PNY DDR Memory

[akers]

Fry's has a good price on a PNY 2GB (2X1GB) PC3200 kit ($120 AR). Has anyone tried PNY memory? I am not into extreme overclocking or gaming. I need the extra memory for video editing and digital photos with Photoshop CS2. I have heard of PNY for a long time but have never tried it.

My current 1GB (2X512) of PC3500 Mushkin has been a big disappointment. Mushkin has informed me that it does not perform well with the Intel 875P chipset my mobo is based on. It will not reach its rated speed regardless of the timimngs or fsb I use. With 3-4-4-8 timing it will barely reach 400Mhz (fsb 250). Using SPD or locked at 1:1 it will only go a couple of Mhz over 400Mhz (fsb 202). I have had great luck with Corsair, OCZ, and even Kingston on other PCs I hacve built.

 

[eplebnista]

I've used it a few times in stock speed systems with no problems encountered, even mixing with other brands a couple of times.

 

[GamerExpress]

The PNY stuff is ok, I wouldn't expect to get anything great if at all in terms of overclocking though.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: akers
My current 1GB (2X512) of PC3500 Mushkin has been a big disappointment. Mushkin has informed me that it does not perform well with the Intel 875P chipset my mobo is based on. It will not reach its rated speed regardless of the timimngs or fsb I use. With 3-4-4-8 timing it will barely reach 400Mhz (fsb 250). Using SPD or locked at 1:1 it will only go a couple of Mhz over 400Mhz (fsb 202). I have had great luck with Corsair, OCZ, and even Kingston on other PCs I hacve built.

Something doesn't sound right, with them basically telling you "tough luck". Mushkin should be taking this memory back on a RMA.
Are we getting the whole story here? :roll:


The PNY 2GB kit would be a notch above "value" memory for your 875P chipset. Just don't expect to run tight timings with it.

 

[akers]

Yes you are getting the whole story. Mushkin tells me it has something to do with the "CH-5" chips. Here is a cut and paste from their reply. The memory is "Black Level 1" by the way.

"the memory you bought is CH-5 IC's which won't run well on intel systems when oc'd. I'm not sure it was ever determined why, but for whatever reason, even using a divider the boards would stop oc'ing around 250fsb. Sometimes it was even lower on certain boards depending on the boards themselves. This is NOT a memory flaw/defective issue, but a motherboard, specifically Intel 865/875 chipsets and compatibility with CH-5 chips".

If I have to lock the memory at 4:5 and 3-4-4-8 timing anyway to get a 250 fsb then I might as well use the inexpensive PNY stuff. I built this PC over two and a half years ago. I want it to have a little more productive life before I bite the bullet and build a Athlon 64 X2 system. I usually build AMD systems, this was my first (and only) Intel based PC.