Team Group Xtreem PC6400

Our second contestant of the day comes from Team Group. Last year (2006), Teamgroup was a real newcomer in the European memory arena. Actually, it's not until 2006 that I came across this memory on the Xtreme Systems forums, where many of the worlds enthusiasts compete. Upon seeing the results of their new DDR2 memory, I decided to get a PC5300 "micron" kit for myself. This kit already scaled well beyond 1000Mhz, so when this roundup came up, I decided to ask Team Group for one of their high end modules.

They were kind enough to send us the following kit :


The team memory kit comes in a specific, rather small package

The memory kit we are reviewing today is thus a memory kit from their "Xtreem" series, which sits at the top of their memory series besides the low end "value" line and the middle end "Elite" line. The Xtreem lineup consists out of 4 different memory kits, each in two sizes. The memory of the day, the PC6400 "333", has long been their top rating memory kit, only recently being replaced by their PC8500C4/PC9600C5 kit. These kits are squarely aimed at the overclocking community, and that's exactly what we'll be doing with them...

A little check up on the specifications:

Rated speed : PC2-6400/800MHz

Rated timings : 3-3-3-8 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS)

Layout : 64x8 DDR2 FBGA Chips

240pin DDR2 dimm

Parity : Non-ECC, Un-buffered

Aluminum Heat-spreader

6 Layers Ultra Low Noises Shielded PCB

Warranted voltage : 2.2V - 2.35V

Programmed EPP settings

Lifetime Warranty

I'd like to give an extra word on the rated voltages. When you take a really close look at the picture below, you might see the small print on the label that says : "CL=3-3-3-8 (2.35V-2.45V)". This is different from the specifications that are printed on Team's website, and are shown above. As the modules clearly print an allowed voltage of 2.45V, this is also exactly the voltage I've been using during our bench testing. However, I wouldn't advise this kind of voltage for too long without applying some extra cooling to the modules. Team Group warrants their memory for life, just like the other contestants, but obviously does not warrant their parts against over-volting.


front of the module, with specifications


back of the module, with serial number

As you can see, the modules have a really simple look, for some a bit too simple maybe... The heat spreader is a basic plate of aluminum that is glued to the memory banks. The plate has been "stamped" with the "Team" and "Xtreem" labels, and feature the necessary specifications by means of a sticker. Actually, there are two heat spreaders applied, which are not interconnected: the spreaders are open at the top side of the memory, allowing air to move between the banks. This way, the front as well as the back of heat spreader can aid in the heat dissipation. Other than that, the modules look deceptively simple: when I first lay hands on an Xtreem series I thought I was holding a value part... This is not a module you want to include in you plexi case for showing off, or wait, maybe you do... because like many things in life, first looks can be really misleading...

Onto the next kit ->