If you think about it, the memory manufacturers are in a strange predicament. DDR2 memory is at the end of its run, and has been for the better part of a year. DDR3 has been around long enough to reach some pretty incredible speeds. But, AMD has chosen to continue with DDR2 memory on their next generation of Phenoms, causing the memory guys to continue building DDR2 dual channel kits. And though DDR3 speeds have exceeded DDR3-2000, there is really only one chipset capable of running memory at DDR3-2000 dual channel, the nForce 790i Ultra. Maybe some X48 boards could, but not all of them.

Add to that the fact that Intel's i7 processor and X58 chipset uses triple channel memory, and the fact that people will be buying Core 2 Duos and Quads for a while longer with the choice of motherboards supporting either DDR2 or DDR3, the memory manufacturers will have to offer a wide variety of memory kits for the foreseeable future.

Dual channel DDR3 is kind of stuck in the middle of all this mess. I don't think that DDR3 has really caught on as well as hoped. Maybe that was expected. The memory manufacturers were aware of the i7 since early last year, so maybe the DDR3 dual channel motherboard just gave the memory guys a chance to develop DDR3 to a high potential in preparation for the next generation of processors and motherboards.

So, for many more months, consumers will expect ready availability of DDR2 and DDR3 dual channel kits, and DDR3 triple channel kits, forcing the memory manufacturers and hardware dealers to keep three generations of memory technology on hand. Add to that the uncertainty of the global economy and the memory guys are definitely in a strange position.

Today, I will be looking at OCZ's DDR3-2000 SLI-ready 2GB dual channel kit. Supporting EPP, this memory kit is ready for that high-end SLI gaming rig. Here at OCIA.net, we've always loved OCZ's memory…the innovations, looks, and high performance. Read on to check out this high-end OCZ memory kit.

Specifications:

Memory Type: 240 Pin DDR3 Unbuffered SDRAM
Memory Speed: PC3-16000 (DDR3-2000)
Timing: 9-9-9-30 (CAS-TRCD-TRP-TRAS)
Available in 2GB Dual Channel Kits (2 x 1GB)
VDIMM: 1.8 Volts
Warranty: OCZ Lifetime Warranty

Special Features:

NVIDIA® SLI certified
EPP 2.0-Ready
NVIDIA SLI special XTC Heatspreader