It's a safe bet at this point to say that DDR3 has finally “arrived”. Although motherboards that supported DDR3 first became available in mid 2007, it wasn't until well over a year later that things started to take off with the release of Intel's Core i7 processor. AMD jumped on the DDR3 train in early 2009 with their AM3 Phenom II X4 processors. With both major CPU manufacturers supporting DDR3, it was just a matter of time before consumers looked to replace their aging DDR2 hardware with a new DDR3-based system.

Now that we are well into the lifespan of DDR3, the focus for many enthusiasts has turned to speed and capacity. With 64-bit operating systems now a viable option, it makes sense for end users to have over 4GB of system memory. Those who do video editing or extensive Photoshop work know how important it is to have a substantial amount of system memory on tap. For those that want the best of both worlds (fast and high capacity), we present today's review product, the OCZ Flex EX DDR3 12GB Triple Channel Memory kit.


The OCZ Flex EX arrived in the hanging retail package seen above. Cutouts on the front show two of the three large modules inside (with the specifications sticker visible) while the reverse lists some product award logos and a diagram of how the water cooling channels work. Below is a list of specifications, borrowed from OCZ's website.


Let's move ahead and take a closer look at the OCZ Flex EX PC3-17000 memory kit.