/s)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200MHz at 2.5-3-3-7-1</th>
<td>6029</td>
<td>5986</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200MHz at 2-3-3-7-1T</th>
<td>6046</td>
<td>6000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">202MHz at 2-3-3-7-1T</th>
<td>6094</td>
<td>6047</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">227MHz at 2.5-3-3-7-1T</th>
<td>6827</td>
<td>6775</td>
</tr>
</table>

Everest Memory Latency
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/testeverest.jpg

<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">RAM Timings</th>
<td>ns </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200MHz at 2.5-3-3-7-1</th>
<td>55.3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200MHz at 2-3-3-7-1T</th>
<td>53.7</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">202MHz at 2-3-3-7-1T</th>
<td>53.2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">227MHz at 2.5-3-3-7-1T</th>
<td>48.9</td>
</tr>
</table>

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/overclocking202.jpg
202MHz @2-3-3-7-1T

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/overclocking227_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/TwinMOS/SpeedPremium/images/overclocking227.jpg)
227MHz @2.5-3-3-7-1T (click the image for big version)
[PAGE=Conclusion]
Conclusion
First of all, we would like to thank TwinMOS Germany for letting us test their memory modules.

TwinMos' Speed Premium PC3200 memory modules are targeted at value oriented users who want to overclock some, without losing their warranty. The only thing TwinMOS should have added are heatspreaders to protect the tiny resistors etc, it is quite possible to rip off one from a memory module's PCB.
Build quality of the modules is good, thanks to the Brainpower PCB and there are no compatibility issues, even on Socket939 (which is the most challenging platform for memory).

<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
256 MB for ~40 USD and 512 MB for ~80 USD</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Can run 1T command rate on S939
Cheap
Good quality
Great compatibility
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
Not much overclocking headroom
Looks
</td></tr>
<tr><th>7.0</th>
<td>A solid alternative to cheap CL 2.5 memories like MDT, Infineon, Kingston ValueRAM, and others which belong to the same performance category.
Good memory for every standard PC, not enough overclocking headroom for serious overclocking.</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
</table>

[wazzledoozle]

How long until they put the kind of ram on video cards, on to ram sticks. The new high end cards have like 1.4 Ns timings :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[W1zzard]

latencies of video card memory are way too high

[Unregistered]

The Speed Premiums tested have had a change in the ICs and now use Winbond UTT (UnTesTed) chips which are showing up all over the place. You can tell them appart from the sticks using the prior ICs not only by doing a visual, the new ones look like the bh-5/bh-6 of old, but also by the parts number on the stickers attached to the modules.

The ones tested in this review end in the coding AADT, the new ones use the coding ending in AA4T, (notice the D vs the 4). This code change is also printed on the ICs themselves, where the mfg. date is printed on the ICs, the old ones have the date (YYWW) plus the letter D, the new ones follow the Year/Week info with the number 4. An example of the old would be 0443D, like the modules used in this review and the new ones will look something like this...04514.

These new ICs, while showing no significant differences at default voltage, will scale through the roof when shot with extra voltage and perform very similar to the new line of extreme voltage memory from OCZ. In fact, there is much speculation that these same chips are used my OCZ to make their eXtreme Voltage series ram.

These sticks, with the new modules are hitting outrageous speeds of 255-275 at 2-2-2-x timings on both Intel and A64 systems. The only drawback is that you have got to be able to provide them with voltage in the 3.2v-3.6v range in order to get them to perform like this.

If you think these are not good overclockers....think again!

[//mAr]

i know, i'm the guy who discovered it with help from (ALEX working for Twinmos Germany) ;) there will be soon a review of twinmos/winbond UTT :>

But the tested ram are AADT
D=Powerchip
4=Winbond (doesn't really exist anymore, cauz Infineon now "own" winbond)
I=should Samsung or something like that
H=other brand .. hynix or so, don't know

[Unregistered]

I know that you know, because I post over at XS as well. It was the other readers that I was sharing that information with. And thanks for the tip on the other makes of ICs used in these modules. I wasn't aware that Samsung nor Hynix made blanks or will these carry the Samsung (or Hynix) labels on the chips?

Looking forward to your review of the Winbond (yes I know Infineon bought Winbond, but they are still Winbond chips to me). Let us know over at XS when you've finished.

[ojaneka]

CHECKOUT THIS ARTICLE: http://www.vr-zone.com/?i=1641&s=5