Intro

Since I'm fairly new to the modding community, I'm always excited to hear about new products that enhance the visual appearance of a rig. With all the bells, whistles, and phase-change coolers out there on the market, it's pretty hard to practice restraint every time a new product catches your eye. Enter, the Razotech RAM Mod.

Razotech is part of a new startup corporation called Neo Maxim, Corp. Founded in October, 2004, the Neo Maxim, Corp. is dedicated to providing top notch gear to that top notch gamer and/or professional out there that wants to make their computer uniquely theirs. Many companies tend to give you a song and dance when you read their "About Us" page but I can really tell that this company put some thought into it and really means what it states. A company that stands behinds its mission statement is definitely a company that has a chance to succeed.

Specs

Unfortunately, there aren't really a lot of specifications you can list about a simple product like this. There is a link where you can register to learn more about the product, but upon clicking the link, it looks to be more for a retailer than an inquisitive shopper. Here are the product specifications from the Razotech web site.

The perfect accessory for your RAM module.

- Support all DIMM Modules.
- 8 styles of light twinkling diodes.
- 3 colors to chose from: Blue, Red, Green.

Package

With a product as small as this, it would have been a real waste of time to send it via FedEx, UPS, or other consignment courier. I received my review model via the U.S. Postal Service in a small Priority Mail box which only took two days to arrive. Inside the box was the small clamshell case for the RAM Mod packed with Styrofoam peanuts. There was no damage to the box or to the RAM Mod clamshell that I could see. Pretty wise move on the part of Razotech. You still get it within a really decent timeframe and you save a couple of bucks shipping, too.

When I opened the clamshell, inside was the RAM Mod LED strip, the PCI slot button with the "Y" adapter, one screw, two white clips, a double-sided adhesive strip, and, as a thoughtful gesture, a blue cap to place over the end of the four-pin molex in case it's not needed for short circuit protection.

All in all, they give you the bare basics which would suit the average shopper. To fill in some of the gaps, it contains five LED's spaced evenly that run off on the 5V wire in a modified "Y" adapter. The eight different patterns of the LEDs can be switched via a push button that is installed in a rear PCI slot.

Installation

Installation of the RAM Mod is so easy that you don't even need a set of instructions. Simply place the white clips onto the back side of the RAM stick, apply the adhesive across the flat surface of the clips, and then place the RAM Mod across the top of the adhesive. With heat spreaders becoming the standard in RAM stick design, these clips easily sit higher than the wire metal clip used to keep the heat spreaders on the RAM stick.

I was briefly confused when I went to install the PCI slot button. If you look closely at the photo of what was included in the package, you'll notice something weird about the placement of the button. If you were to install the PCI slot exactly as you bought it, the button would be on the inside of the case with the wires running out the back of your case. Minor design oversight? Perhaps as it would seem useless to have the button on the inside of the case and the extra problem of having to reroute the wires to go back inside the case. A minor 30 seconds and a set of pliers to unscrew the nut later, I was easily able to change the button around so it would accessible on the outside.

A really nice touch by Razotech is the length of the wires from the button to the RAM Mod. Sometimes companies will skimp on length in order to save a penny or two, but Razotech gives you enough so you are able to route it safely behind the motherboard and then some. Thanks for thinking of those wire conscious folks out there, Razotech.