When building an HTPC, SFF PC or something similar, a goal that many people share is to build it as power-efficient as possible. With both AMD and Intel constantly developing more efficient processors, and even selling special energy-efficient models, it’s become easier to do that. Even hard drive makers have gotten into the efficiency game by offering “green” drives.
Of course, for those who plan on gaming on their small PC, there also exist some truly power efficient graphics cards as well. That begs the question, does there exist a part that could go into such a PC that doesn’t have an energy efficient variant? Not likely, as there are even power supplies and memory modules to cater to the need, which rounds out the entire PC nicely.
In the case of memory, though, the trade-off of efficient models is that the performance is noticeably degraded. Whereas you might not notice much of a performance drop with an energy efficient hard drive, no one wants to use a memory kit that lacks in performance or features higher latencies. Thankfully though, as memory chips continually improve, we can have the best of both worlds.
OCZ released what I believe could be the best low-voltage kit last week, the Platinum ELV. While CL9 versions of the same kit are made available, so is CL8, which with its DDR3-1600 speeds, puts it on par with common sought-after speeds from enthusiasts. Personally, I have 12GB of RAM installed in my own PC, and I use the same settings. The difference, though, is that I’m running them at 1.65V, whereas these kits can run under a much improved 1.35V.
For those who might prefer a bit more oomph, but still want to retain modest voltage levels, OCZ also released the Reaper ULV, which features a DDR3-1600 7-8-8 kit that operates at just 1.5v. The best part of these kits is that if you are dedicated, you might even be able to lower the voltage even further. Building a power-efficient PC used to be a chore, but today, it’s almost too easy!
OCZ DDR3 ELV and ULV triple-channel and dual-channel memory kits are available in PC3-12800 (1600MHz) and PC3-10666 (1333MHz) speed ratings, are 100% hand-tested for quality assurance, and feature propriety XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) and Reaper HPC heatspreaders for more effective heat dissipation. Furthermore, each OCZ module is backed by the OCZ Lifetime Warranty and industry-leading technical support for unparalleled peace of mind.