Introduction
Mushkin 512MB Hi-Performance PC2100 2-2-2 memory review
Up until a couple of years ago, we here in the UK didn't have much of a choice when it came to picking our system memory. We had to mostly make to do with generic memory which was a very hit-and-miss affair. Times have changed and the global marketplace has become considerably smaller. The burgeoning Pentium 4, with its quad-pumped FSB, demands fast system memory. After all, it can use up to 4.26GB/s at 133FSB. The Athlon XP appears to be moving to a faster FSB in the very near future, so fast system memory is imperative if we are to keep out processors saturated with data.
If I was to think of memory manufacturers who specialise in offering modules above and above the present JEDEC specifications, Corsair and Mushkin would come to mind. Both have an enviable reputation as providers of high-quality, performance-orientated memory. Generally speaking, you can differentiate your memory in one of two ways. You can firstly certify it to run at a certain MHz speed, this is by far the most common method. The other method is to certify your memory to run at certain timings, usually extremely strict ones, with perhaps a lower MHz rating.
With that in mind, I was pleased to receive a package from Mushkin.
Kind of difficult to tell from the above picture, but this is Mushkin's proprietary packaging system. You receive the module in what effectively is an airbag. Considering just how sensitive memory modules are to outside interferences, this seems like a good ploy.
I was a little skeptical once I opened the packaging to reveal the module. It's marked as a PC2100 stick. These days when PC2700 memory is reasonably common, and PC3200 is becoming more widespread, a PC2100 module seems to be out of place. Before you dismiss this module as something from a bygone time, read on to find out just what it could do.