| Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM Kit |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Memory | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Tuesday, 18 September 2007 | |
Aeneon X-Tune DDR2High speed, reduced latency, excellent graphic performance and cool design – this is what today’s enthusiastic gamers are looking for. Aeneon offers a brand new series of overclocking memory modules designed on the needs of the most demanding hardware enthusiasts. The new Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 overclocking memory modules feature exceptional system performance without any compromise of fast, stable and reliable system operation. Xtune memory modules are the first high-performance modules without the need of higher supply voltages. The 1066MHz Dual Inline Memory Modules operate at the standard DDR2 voltage value of 1.8V, helping to avoid the risks involved with overheating or instable operation. Aeneon Xtune modules are tested and specified to run at the higher frequency compared to the related standard memories! Experience higher reliability and longer lifetime of Aeneon Xtune modules! Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM Kit supports the Enhanced Performance Profile (EPP) standard, simplifying the usage of the overclocking feature. The standard provides you with an easy to use solution as the overclocking settings are preconfigured on the modules and can be read out by all motherboards supporting EPP. As soon as the EPP feature is enabled within the motherboard BIOS the system parameters are automatically adjusted to the overclocking parameters supported by the memory module! In combination with a powerful processor and high-end graphic card, enthusiastic 3D gamers can take full advantage of the capabilities of the new high-performance Xtune overclocking memory modules. The high system performance combined with the support of the new EPP standard and operation at standard 1.8V voltage enables a powerful and reliable Plug & Play solution.
Ever since Intel released the 3 series chipset, DDR2 has had the wind taken from its sails so that DDR3 could make waves. This was meant with the best intentions, but as DDR3 was released to the public it didn't take long for people to realize it was still too immature to compete against DDR2 in regards to performance. This put the weight of the world back on the shoulders of DDR2, which has just earned a reprieve from execution. But now that manufacturers are tooling up for DDR3 production, there are only a few names remaining on the shrinking list which are still releasing high-performance system memory for the DDR2 platform. Qimonda, the makers of Aeneon, recognizes that DDR2 has performance potential left in it, and offers the 1066MHz PC2-8500 2GB DDR2 RAM Kit to Benchmark Reviews for testing. Xtune series is the Aeneon solution for Enthusiastic Gamers striving for highest system performance while experiencing a fast, stable and reliable system operation. Aeneon, with the Xtune series, is the first company that supplies High Performance Memory Modules without overstressing the DRAM components with higher supply voltage. This will be paid back in higher lifetime and reliability. 
Aeneon Xtune series supports the EPP (Enhanced Performance Profile) standard. EPP provides a Plug & Play solution and eases the use of overclocking modules significantly since the overclocking features can be read out by all motherboards1) also supporting EPP. As a result the system parameters are automatically adjusted to the overclocking parameters supported by the memory module. The most popular motherboards in the market supporting EPP are NVIDIA SLI 680i platforms. About the company: Qimonda AGAeneon memory modules are manufactured by the German chip maker Qimonda, one of the world’s leading memory companies. Aeneon products apply to the latest industry standards and are 100% tested. Validated by foremost motherboard manufacturers, AENEON DRAM modules are compatible with major desktop PC and notebook systems.
Qimonda AG is a memory company split out of Infineon Technologies AG on May 1, 2006, to form the third largest DRAM company worldwide, according to the industry research firm Gartner Dataquest. Qimonda is a leader in 300mm manufacturing, and is one of the top suppliers of DRAM products for the PC and server markets. Infineon still controls an 86% stake. Qimonda employs approximately 12,000 worldwide, including 1,800 in R&D with access to five 300 mm manufacturing sites on three continents. It operates five major R&D facilities, including its lead R&D center in Dresden. With a historical emphasis on PC and server products, the company is now focusing on products for graphics, mobile and consumer applications using its power-saving trench technology. Qimonda AG is listed on the NYSE with the ticker symbol QI and is based in Munich, Germany. Qimonda was among the first DRAM suppliers to transition a substantial portion of the manufacturing to 300mm technology. Approximately 2/3 of the DRAM bits shipped are manufactured using 300mm wafers. On September 18th, 2006 Qimonda AG along with Nanya Technology Corporation announced the successful qualification of the 75nm DRAM trench technology. Process structures of 75nm further reduce chip size compared to the previous 90nm technology thereby increasing potential chip output per wafer by about 40 percent. Features & SpecificationsThe 1GB single module can be organized as 128M x 64-bit DDR2-1066 based on 16 components 64M x 8-bit DDR2 FBGA components. The single module is tested to run at 1066 MHz at a latency timing of 5-5-5-15 and 800 MHz at a latency timing of 4-4-4-12 at the standard DDR2 voltage value of 1.8 V. The Dual Channel Kit is coming with two identical modules tested together in DUAL CHANNEL MODE at 1066MHz at a latency timing of 5-5-5-15 on several platforms based on the NVIDIA 680i and Intel 965 chip set. X-Tune Specifications:Parameter Standard Overclocking:
Module dimensions L x W x H 133.35 mm x 30.0 mm x 4.0 mm (max.) 5.25" x 1.18" x 0.16" (max.) Aeneon Features
Closer Look: XTune ExteriorQimonda is one of the largest memory manufacturers in the business, and yet many people on the United States may not be familiar with their brand. Aeneon is one of their memory lines, which produces the Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM Kit we have for review in this article.
