Hardware Review
Mushkin HP2-6400 2x1GB Dual Channel Kit
If you're finding your two year old CPU not meeting some minimum requirements for some applications, an upgrade may be necessary. But if you don't want to invest your money on a new processor and if you're thinking of upgrading down the road instead, over clocking your CPU maybe a better alternative. But in order to reach a stable over clock, you're going to need memory modules that can help you achieve the maximum speed of your CPU. Tonight we'll take a look at Mushkin's HP2-6400 dual-memory kit modules. We would like to thank the Mushkin team for making this review possible.
We've taken a look at Mushkin's previous DDR dual channel modules a few months back. We were very impressed on how well those modules over clocked our older Athlon 64 3000+. Our sample review came in a clear blister packing. The HP2-6400 is cooled by Mushkin's blue FrostByte heat spreaders which were introduced in 05. The air duct along the top of the modules adds to its appeal. Here are some detailed specifications for the HP2-6400:
| Module Size: | 2GB kit (1GBx2) |
| Frequency | 800MHz |
| Latency | 4-4-4-12 |
| Voltage: | 2.1V |
| Module Density: | 128Mx64 |
Click the images to see the enlarge version
Let's get on with the testing. We'll be using our new EVGA 680i board and our Intel E6750 CPU to test these modules. The default timings aren't the best I've seen on paper, but knowing the Mushkin memory from the past review, they should hold up very well. Here's the test system we'll be using for this review:
| EVGA 680i SLI |
| Intel Core 2 Duo E6750(2.6GHz) |
| Mushkin HP2-6400 2 x 1GB DC Kit PC2-6400 |
| XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB |
| 2 x WD 80GB SATA RAID 0 Configuration |
| 2 x WD 250GB SATA HD |
| LG 16x DVD-RW |
| SilverStone DA750 750w PSU |
We used the following benchmark softwares:
| 3DMark2001 |
| PCMark05 |
| SiSoft Sandra |
| Everest |
We will take benchmark scores at stock speed as well as the fastest attainable speed we can get. We will be using 3D Mark 2001, Everest Home Edition, PC Mark 05 and Sandra for our benchmark apps. After the installation and countless testing, We were able to get a very stable 3.7GHz, running on 462MHz bus speed. We ran 3D Mark 2001 for about thirty minutes just to make sure it was stable enough to run the other applications.
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As you can see from the charts above, the HP2-6400's perfromance are very impressive at 462MHz bus speed. We we're very impressed with Mushkin's HP2-6400 over clocking potential as well. Over clocking our stock E6750 2.66GHz to a very stable 3.7GHz was an impressive performance gain.
Overall, Mushkin's HP2-6400 performed very well on the entire test we placed the modules through. If you're thinking of upgrading your stock modules, we suggest you take a look at Mushkin's offering. Their line of memories has been known to be good performers and excellent over clocking memory modules. So if you're trying to prolong your CPUs life through over clocking, we would highly recommend these Mushkin dual channel kit. We give the Mushkin HP2-6400 a score of 9 out of 10 and our Unique Rigs recommendation. You can get more information about Mushkin memory at Mushkin's website at www.mushkin.com.
Pros:
Cool FrosByte Heat Spreaders
Stable Timings
Fantastic Overclocking Performance
SLI Ready
Very Good Price
Cons:
None
