Memory by stefan @ 2013-07-04
ADATA have launched a new XPG series of memory kits with frequencies ranging from 1600MHz up to 2133MHz. Different CAS latency variants are also offered and regarding capacities we have both 8GB and 16GB memory kits ready.
At first we would like to thank ADATA for offering a sample of their XPG 1.0 2x8GB DDR3-1600 C11 memory kit for testing and reviewing.
About ADATA:
"The Leading Memory Brand with the Most Award-Winning Product Designs
Founded in May, 2001 by Chairman and CEO Mr. Simon Chen, ADATA Technology Co., Ltd. is committed to providing the ultimate memory solutions that enrich customers’ digital life with strong belief in integrity and professionalism. With DRAM modules as its initial product focus, ADATA soon recognized the market’s trend and diversified its product portfolio to include Flash application and data storage solutions. Backed by its technical expertise, state-of-the art manufacturing facilities, and premium customer services, ADATA offers complete memory solutions including DRAM Module, USB Flash Drive, Memory Card, Solid State Drive and Portable Hard Drive; and has quickly risen to become the world’s leading provider of memory modules and Flash application products with a 2nd largest share in DRAM modules and 3rd in Flash Application products (iSupply, May 2010).
ADATA understands that professionalism and innovation drive a company’s competitiveness as well as the value of its products and services in the market. ADATA’s strict execution requires performing at the highest standards as it relates to ID design, purchasing and supply chain management (raw materials), manufacturing processes and quality control and testing. Through constant innovation and development of products that exceed customer expectations, ADATA has won many of the most recognized international awards including the National Silver Award of Excellence in Taiwan, Japan’s G-MARK (Good Design Award), CES Innovations Award in the US and iF Design award and reddot design award in Germany.
A Young Enterprise with Remarkable Growth
Although ADATA started with twenty employees only in 2001, the founder, Mr. Simon Chen and the senior management team have extensive memory-related industry experience in manufacturing and global sales, as well as the passion and energy to instill extraordinary corporate values as the foundation of the company. These values consist of integrity, fairness, honesty, perseverance, ingenuity, harmony, love and innovation. All these factors help contribute to remarkable and consistent year-on-year revenue and profit growth, allowing ADATA to achieve 1 billion sales turnover within the first ten year.
When ADATA first started in 2001, there were only 20 employees. But ADATA was a small company with big dreams. Committed to become a world leading provider in DRAM memory and Flash application products, ADATA soon distinguished itself from the competition by its profession, industry know-how, and eye-catching product design.
Perfection through Non-stop Improvement
Despite its impressive achievement, ADATA is determined to outperform itself. In 2010, ADATA began the process of rebuilding brand, and adopted the hummingbird as its corporate icon and an auxiliary symbol of ADATA’s corporate culture, in order to effectively enhance its competitiveness in the international marketplace as well as to prepare the company for the next decade.
The new logo conveys a more modern design that represents consistency, while retaining the foundation of ADATA’s technical background with the traditional corporate color in blue.
The hummingbird incorporates key design elements that reflect our culture, vision for the future and our commitment to become a global brand. The Hummingbird’s agility suggests that ADATA is highly responsive to market and consumer demands; its swiftness demonstrates leading innovation and productivity in the industry; its exploring nature signifies our determination to pursue all possibilities; and the color and modern design reflects the exciting and dynamic characteristics of ADATA’s brand.
Strong Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility
Realizing its social responsibility, ADATA takes extra care in the selection of key memory components, complies with stringent manufacturing specifications and quality inspection processes, and has passed the ISO14001 certification on environmental management, as well as the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, thus providing stable, compatible and high-performance memory products. This allows ADATA to fulfill its corporate social responsibility (CSR) at a time the company is pursuing rapid growth, putting emphasis on both protecting our earth and sustaining a green enterprise.”
