Kingston vs OCZ DDR2-800MHz Memory

OCZ PC2-6400 CL4 FlexXLC Edition

Kit: 2 x 240-pin DDR2 Double Sided DIMM
Module Size: 2GB Dual Channel Kit (2 x 1GB)
Rated Speed: DDR2-800
Rated Timings 4-4-4-15
Rated Voltage: 2.0V
Price (as Reviewed): £170 (inc VAT)
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The OCZ FlexXLC range sports not only some ultra bling chunky heatsinks with a load of fins to dissipate the heat, but also have a pair of built in barbs with a 1/4" internal diameter for watercooling. Obviously the liquid is optional, and considering the size of the heatsinks attached you’d be hard pressed to guess if they were actually needed: during testing, even when increasing the voltage outside of warranty specification to 2.4V the modules felt only warm to touch.

OCZ goes out on a limb to appeal to the enthusiast community, of which a significant proportion has been watercooling for many years, however the company is sure to come up against stiff criticism from the community who use a range of barb sizes and connector types.

Not to mention the questionable performance of what a straight flow through design actually does to temperatures, or if the memory really needs it. Whilst it's a novel idea and first to market, perhaps OCZ should also release a range of memory with removable heatsinks, so that people can easily swap them out for something else if required.


The heatsink design is also quite different to the one used on Corsair’s Dominator range which cools the PCB as well as the memory chips. Just including a larger heatsink with fins means that there is more cooling potential for the memory chips, but those chips aren't the only thing that can create heat on a memory module.

The PC2-6400 CL4 FlexXLC Edition memory is rated at 4-4-4-15-2T, but a reference voltage isn’t given on the packaging. OCZ's website states 2.0V and the company also validates the memory for use up to 2.2V. This should allow you to push for tighter timings or more overclocking headroom while not invalidating your warranty.