14 DAY TRIAL // After two months in which memory prices for 2GBs of RAM escalated from $500 to $700 it seems that prices are finally coming down. Good news, especially for the overclockers, since memory using speeds higher than DDR2-800 is both hard to find and pretty high priced. Considering these arguments, it's hard not to enjoy a new high end memory module being launched at prices as low as $375. And when Patriot memory maker takes a shot at this contest, it generally comes out among the first.
Patriot is a brand name for PDP, memory maker from Freemont, California and generally stands for high performance DDRs, especially at high speeds. And it's the exact same case with their new 2GB kit PDC22GB8500ELK rated at DDR2-1066, with the timings 5-5-5-9 at 2.3V. You might say that every DDR2-1000 memory could reach DDR2-1066 and you would be right in 90% of the time. But that doesn't mean every memory can sustain low latencies at that speed. And - as always - the solution used by Patriot here, incorporating the well known Micron D9 memory chips is a winner.
Various tests - some made at home by users, others executed in prestigious testing labs - pointed out that, the kit from Patriot actually exceeds its specifications holding on to tighter timings at default speed (4-3-4-11 2.3V). Overclocking your memory won't get you that far, because the modules lock up as soon as you get to 1100MHz. But the tighter timings more than make up for that, especially when you're running a machine with a low multiplier CPU.
Overall, 2GB DDR2-1066 memory modules from Patriot are quite a hit, mainly because they exceed by an important margin the specifications claimed by the producer. Assuming you have the money, this is one of the best DDR2 memory modules you can buy.