Mushkin PC3200 Level II Dual Pack DDR RAM

Company: Mushkin
Product: PC3200 Level II 512MB Dual Pack
Street Price: $190 USD
Date Reviewed: September 1, 2003
Reviewed By: Joey Chao

A Closer Look:

The package that we received from Mushkin was big bubble envelope to make sure that the memory did not get damaged during shipping. Inside the envelope was an electrostatic bag containing the memory modules. Most memory that we review comes in hard shell cases such as Corsair or OCZ but the packaging for the Mushkin is sufficient for keeping the memory safe through shipping.

The memory uses copper heat spreaders with the Mushkin Logo to help dissipate the heat generated by the chips. Many enthusiasts feel that heat spreaders greatly aid in overclocking, but in our experience, we have had about the same results with or without heat spreaders unless extreme voltages like 3V+ are applied. This is only from our experiences though and may differ for other users. If the heat spreaders are removed, it will void the warranty and we highly recommend not removing them unless you really want to waste a lifetime warranty.

Underneath the heat spreaders are hand picked 5ns chips. These have been tested for PC3200 operation at the 2-2-2 timings. Mushkin uses their very own custom 6-layer PCB for these modules. The PCB is black as opposed to the typical green that you see on most memory available today. The black PCB and custom heat spreader distinguishes Mushkin from other brands and shows their individuality and uniqueness.

The last characteristic in terms of looks is the sticker on the far right side of the memory displaying that the memory is indeed PC3200 Level II 256MB sticks. Too bad they did not accidentally send us the PC3500 Level II modules.