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. Winchip still knows that DDR2 has performance potential left in it, and offers the 1200MHz PC2-9600 2GB DDR2 RAM Kit to Benchmark Reviews for testing.

Everyone always wants good stable system memory, but not everyone wants to pay the price. When computer enthusiasts build or upgrade a system, RAM purchases are often relegated to the cheapest parts available, saving money at the expense of performance. Benchmark Reviews has tested the 2GB set of Crucial PC2-8500 CL5 Ballistix BL12864AL1065 DDR2 1066MHz RAM against the rest of the competition, and the results may just be enough to sway your opinion away from discount memory.

Microsoft promised the world with their latest Operating System: Windows Vista. One of the few features in Vista which wasn't scrapped to make the release deadline was Windows ReadyBoost. While dependent on a suitable flash drive to provide a faster cache, Windows ReadyBoost claimed to significantly improve system responsiveness. OCZ understood the need for high-speed flash memory, and offers the VBoost USB Flash Drive for Windows Vista. This article will test and review the hardware, but more importantly it will answer why you may not need to buy into the Microsoft marketing spin.