Page 3 - Overclocking and Conclusion
Buying enthusiast computer products often raises one question: How well does the product perform beyond manufacturer specifications? Let's check this out.
Before we begin, we must note that the OCZ Special Ops Edition Urban Elite does not use any 'legendary' ICs such as Micron D9's. These RAM utilizes older ProMos chips, and let's see how it goes in terms of overclocking.
Without any voltage increases, the RAM's latency can be changed from 4-4-3-15 to 4-4-3-12 without any problems. I have confirmed this with Memtest86 and Prime95 each ran separately for over 12 hours without any errors at all.
Update: Seems like that at 2.1V (Within specification), our tests indicate that our units can run stably at 4-4-3-9 without any problems!
At stock latencies, I tried hitting the maximum stable speed confirmed by various freely available software such as Memtest86 and Prime95. By dropping the CPU FSB and running it on a divider, I want to make sure my processor isn't limiting the overclock.
The RAM can hit 470MHz (DDR2-940) at 4-4-3-15 without any problems at 2.1V.
I don't know why, but even loosening the timings didn't help a further overclock. The maximum stable speed I can achieve at 5-5-5-15 is 480MHz (DDR2-960) at 2.2V. Any further will be unstable, although I have heard others hitting over DDR2-1000 5-5-5-15 at 2.2V. However, all RAM are different -- even the ones of the same model. You can get a module that overclocks like mad, while another can give you the most modest overclock.
It is still under OCZ's lifetime warranty as you increase your voltage to ±5% 2.2V.
The OCZ SOE Urban Elite RAM with its Urban Camo Motif XTC Heatspreader will look unique in your computer case, preferably with a window -- while delivering great performance at a competitive price. Our unit can run at 4-4-3-12 4-4-3-9 at stock 400MHz (DDR2-800) without any problems; and if you have an Intel Core 2 Duo that can run at 400MHz FSB (That's already a 50% overclock), you can enjoy pretty decent latencies. On the other hand, if you want a lot of memory bandwidth, our unit running stock latencies at 4-4-3-15 can still be maintained up to 470MHz (DDR2-940). Backed by OCZ's Lifetime Warranty, and so far no compatibility issues (New motherboards with latest BIOS should be fine; tested on abit's AB9-Pro P965 based motherboard as well as Intel's i975X based Asus P5W64-WS Professional), these RAM are probably the ones you want in your new computer. I've dealt previously with OCZ for an RMA without revealing myself, and they proved excellent turnaround time and service. The OCZ SOE Urban Elite has unique looks, good latencies, great price and excellent warranty -- now that only if overclocked a bit better... but all in all, great RAM for your money!
Special thanks to Andy over at OCZ for making this review possible.
Rating: 7.4/10 | APH Recommended
- The rating 7/10 means "Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing".
- The rating 8/10 means "Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that isn't likely going to matter to the end user".
- More information in our Review Focus.
Great RAM at great prices, and unique design on the heatspreader. Latencies on our unit can run at 4-4-3-12 4-4-3-9 without any issues; however if it overclocked better, that would be excellent for the enthusiast crowd. Otherwise, great RAM for your money -- and if you don't like the RAM sink, get OCZ's widely available and competitively priced OCZ Platinum XTC Revision 2 kit. It's slightly different, but it's priced a bit lower and performs well.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Test System and Benchmarks
3. Overclocking and Conclusion
