Even though PC gaming has been around for a LONG time it has only been in the last couple of years that gaming has become the major influence in manufacturers putting our high performance hardware. A few years ago your average PC gamer didn't know the difference between SDRAM and DDR, much less have any knowledge of memory timings or bandwidth. Things have changed however and so has the demand for performance.

OCZ has been a long time favorite for those looking for high performance Their new EL DDR PC-3500 Gold Gamer eXtreme Dual Channel memory is geared toward the gamer crowd, who is always looking to squeeze every last drop of performance out of their Pc's.

Specifications:
433MHz DDR
CL 2-2-2-5
(CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS) 
Also available in a 512MB module
Unbuffered  
Gold Layered Copper Heatspreader 
Lifetime Warranty 
2.8 Volts 
184 Pin DIMM

Special Features:
OCZ EVP® (Extended Voltage Protection) is a feature that allows performance enthusiasts to use a VDIMM of 3.1V ± 5% without invalidating their OCZ Lifetime Warranty.

ULN (Ultra Low Noise) technology uses various printed circuit board (PCB) techniques to reduce the amount of electrical noise that is present in all high-speed ICs. This results in faster and more stable memory.

One of the features I really like is the EVP, that's basically OCZ saying "We know you are going to tweak this RAM to get the best performance possible, and that's OK with us." Features like this show how enthusiasts, gamers etc. have shaped the industry. It wasn't to long ago that doing things like modifying voltage etc would void your warranty. These days manufacturers are providing end users with the tools needed to overclock and tweak their hardware without having to worry about voiding the warranty.

Packaging:
The RAM is packaged in a plastic clamshell with a bright orange background. The background insert is very minimal on the front, there is a statement about the lifetime warranty and OCZ's website address, on the back you'll find a bit more info about the RAM as well as URL's to many of the sites that OCZ RAM has been reviewed on AND won awards. My camera is slowly dying so I apologize for the pictures.

As for the RAM itself, it is wrapped up in gold layered copper heatspreaders. I'm still not convinced that heatspreaders help performance wise, but I also have no evidence of them hurting performance. Besides, they look damn good. The finish on these heat spreaders is mirror quality so be careful of fingerprints making your RAM look bad. I did attempt to remove the heatspreaders to get a peak at whats underneath but I chickened out once I saw the amount of force needed to pry them off. I've killed enough hardware to know not to push my luck. However I did do some research and found out that this RAM uses Winbond UTT chips which should be very good news for the overclockers out there.

Testing:
The test system for this review will be an Intel 2.4C P4, Abit IC7, 2 x Maxtor 60GB HDD, Lite On DVD ROM, Lite On DVD burner, ATI X800XT AIW. I'll be comparing the OCZ RAM to 1GB of Corsair's XMS 3200XLPRO w/timings of 2-2-2-5 . Tests will be at 400MHz , 433MHz and the Max OC I was able to obtain on the OCZ due to maxing out the voltage at 2.8v 440MHz. I didn't make any adjustments to CAS, dividers etc. That was all left at default.

I'll be using the memory bandwidth benchmark in Sisoft Sandra Pro 2005

The first test was at 400MHz so the OCZ RAM is slightly underclocked from its default speed of 433

400MHz	OCZ	Corsair
Ram Bandwidth Int Buff'd iSSE2	4750	4775
RAM Bandwidth Float Buff's iSSE2	4783	4780

At 400MHz we have a pretty much even match which is what I expected with both sets of RAM running the same timings and speed. The next test at 433MHz is where things start to get interesting, details below the chart.

433MHz	OCZ	Corsair
Ram Bandwidth Int Buff'd iSSE2	5059	5013
Ram Bandwidth Int Buff'd iSSE2	5040	5002

Running the OCZ at it's default speed and the Corsair overclocked we start to see the OCZ taking a lead, the numbers don't look like much however, immediately after completing the bandwidth test with the corsair the computer crashed. Increasing the voltage didn't help stabilize anything.

440MHz	OCZ	Corsair
Ram Bandwidth Int Buff'd iSSE2	5186	Failed to boot
Ram Bandwidth Int Buff'd iSSE2	5180	Failed to boot

Due to my Abit board only letting me go up to 2.8v on the RAM, which is what the Gamer eXtreme requires, 440MHz was my highest stable overclock, I feel that with more voltage this RAM from OCZ would go much higher and with their EVP upping the voltage wont void your warranty. With more tweaking and relaxing the timings on the Corsair I was able to get the PC to boot but not stable enough to complete the bandwidth test.

Final Thoughts:

OCZ has built themselves a well deserved reputation among the enthusiast crowd and their new Gamer eXtreme DDR lives up to what people have come to expect from them. This RAM also goes a long way to show that you don't have to buy the most expensive RAM you can find to get great performance. At the time of this review the OCZ RAM could be picked up for around $170 the Corsair I compared it to in this review goes for $215-$220. If you're a gamer looking for the most performance out of your system that is an extra $45-50 that could be put to use elsewhere.

Even if you have an older board that doesn't fully support the speeds of the Gamer eXtreme you can still benefit from the amount of overhead this RAM will provide. As long as you have the necessary 2.8v you can't go wrong with it.

Pros:
Excellent performance, Price/Performance ratio, heatspreaders, EVP, Winbond UTT chips

Cons:
None. You heard right... not a one this RAM kicks ass.

Bottom Line: I think anyone looking to upgrade or replace their RAM would be making a huge mistake in not adding the OCZ Gamer eXtreme to a VERY short list of RAM worth taking a look at. Great performance, great price how can you go wrong.