I started the tested at 200MHz FSB with a memory voltage of 2.6V, which is lower than the recommended 2.8V. I will increase the voltages of the memory and processor as stability requires when overclocking. At 230MHz it became unstable at the lower voltage, so it was raised to 2.7V. At 240MHz the memory required 2.8V to remain stable, which is the OCZ’s recommended range.
Basically keeping the memory at recommended settings will allow the full 250MHz bandwidth. The Abit IC-7 motherboard will not allow the memory to run faster than the processor asynchronously (using a 4:5 ratio), so I had to increase the processor’s FSB with each memory stepping at a 1:1 ratio. Pushing the Pentium 4 this hard requires the processor’s voltage to be increased as well. Below is a chart of the voltage settings used to achieve a certain clock speed with the OCZ RAM at a 1:1 ratio.
| CPU(v) | memory(v) | FSB | effective GHz |
| 1.5 | 2.6 | 200 | 2.8 |
| 1.5 | 2.6 | 225 | 3.15 |
| 1.5 | 2.7 | 230 | 3.22 |
| 1.55 | 2.8 | 240 | 3.37 |
| 1.65 | 2.8 | 245 | 3.43 |
| 1.7 | 2.8 | 250 | 3.5 |
The memory did not have a problem once the default 2.8V was used, however my poor 2.8GHz processor was starting to use an unsafe amount of electricity. However a 40% overclock is still very impressive
The memory has been confirmed to run at 265MHz by OCZ engineers, but this could not be tested due to my motherboard’s limitations. If able to run asynchronously I’m sure the memory could reach 265MHz. This would not overclock the processor any further, but would offer more raw memory bandwidth.
Conclusion
OCZ has been producing high quality performance RAM for a few years and is a well-recognized name in the enthusiast market. They consistently define themselves as a trend setter. OCZ delivers a product with fast memory timings that can easily overclock a Pentium 4 system.
If you have the right hardware, the memory itself can run even faster using a 5:4 timing ratio reaching 265MHz and beyond. The memory is more expensive than stock modules, but is priced competitively with other enthusiast memory.
If you are looking to overclock your Intel-based system, then this gold-plated Gig is a must have; good enough for King Midas himself! Therefore OCmodshop awards this memory with a 9.5 out of 10 rating along with the OCmodshop Seal of Approval!
Pros
- Excellent overclocking potential
- High quality protection circuits
- Major bling value
Cons
- Higher cost then standard memory
