PC100 SDRAM: A Closer Look

Advanced American Megatrends PC66 SDRAM

While the AMM PC66 SDRAM isn't PC100 Compliant (10ns 100MHz non-PC100 Chips), it will work on most BX motherboards at the 100MHz bus speed.  The 112MHz bus speed is a bit flaky on the AMM PC66 modules, but is still attainable.  If you have already invested your money in 64MB or more of AMM PC66 SDRAM, try using it on your new BX motherboard before tossing it out in favor of a more expensive PC100 module.  You may be in for a surprise. 

Corsair PC100 SDRAM

Probably the most reliable and best overall CAS-3 rated modules out on the market, Corsair PC100 SDRAM boasts an extremely high success/compatibility rate with the newly released BX motherboards.  Corsair PC100 was the only brand of its class to run flawlessly in every single BX Motherboard AnandTech Reviewed in the BX Motherboard Comparison at bus speeds up to 112MHz.  Corsair is known for manufacturing high quality PC100 SDRAM, and if you happen to find some at a good price, and don't plan on using the 133MHz bus speed then there is no point in passing these excellent modules up.  

Memory Man PC100 SDRAM

The Memory Man also produces high quality CAS-3 rated PC100 SDRAM, with a price about $10  higher than the Corsair modules there is no real benefit the Memory Man PC100 SDRAM offers you over the competition except for the lower profile design.  The Corsair PC100 has a clearance of about 5mm greater than that of the Memory Man PC100, there have been cases in which a matter of millimeters was the differentiating factor between getting a motherboard to fit into a case and buying a new case.  Especially with BX boards like the ABIT BX6, which place the Memory Expansion Slots directly underneath the 3.5" HDD Bays in most cases, every millimeter of space saved counts.  Whether or not it is worth the extra money is your call, it depends on where you need the DIMMs to fit.  As far as reliability is concerned, the Corsair PC100 is difficult to tell apart from the Memory Man PC100.

CAS Latency 2 PC100 SDRAM Modules ('-GH') 

Advanced American Megatrends PC100 SDRAM

It is amazing how long the old AMM PC66 SDRAM has lasted, considering it made its debut just under a year ago.  The key to its success was a manufacturing process much more advanced than the competition, while many buyers were frightened by the seemingly outrageous prices of the AMM PC66 SDRAM those that purchased the modules aren't regretting their decision one bit.  The PC66 SDRAM made use of an 8-Layer PCB, well beyond the unwritten specification for standard SDRAM out at the time of its release, however, migrating into the next generation of PC100 SDRAM, the AMM PC100 modules are built on a different 6-Layer PCB.  The only difference between the older PC66 and the newer PC100 AMM SDRAM is the presence of the '-GH' SDRAM chips on the newly released PC100 SDRAM, allowing it to run at the 133MHz bus speed.  Stability at this bus speed is a tad on the shaky side, however it is still quite reliable. 

Azzo PC100 SDRAM

The Azzo PC100 SDRAM, otherwise known as The Ram Warehouse PC100 SDRAM, also makes use of the same '-GH' SDRAM chips found on the AMM PC100 DIMMs, the only real difference seems to be that the Azzo DIMMs carry a price tag about $1 higher than their AMM counterparts.

During AnandTech's tests with the ABIT BX6 the Azzo 64MB Test System never crashed at 466MHz (133 x 3.5) while the AMM 64MB Test System crashed once out of a total of 3 test runs.  The decision is yours, if you happen to be ordering parts from AMM, then go with the AMM SDRAM, if you happen to be ordering the rest of your parts from Azzo (The Ram Warehouse) then you might as well pick up one of their PC100 DIMMs.  Remember that there is really no point to going with the '-GH' modules unless you plan on making use of the 133MHz bus speed, or unless you want to squeeze a few more percent of stability out of your system. 

Memory Man PC100 SDRAM

The Memory Man also offers their SDRAM using '-GH' chips like the above two contenders, the major difference here is that The Memory Man has undercut the price of AMM and Azzo on their 64MB PC100 modules by about $20, which is enough to cover for Overnight Shipping on the SDRAM.  The Memory Man's PC100 SDRAM is virtually identical to the Azzo modules.  If all you happen to be purchasing at the time is memory, then there is no place better to get your modules from than the Memory Man, otherwise it is better to purchase as much as possible from the same retailer.