| G.Skill 4GB DDR2-800 Pi Black Series Dual Channel Memory Kit
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Conclusion:
The G.Skill 4GB DDR2-800 Pi Black Series dual channel memory kit is an interesting new offering in the aging PC2-6400 DDR2 memory market. The kit was able to run at 800MHz with extremely tight timings of 4-4-4-12, while using a rather economical 1.8V. While the kit is rated for 1.9V, I found that much voltage wasn't necessary at stock speed, and was adequate for running the modules all the way up to 1000MHz.
Testing showed that the kit's performance is definitely a strong point, as it put up solid numbers in a handful of benchmarks. While it overclocked to a modest 1000MHz, it put up numbers comparable to a 2GB kit overclocked up to 1066MHz.
The Pi Series heatspreaders definitely look cool, but they are also intended to keep the modules cool. In all honesty, the heatspreaders never felt particularly warm at any point during testing, but they are well installed so any heat that might need to be transferred should be able to do so properly.
Searching the Internet finds this kit for sale at a variety of well known retailers, with one of the best deals being from Newegg.com. The G.Skill 4GB DDR2-800 Pi Black Series dual channel memory kit is quite a deal at $69.99, and made even more appealing since shipping is free! System memory prices are incredibly low these days, but this price is competitive with more generic kits offering looser timings and less appealing aesthetics.
The "Pros" listed are all pretty compelling reasons to add this kit to any DDR2 based system you might be looking to keep up and running in the face of DDR3. There are no concrete "Cons" to list, but those with oversized CPU coolers or compact cases may want to double check to make sure the height of the heatspreader won't cause any problems.
Given the price, performance, and styling, there really isn't anything to dislike about this memory kit. The G.Skill 4GB DDR2-800 Pi Black Series dual channel memory kit therefore earns the Bigbruin.com awards of "Highly Recommended" and "Good Value".
 
Pros:
» Tight stock timings
» Low operating voltage (rated at 1.9V, ran at 1.8V)
» Overclocked to 1000MHz with 5-5-5-15 timings and 1.9V
» Slick appearance
» Great price
Cons:
» Oversized heatspreader won't fit in every system
Special thanks to G.Skill for providing the G.Skill 4GB DDR2-800 Pi Black Series Dual Channel Memory Kit to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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