Corsair 2GB PC4400 DDR Kit - TWINX2048-4400PRO

By now, most of you have probably heard that Battlefield 2 performance actually can be improved by going from 1GB of system memory to 2GB. For so long, it seemed that only the hardest core geeks splurged to get 2GB, insisting that they actually saw benefits from such an upgrade. Now, games like Battlefield 2 are driving the "need" for 2GB of RAM more than ever before. It's safe to bet that more and more games in the coming months will also benefit from the doubling of today's standard RAM amount. By mid-2006, most enthusiasts will probably have taken the plunge, or maybe they've already started their Christmas lists just to put a 2GB kit at the top of the list.

All of the top memory companies are of course more than happy to meet this new, increased demand. Corsair, in a partnership with Asus, recently released a 2GB low-latency PC3500 kit. The company doesn't plan to stop there though, as it is also releasing a 2GB PC4400 kit, which happens to be the focus of this article. The kit won't be on shelves for at least a couple more weeks, so consider this article a preview of what you can expect from the TWINX2048-4400PRO.

Since this is a PRO kit, these modules feature Corsair's original LED activity lights and the extra large heat spreader. In case you aren't familiar with the LEDs, you can check them out in the pictures below.

This particular 2GB kit is rated to run at 550MHz DDR or PC4400 at 3-4-4-8 2T timings (CAS-Trcd-Trp-Tras). The 2T command rate might make some of you unhappy, but as you'll soon see, this RAM runs quite fast with a 1T rate. For you hardcore enthusiasts out there wondering, the memory ICs used for these modules are the Infineon CE-5.

Since this is a TWINX dual channel kit, the two modules (1GB each) are tested as a pair and then packaged as a pair if they pass rigorous testing at Corsair's labs.