Well what do we have here, a DDR3 RAM thats been launched when the fuss around the PC building space is about those uber DDR4 RAM sticks.
Sounds lame no? Well, it isn’t. If you look past the “DDR3” text in the packaging, the ADATA XPG V3 2933 MHz says a lot. XPG stands for Xtreme Performance Gear, and is aimed at enthusiasts. This is a SERIOUSLY fast DDR3 RAM which clocks no less than a frequency of 2933 MHz. Normal and even performance memory modules run at 1333 or 1600 MHz frequency. This memory kit sits right in the upper echelon of DDR3 RAMs, and comes with replaceable heatsinks if you want to play it dirty (read: overclock).
This is by no means a RAM for the mainstream, the ADATA XPG is clearly aimed at performance enthusiasts and overclockers.
Unboxing and pictures
Specifications and Features
The kit we received came with the SKU AX3U2933W4G12-DBV-RG. This RAM comes with the following features:
- 8 GB kit (2 x 4GB)
- High profile build of the high type
- Performance Profile XMP
- Interchangeable heatsinks (red and gold)
- Voltage: 1.65
- Speed Rating PC3-23400 (2933 MHz)
- Latency: 12-14-14-36
- Life-time warranty
The packaging of the kit comes in straight forward shrink wrapped plastic, which has the two modules, a manual and two extra heat fins. Opening it up reveals two very high quality RAM sticks, 4GB each. The sticks have a double thick layer of metal on the heatsinks that have direct contact with the DRAM modules. This ensures ultra stability and excellent heat dissipation for when things get hot and heavy. ADATA calls this Thermal Conductive Technology (TCT). The finishing on the RAM casing is matte, which looks classy. The XPG ADATA branding is embossed as a thick stripped layer, it doesn’t look quirky at all. A very classic and utilitarian design indeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0tD_Dz2opM
The pre-installed heat sinks are red coloured, while the supplementary ones are gold. Replacing the aluminium fins requires a screwdriver and is pretty easy to DIY. Holding the RAM modules in your hand, one can feel the weight, this signifies solid construction. The size of the heat sink is massive and can dissipate a lot of heat. You get the idea, these bad boys can handle crazy temperatures!
Now that we’re done with the packaging and build, lets fire this thing up!
Test Setup:
- Intel Core i5 2500K @ 4.32 Ghz
- ASUS P8Z68-V GEN3
- ADATA XPG 8 GB DDR 3 RAM
- 2x GeForce GTX 770 2 GB @ SLI
- Seasonic 950W PSU
- BenQ XL2420T 1920×1080 monitor
- Windows 8 64-bit
Benchmarking Software
- AIDA64 Extreme Memory
- Prime95
- 3DMark Firestrike
Setting up
Running CPU-Z reveals how our test system is configured. Our i5 2500K is old but it still manages to clock a monstrous 4.32 Ghz with the XPG memory kits. That is almost a 1 Ghz bump from the stock speed. This required no fine tuning in the BIOS too, all we did was load up the XMP profile. Easy peasy!
There is a slight chance that your motherboard won’t let the RAM run at 2933 Mhz, because thats too high even for the performance based motherboards to compute. What you have to do in such a case is, select the XMP profile in the BIOS and enable these high frequencies. This XMP profile automatically activates the respective frequencies, timings and voltage, no need to fiddle with these settings manually. See the CPU-Z screens below for a better understanding of how this works.
For a frequency of 2933 Mhz, you’ll be touching RAM voltages of 1.65V, just be sure that your motherboard can handle this RAM voltage, because it is a notch higher than the standard 1.5V.
With the XMP profile enabled, we were good to go for the benchmarks. We did an initial run on Prime95 to check for any ram errors or bad memory. The test completed without any discrepancies, thus leading us to the conclusion that the RAM was rock solid stable at its rated 2933 Mhz frequency.
AIDA64 Extreme – Cache & Memory Benchmark
At a RAM frequency of 2000 Mhz, the read, write and copy speeds the ADATA XPG kit gave was in the range of 14-15,000 Mb/s. People with high-end Core i7s are achieving read/write speeds of in the range of a monstrous 30-35,000 Mb/s!
15,000 Mb/s @ 2000 Mhz roughly translates to 22,500 Mb/s @ 2933 Mhz, for all those wondering. These are some serious performance numbers.
AIDA64 Extreme – Latency Test
The ADATA XPG clocks a nifty 58.7 nanosecond latency at 2000 Mhz frequency. Thus, at 2933 Mhz you can be looking at a latency of 40-45 nanoseconds, which is higher than Corsair’s 2133Mhz Vengeance RAM kit. What is still surprising is that the Corsair is rated at a lower frequency and has lower latency timings. Just an observation. At such high speeds though, the difference between the two kits is not noticeable in any sense when performing common tasks or gaming on the computer. More on that below.
3DMark Firestrike Extreme
Firestrike is 3DMark’s latest suite for benchmarking DirectX 11 based polygons and instruction sets, and is meant for high performance PCs. This test runs an intensive 3D sequence with a lot of particle, lighting and shadow effects. Funnily, Firestrike didn’t detect our second GTX 770, since we have two running in SLI. The test ran utilising only of our GPUs, which reflects on our meagre score. Here is the result:
Running the same test with Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 1600 Mhz kit revealed a score of 3133.
Gaming Benchmarks
The above tests were just synthetic benchmarks. Our gaming benchmarks will tell how tell us how these numbers translate to real world performance. We test how many frames games clock per second, and compare the results of the ADATA XPG V3 2933 Mhz against Corsair Vengeance DDR3 2133 Mhz.
We ran Metro: Last Light in DX11 mode with Super Sample AA disabled, and the rest turned up to their maximum settings, with 16XAF and 4xAA. The XPG takes the lead, but just by the slightest of margins, not even one frame per second. The Corsair RAM is priced reasonably lower than the ADATA XPG.
Just like in Metro: Last Light, Crystal Dynamic’s Tomb Raider is not impacted by a high RAM frequency, posting an FPS difference of 0.8. This makes us come to a conclusion that although a faster RAM does offer benefits, their higher price doesn’t scale like say if you’d spend that money on a better graphics card or a CPU.
Conclusion
There is a lot to say about the ADATA XPG V3 2933 MHz. It’s official retail price is INR 19,500. The clock frequency it offers is unparalleled, but the real world effectiveness, which means how this speed translates to games is questionable. The XPG also sacrifices on latency timings to make up for high frequency. Also, on full throttle the RAM requires 1.65 Voltage. You need a really good motherboard which can withstand the extra current for long sessions.
Thats makes us reach a conclusion, the ADATA XPG V3 is aimed a very specific branch of people with very niche needs, they’re the kind that want the fastest speed available at their disposal with price being of no issue.
Getting this memory kit won’t hurt you though. The build quality is top-notch. The construction consists of 8-layers, so ADATA is really not joking when it comes to build quality. This kit is extremely stable at high temperatures, due its large heat sink and Thermal Conductive Technology. Hey, you also get replaceable aluminium fins, which is a thoughtful addition.
But here’s the catch, are these features really worth the asking price of INR 19,500? That is just too much for a RAM kit, you can get better performance gains by spending on a better CPU or GPU. However, if you’re one of those who wants top notch performance and price isn’t an issue, you simply can’t go wrong here.
What’s iLL
- Solid build quality
- Maddening clock frequency at 2933 MHz
- Good thermal dissipation mechanism
- Extra aluminium fins
- XMP Profiles
- Lifetime warranty
What’s not
- Price: just way too much for a memory module
- Ultra High frequency means low timings (high latency)
- Most motherboards won’t even support the 2933 MHz frequency