Aeneon has done a good job of turning on some excitement with the clamshell packaging for the Xtune. RAM is really not the most exciting hardware component inside a computer, so when you can dress up your product and create attention, every little bit helps. The Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM kit utilizes top binned modules to allow for excellent overclocking ability.
The front of the Xtune DDR2 RAM kit is branded with the Aeneon name, and has a red and white Xtune logo on the front. A flat black anodized aluminum heat spreader is secured with two chromed clips.
The reverse side of the Aeneon Xtune is nearly identical to the front, except for a product label. Aeneon kept it simple, with the black and smoke-chrome look. Perhaps Qimonda doesn't mind sacrificing some flashy looks in trade for better heat radiating spreaders; after all, the chrome heat spreaders retain a lot more heat than people would think.
From the top and bottom view the Aeneon Xtune appears to be built identical to most other performance-orientated RAM modules. The real difference is on the inside, where PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 modules await our overclocking desires...
DDR2 Testing MethodologyIn each test Windows XP was booted fresh and the test program was opened. Task manager was then utilized to end the explorer.exe (Windows) process so that only the most essential services were running and a trim 16 processes total were consuming system memory. This procedure allowed the RAM to be as isolated as possible for our testing. Test System
Test Products:
Sometimes it is very difficult to get broad results between the memory modules tested, so we use several different speeds of memory from participating manufacturers. Benchmark Reviews is very serious about performance, which is why we test the products against as many benchmarks as reasonably possible. Not every test suite is effective in these reviews, and some often calculate processor and other system components into the score. Additionally not every test suite could yield marginally distinct results among products, so only those benchmark tests which focus on system memory and offer a measurable difference have been featured in this review. Of the many test suites we have used, some are not very subjective and give very skewed results based on variables outside of the system memory. While many review sites use programs such as SiSoftware Sandra XII 2008 v11.3.5 because of the built-in comparison results, Benchmark Reviews has found these results to be irrelevant since the hardware is completely different. Instead, we will provide our own, which will ensure the results are all relative across the board. Aeneon DDR2 Test ResultsOur first results were recorded from Lavalys EVEREST using the cache and memory benchmark tools. The results shown below represent the average measurement obtained from the Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM Kit while overclocked to 1140MHz.
With both CPU-Z and EVEREST reporting memory clocks at 5-5-5-15, it's a safe bet they are correct. Aeneon labeled this PC2-8500 2GB RAM kit with 5-5-5-15 specs, and the Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R BIOS picked up on the Enhanced Performance Profile (EPP) programmed into the RAM just as Qimonda planned. I suppose the serious hardware enthusiast would prefer to climb around the BIOS and custom set these parameters, but nothing makes me happier than hardware that does exactly what it's supposed to.
Next up was the PassMark PerformanceTest benchmark which runs several different system memory tests in a row. Although some of the tests are specific to the performance of the RAM, others take the CPU clock speed and front side bus into account when developing a score. Most important are the memory read and write tests. It's also very important that I note how the scores will always be relative to the system components used. For example, PerformanceTest recorded 670.5 Memory Mark points using the Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 on an Intel P35-based Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R motherboard and E6600 @ 2.7GHz. However, just a few months ago I reviewed the Crucial PC2-8500 CL5 Ballistix DDR2 RAM and it scored 837 Memory Mark points with the Intel P865-based abit AB9-Pro with E6600 operating at 3.2GHz. Obviously the CPU and system board have a lot more to do with Memory Mark points than the actual memory, which is why "score" based tests are often less useful than benchmark readings. For the field comparisons, Rightmark Memory Analyzer was used to measure bandwidth at the stock clock speeds. In the future, Benchmark Reviews will measure the maximum attainable speed in this comparison chart.