Crafted Lines and Outstanding Heat Dissipation
Top-tier enthusiasts in all countries- from gamers, to power users, to system builders demand not only the best in heat dissipation and long term stability of DRAM, but they are increasingly looking for components that improve the overall appearance or attitude of their rigs. ADATA XPG V1.0 DRAM meets the demands of these groups, both technologically and aesthetically, and this improved heat sink is a strong step forward in this respect. With sleekly crafted lines reminiscent of the mechanical goliaths found on today’s electronic battlefields, the XPG V1.0 DRAM comes in colors of red, black, and blue, grouped higher to lower according to the respective module frequencies.
The Highest Standard for Stability and Efficiency
ADATA XPG V1.0 memory products are made in conformation with JEDEC regulations and DDR3-1333 standards at CL value of 9-9-9-24 . Each XPG V1.0 memory chip is selected through a strict filtering process, complete with high-quality PCBs (Printed Circuit Board) and an aluminum heat sink that effectively lowers module temperature, proven to reach a maximum speed of 2133MHz to make complete use of the computer’s power.
What is DDR3?
DDR3 SDRAM stands for Double Data Rate Three Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. Compared to DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM delivers higher performance, maintaining lower voltage levels and greatly improving data transfer rates.
ADATA XPG V1.0 Desktop Memory uses 240-pin standard design. Operating at 2133MHz and 1.5~1.65 volts, its transfer bandwidth can reach 17,000 MB/s (PC3-17000), blazing speed you won’t find elsewhere.
Lifetime Warranty, Quality Guaranteed
In addition to ADATA’s rigorous manufacturing process, we ensure the quality of each memory module. All ADATA memory modules come with a lifetime limited warranty.
*All ADATA memory chips are stringently tested. However, actual performance may vary due to a computer’s motherboard, BIOS version, system configurations, operating system, system components, and other factors. Overclocking or changing the system clock may cause malfunction in some computer system components, and can even invalidate the computer’s warranty. Please read the computer user guide carefully or consult the manufacturer for more information.
In this review we will take a look at another memory kit, this time from ADATA, which sports a frequency of 1600MHz. This product takes part from the XPG V1.0 series and we can find kits up to 2133MHz, all built from two modules. For an easier identification, the manufacturer has color-coded these differently. Our kit comes with a blue heatspreader and is shipped inside a blister packaging, with the memory frequency and total RAM quantity written in the front:
On the back side of the enclosure we get to see some more additional details; the packaging was designed in such a way so it would be easy to open, without the need of using scissors:
The inside document also shows us how to perform the hardware installation:
The heatsink design on these modules looks really simple but elegant and in the middle we’ll find the product logo along with the manufacturers’ emblem:
The opposite side looks almost identical, except for an additional sticker:
The sticker that we have mentioned earlier comes with details regarding the operating frequency, timings and voltage. Judging by the stock timings and frequency, we are not dealing with a very speedy kit:
By looking on the top side of the sink, we will be able to see how the laterals combine themselves:
CPU: Intel I5 3570K Retail
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 OC
RAM: ADATA XPG 2x8GB DDR3-1600 C11
Video: Gainward GTX 650Ti Boost
Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W
HDD: Hitachi 7K500 2.5''
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
The pre-programmed timings and frequencies can be also found by using AIDA64:
This particular memory kit did not seem too overclockable no matter what we have tried like relaxing the timings or increasing the voltage at 1800MHz. All we have got was a non-bootable system.
The XPG V1.0 Series set from ADATA we have reviewed in this article comes with lower rated specifications so we are dealing with a C11 kit at 1600MHz, designed to work at 1.5V. For mainstream, especially on Intel platforms we won’t see a lot of improvements versus a 1866 kit but we were surprised a bit to see that the system refused to boot even when trying to relax the timings and setting a voltage of 1.65 at 1800MHz.
With most kits that we have tried, the next frequency step was at least bootable so we can say that ADATA were very strict with the binning when manufacturing this model.
The memory kit which we have just tested can be found online for about 100 Euros, a good price we think for what it’s offered.
We would like to thank again to ADATA for making this review possible!