Corsair has been around for over 10 years now, and has been one of the big players in performance computing for about 5 years. Some of us have been overclocking since the Pentium Pro, but it was around the time that the PC133 memory standard was introduced that overclocking really started to become mainstream. That was when Corsair started to focus on producing high quality, high performance memory for consumers and they haven't looked back since. There are different companies that briefly garner headlines with various types of memory that are great performing, but Corsair always provides great performance.

The most successful line of Corsair memory is the XMS family. XMS stands for Extreme Memory Speed and since the line was introduced it has remained true to it's name. As our chipsets and CPU's mature they are able to handle faster and lower latency memory, and the development team at Corsair is always quick to deliver. The gaming industry has not been blind to the computer industry's advancements and are now producing games that when all the bells and whistles are turned on, can take a high-end PC and bring it to it's knees. There are some countermeasures you can take to get back those smooth as silk frame rates; upgrade your video card, get a faster CPU, or increase your memory. Since 1GB of installed RAM has been the norm for over a year now, going to 2GB will bring back some of that gaming performance you have been looking for.

Until recently, going with more than 1GB of RAM had some pitfalls. It was outrageously expensive for 1GB modules, and if you went with 4 512MB modules you would either lose your low latency or FSB speed. Not so anymore, a few companies are producing low-latency high speed 2GB DDR kits and of course Corsair is among them. The RAM that I will be checking out here is from the infamous Corsair XMS line, the Corsair TwinX XMS PC4000 2GB memory kit done up in Platinum color.

Package

The memory arrived in the normal fitted hanging clamshell and doesn't have too much text on it describing the contents. There isn't a need to advertise on the package, if you are purchasing this memory you probably already know it's capabilities. On the back were a few reviews from some other sites, but since PimpRig isn't one of them on this package (we are on others) there isn't a need to get into that. ;)

The RAM

The TwinX 2GB kit is available in either Black or Platinum. I don't know if it really makes a difference, but I was always taught that Black absorbs heat so I prefer going with lighter colors for internal computer components. The graphics are tastefully done in a light Blue, and there is a holographic sticker on one side that has the details of speed and timing for that particular stick. Corsair tests their DDR memory as a set in an Asus P4C800 motherboard so you can be sure that the sticks work well with each other. The clip that holds the two aluminum heatspreaders on is easily removable, another plus in my book. I don't know how many sticks of RAM I've had where I scratched the finish on the heatspreader trying to get the damn clip off. Why do I take off the heatspreaders? Why, to see what's under there of course.

If you think doing close up photo's of chrome is hard, try it with a hologram. On the sticker we see the model number, the version (1.1 here), the capacity, the rated speed, and the timings. In the background are the Corsair ships, the XMS logo, and many warnings stating that the warranty is void if removed. I hope they mean the sticker and not the heatspreader. By the way, Corsair does offer a lifetime warranty on these.

As I stated earlier, the heatspreaders are aluminum instead of the copper used in some other brands, and the aluminum makes these sticks noticeably lighter. Here is another plus for this Corsair RAM, the surface isn't smooth and shiny so I don't have to wipe off all the fingerprints after handling them.

The Corsair TwinX PC4000 sticks use Samsung UCCC chips which have shown to be great performing on high capacity RAM. The chips are rated by Samsung to run at 200MHz at 2.6V, but Corsair tests them to ensure they can run at 250MHz at 2.75V. In one of the RAM Guy FAQ's he states that there is still a little overhead even at 250MHz. Remember that statement, "a little overhead", that will end up being the understatement of the year. The timings aren't as tight as they are on BH5 modules, but for 2GB of PC4000 memory they aren't bad at all and don't require near the voltage of BH5. The SPD is advertised as 3-4-4-8; I say advertised because that isn't what my board picked them up as. This is my second review of memory with UCCC chips on it and both were great performing. There isn't a lot of buzz on the net about these modules, but I believe there will be real soon.