HotHardware Holiday Buyer's Guide 2008
Fond Memories
Memory is still a very important part of a system, so don’t scrimp here. Thankfully, prices have dropped to the point that even 4GB is considered affordable.
OCZ Gold Tri Channel 6GB PC12800 DDR3 - $250
If you’re going to enjoy all that the Core i7 platform has to offer, then let us recommend this 6GB (3 x 2GB), 240-Pin DDR3 kit. This Triple Channel Kit has rated latencies of 8-8-8-24 at 1600MHz and a default voltage of about 1.65V. OCZ’s Triple Channel kits also feature XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders for effective heat dissipation.
CORSAIR XMS3 6GB TR3X6G1333C9 - $194
At the mid-range, this 6GB kit supports the latest generation of X58 DDR3-based motherboards. This memory operates at 1333MHz at latencies of 9-9-9-24 at a 1.50V VDIMM voltage. It uses Corsair’s high performance heat sink and each three-module set is fully tested at 1,333MHz.
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) OCZ2RPR800C44GK - $64
At the affordable end of the spectrum, the OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB kit makes use of the HPC heatspreader developed by OCZ to minimize heat using a thermo-conductive copper heat pipe conduit and compact aluminum fin array. This design helps facilitate better overclocking performance while also improving longevity and stability. At 800MHz, the 4GB Edition runs at tight 4-4-4-15 latency timings and offers excellent stability on the latest AMD and Intel platforms.
