ADATA XPG Gaming
Series 16GB 2133MHz Kit RRP: $175 | Website: www.adata.com Test Machine • Intel Core i7 3770K • ASUS Maximus V Extreme • Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB • ANTEC HCP 1200 • Windows 7 64-bit SPI
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DATA amongst many other memory suppliers have found themselves having to diversify their product ranges to include USB drives, SSDs flash cards and the like. After all, with so many competitors in the DRAM market, being a one trick pony is a sure way to vanish from the component landscape sooner rather than later. That however does not mean ADATA is not still in the memory business, unlike some others who seems to be steering themselves in slightly different directions, ADATA seem dedicated to the DRAM business and they have a wider range than before. The XPG Gaming series grade memory
22 The OverClocker Issue 20 | 2012
kit is what they sent to us. Now we have to admit that there essentially isn’t a difference between gaming memory and enthusiast memory really. What ultimately determines the grading in reality are the chips used on the DRAM, the PCB and if you will the heat spreaders. So then with gaming memory you can be sure of one thing and that is there isn’t stringent, time consuming and extensive sorting process that takes place with the RAM but rather, it’s a more conservative process which yields memory that isn’t that exciting per se, but nonetheless may prove valuable for the vast majority of users. Not everyone will be able to appreciate DDR3 2,666MHz RAM and in fact the same may actually hold true for 2,400MHz RAM. The benefit to the power user of high speed RAM with tight timings is near nonexistent even though we as overclockers
would trip over ourselves for such kits. So while there isn’t as such a component difference between overclocking and gaming memory, there does need to be a distinction of utility for ADATA and by extension for the gamers who make up the bulk of the buying power. With this particular kit, given the rated speed and timings, we weren’t quite sure if they even warranted a review. After all, there’s not much one can say about such passable timings and frequencies. We do appreciate high density modules, but we’d go on the record to say that the average gamer and even the power gamer would gain no meaningful advantage by using a 16GB kit over an 8GB kit. As it turns out there’s an identical ADATA 8GB kit which happens to in part nullify this particular 16GB set as you’ll see later on..