Page 9 - Overclocking Results and Conclusion
Okay, I lied. I don't have any overclocking results, haha. Because the G.SKILL F3-17600CL7D-4GBPIS 2x2GB already runs at such an incredible speed of DDR3-2200 with 7-10-10 timings, even my Intel Core i5-750 processor wasn't able to keep up with the memory's stock frequency due to the 2:10 divider (Lynnfield Core i7 users can squeeze a little more with their 2:12 divider). As this memory kit is guaranteed to work at such a high frequency right out of the box, as well as being rated at relatively low latencies at that speed, it is clear that G.SKILL's Pi series RAM a highly optimized set that isn't necessarily designed for significant amounts of tuning potential. This assertion is validated by the word on the street -- as far as that is concerned, you might be able to get an extra 50MHz (100MHz DDR) or so at stock latencies, but other than that, it's undeniably already ridiculously fast RAM. It's kind of funny, because we have never done a desktop memory review before without overclocking the product on hand. However, I feel this is justified as an exception for this particular article, since we're talking about PC3-17600 DDR3 modules here. A standard Intel processor is designed to work with PC3-10666 rated memory without overclocking!
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The G.SKILL F3-17600CL7D-4GBPIS 2x2GB dual channel desktop memory kit makes a clear statement of what today's extremely high performance can be. As we have repeatedly over and over again in this review, the G-SKILL PC3-17600 Pi series RAM is some seriously fast stuff. While having simply faster memory will not increase your system benchmark scores directly, it provides a lot of tweaking headroom, and this is what G.SKILL's Pi series RAM is all about. The 7-10-10-28 latencies, 1T command rate, and 1.65V stock voltage is the icing on the cake. Generally speaking, it is safe to say that the F3-17600CL7D is targeted at the hardcore overclocker, performance enthusiast, and/or users looking to enlarge their e-male-proprietary-part (Where the latter probably consists of all of the listed factors prior to it, haha). The G.SKILL memory set comes with a well designed and well implemented aluminum heatsink for quick heat dissipation, as well as the included Turbulence Fan to bring additional airflow over the memory modules for those who desire it. My complaint with regards to the Turbulence Fan is that it is fairly audible during use, but personally I don't think it's something that needs to be used on a daily basis anyway -- the most probable situation for use is likely non-permanent overclocking and benchmarking sessions. As far as price is concerned, this kit in 2x2GB configuration goes for approximately $180 at press time. Expensive? Heck yes. Justified cost for increased performance? Probably not. You are probably better off spending the money on a faster processor for much better performance to price ratio. But if you already have the best of the best, and looking for something that makes a bold statement in pushing the limit of today's extreme performance memory, then the G.SKILL F3-17600CL7D-4GBPIS 2x2GB is for you!
Special thanks to Lili over at G.SKILL for making this review possible.
Starting from April 30, 2007, Number Ratings have been dropped for all CPU, motherboards, RAM, and graphics cards. This is to ensure the most appropriate ratings reflected without the limits of using numbers. Everything else will continue using the Number Rating System.
More information in our Review Focus.
The G.SKILL F3-17600CL7D-4GBPIS 2x2GB is quite a bold statement in high performance memory for the latest Intel CPUs. DDR3-2200 7-10-10-28 1T @ 1.65V. Dang.
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Page Index
1. Introduction and Specifications
2. A Closer Look, Installation, Test System
3. Benchmark: EVEREST CPU
4. Benchmark: EVEREST FPU
5. Benchmark: EVEREST Memory
6. Benchmark: PCMark Vantage
7. Benchmark: 3DMark06 Professional
8. Benchmark: SuperPI 1M, Cinebench R10
9. Overclocking Results and Conclusion
