Corsair TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF

RAM with spiked heatsinks; perfect for more speed or a porcupine-inspired case mod.

In the never-ending battle to get the fastest speeds and lowest timings, RAM manufacturers are being forced to create improved cooling methods. Plain old heatsinks were never intended to support the extreme speeds and voltages that overclockers always like to aim for.

Plus, designing new and crazy-looking ‘sinks provides RAM manufacturers with a way to make their products sexy.

Cue the Corsair TWINX2048-8888C4DF 2GB DDR2-1111 RAM kit with included 3x 40mm Dominator Airflow fans and new improved heatsink. The RAM chips themselves are likely very highly screened Micron DDR-667 CL5 parts, most probably D9GMH BGA, although Corsair, like other RAM manufacturers, does have a tendency to use other chips of equivalent quality due to availability issues. Combining timings of 4-4-4-12-2T at 1111MHz with 2.4v DDR voltage, and setting you back over $900, this RAM was made for enthusiasts.

On the 8888C4DF there are separate heatsinks that cool the BGA chips and the PCB. The PCB is cooled with a nickel-plated heatsink and the BGA chips kept chilly with a black anodised heatsink to improve heat dissipation. Corsair redesigned its PCB so that the nickel-plated heatsink could fit. As a result, the PCB itself ended up being 39mm tall – 9mm taller than the standard DDR2 PCB.

What we noticed first on receiving the RAM was the best packaging ever. Gone was the tacky plastic, replaced by a large sturdy box with the RAM like a prime sirloin steak, sandwiched between two chunky pink layers of foam.

The included 3x 40mm Dominator Airflow fans use a three-pin header for power and can be used for any RAM as it clips onto the notches on the motherboard.

The fans do run quietly, however the specifications of the fans are unknown, which makes it hard to say how much airflow the fan actually provides. On top of this the sticks never really seemed to get that hot, especially compared to some of OCZ’s alternatives – but at least it will make your RAM look fantastic. [Oh no he didn’t. – Ed.]

With the new heatsink and fan, the RAM modules were only slightly warm. A more effective solution would be to install a 92mm or 120mm case fan over your RAM, although the Airflow fan is be better than nothing.

While we sadly had little luck reaching the advertised timings when hooked into a 680i-based motherboard, or even a 975X-based ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, we found better luck on a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS4. After a ridiculous amount of fiddling we finally hit the rated speed at 2.4V DDR, +0.35V on the MCH and +0.25V on the FSB using a 2.66 ratio at an FSB of 418MHz. This netted us 7103MB/s and 7128MB/s in Sandra’s Int and Float memory bandwidth tests respectively.

Despite our best efforts the sticks would not go above this speed and be Orthos stable, even with the incredibly lax timings of 6-6-6-15. Going for low latencies instead of high frequencies, at 800MHz we managed 3-3-3-10 quite happily, pulling 5724MB/s and 5728MB/s in Sandra.

We hit a number of board compatibility problems with these sticks, and even then they required a lot of tweaking to realise their potential. Whether the motherboards need a firmware update to handle them properly, or the sticks themselves are just cantankerous we can’t tell.

Assuming you find a compatible match, your only problems are the pricing and availability. Both of these factors are tied to the extensive screening process that Corsair uses to select the right ICs so that these kits run at their rated speeds in Corsair’s labs. After all, good things come to those who wait – and looking at how the DDR2 market has gone so far, the wait will be a long one.