During our tests with RightMark Memory Analyzer (v3.72), we discovered each round of test results to be very similar to the previous. Regardless of the consistency, each test was completed three times before being averaged. The results for the average read bandwidth are displayed above. The average read test showed the clear difference between Winchip memory, and the two PC2-8500 sets. There was a small difference between the Crucial PC2-8500 and the Qimonda/Aeneon PC2-8500 DDR2 RAM, despite identical clock speeds. From these test results, the Winchip DDR2 1200MHz PC2-9600 2GB RAM kit clearly outperforms PC-8500 RAM. Even though 133MHz doesn't seem like much of a difference, it amounted to almost an 11% improvement.
The average write test portrayed similar results, showing the clear difference between PC2-9600, and PC2-8500 memory. There was a more noticeable difference between the Crucial PC2-8500 and the Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 DDR2 RAM, but the Winchip PC2-9600 improved performance over 9%. Even with the 5-5-5-15 CL5 latency, the Qimonda RAM did not score as well as the identically spec'ed Crucial memory.
RightMark Memory Analyzer offers an average "real" RAM bandwidth performance test. Winchip's DDR2 1200MHz PC2-9600 2GB RAM kit "really" handed it to the PC2-8500 scoring almost 10% improvement. We also tested a few games, but realizing that games can be both CPU and GPU bound made it difficult to compare the different memory sets since the clock speed of the processor would change with the front side bus. For what it's worth, the World in Conflict demo did register a full 1 FPS difference when the CPU was matched and the PC2-8500 was compared to PC2-9600. Obviously, if you are using 1066MHz RAM, you aren't going to keep the CPU at the stock speed. But in the world of benchmarks, it would make comparing the difference in a game somewhat pointless.
DDR2 Final ThoughtsOnce upon a time I believed that all DDR2 labeled with a speed beyond 800MHz was factory overclocked. This was something I based on results of CPU-Z showing the modules as DDR2-800, only with a higher clock speed. Now with companies like Qimonda/Aeneon offering Enhanced Performance Profile (EPP) as a standard built-in feature, overclocking and switching between frequencies has never been easier. 
Aeneon modules all utilize Qimonda manufactured memory components to achieve 1066MHz DDR2. Because of such a low latency, this Aeneon Xtune 2GB RAM kit had tremendous headroom for overclocking, which allowed me to push the Xtune set up to a very stable 1140MHz at 2.0V, but no higher. Still, a 74MHz boost in clock speed isn't bad at all. I suspect someone out there could fit these modules with a liquid cooled heat spreader, but for most practical purposes anything beyond 1160MHz was rough terrain for the Xtune. Aeneon X-Tune ConclusionAeneon has made an appealing package for overclockers with their Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM Kit. Everything you would want to see on the package is there, especially the promise for low latency and a no-overvoltage requirement. Qimonda has taken a relaxed approach to the appearance, while keeping it attractive but still fully functional. Chrome heat spreaders may look nice, but the Aeneon Xtune's anodized aluminum spreaders work better at removing heat from the modules. It would be great to see larger heat spreaders used, but quite frankly it seems as though the temperature never got out of control. Like Micron, Qimonda is a world leader in producing memory modules. With this in mind, construction is going to be among the best possible in the industry. The Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM kit I received for review was in perfect order, without a single problem or quality control concern. Overclockers will enjoy this PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM kit, especially when it can push 1140MHz with very little additional effort. Hardware enthusiast can depend on this DDR2 kit to perform very well under low 1.8~2.0 voltages, and can operate as low as CL4 using certain settings. Sold throughout Europe and Asia, availability in North America is available through Amazon.com, but otherwise may be hard to find. Priced competitively overseas and abroad, this kit is worth the search. In conclusion, the Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 CL5 1066MHz DDR2 RAM Kit proved to be every part the overclockers kit Qimonda/Aeneon intended it to be. There have been other reviews downplaying the overclocking ability of these modules, but I have seen for myself that the Xtune kit is the real deal and can post 1140MHz without much work. If you are looking for a high-performance DDR2 kit with low-voltage design, then the Aeneon Xtune PC2-8500 kit is going to be a winning choice. Pros:
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