At first we would like to thank Patriot Memory for offering a sample of their Viper 4 Series DDR4 32GB 3000MHz Memory Kit for testing and reviewing.

 

 

About Patriot Memory:

 

“Mission Statement

 

To be the vendor of choice for the computer and consumer electronic industries with a commitment to service and quality

 

Vision

 

Commitment, focus on innovation in technology, product quality, and customer satisfaction are the key enablers of our future success

 

Company Profile

 

Established in 1985, Patriot Memory builds a full range of memory module and flash memory products, offering a perfect blend of quality and value. Patriot products include Extreme Performance (EP), Signature Lines (SL) and Flash Memory solutions (FM)”

 

Product Features:

 

Edition: White sides with Silver Viper logo

Aluminum heat spreader with unique and specific design element

Feature Overclock: XMP 2.0 support for automatic overclocking

Easy to use software application

5 Customizable RGB zones to add some flare to your PC

Compatibility: Tested across the latest Intel and AMD platforms for reliably fast performance

Compatible with lead motherboard partners' RGB Sync application

Limited lifetime warranty

 

Product Specifications:

 

Capacity: 16GB (2 x 8GB)

Base Frequency: PC4-17000 (2133MHz)

Base Timings: 15-15-15-36

Tested Frequency: PC4-25600 (3200MHz)

Tested Timings: 16-18-18-36

Voltage: 1.35V

Format: NON-ECC Unbuffered DIMM

Pin Out: 288-Pin

 

The well-known memory manufacturer, Patriot has created a new Viper RGB DDR4 line in order to accommodate with the latest trends; these are offered with both black and white heatshields and differ a bit regarding the XMP 2.0 speeds: the black heatshield ones go from 2666MHz up to 4133MHz, while the white ones go only to 3200MHz. One other important thing to mention is that the kits are offered in 16GB dual-channel, but if you need up to 32GB in your mainstream platform, you’ll have to buy two separate kits.

 

The product is offered in a compact cardboard enclosure that matches the color of the heatspreader; on the frontal area of the box we will be able to spot that this particular kit is compatible with most RGB systems (Gigabyte, ASUS, ASRock, MSI), but also the total quantity of memory and rated speed:

 

 

 

On the back, Patriot Memory has included a small product description in multiple languages, along with the product code name and some Internet resources:

 

 

 

A leaflet is included inside that contains the Installation Guide, but also a nice set of case stickers:

 

 

 

 

In order to protect the RAM modules during transit, Patriot Memory has secured it inside a transparent plastic mold:

 

 

 

The heatsink arrangement really looks unique on the new Viper RGB sticks; the middle area does have a chromed Viper logo, while the top, semi-transparent layer can simulate viper fangs:

 

 

 

Both sides of the heatspreader are pretty much identical, only that on one of it we do also get to see a sticker with the product code name, rated speed, CL and also rated operating voltage:

 

 

 

The top area of the module was clearly designed for the RGB LEDs to be able to shine through (5 different segments, customizable); in the middle we will also spot a nice VIPER logo:

 

 

 

The heatspreader is attached to the RAM ICs with adhesive thermal pads:

 

 

 

As soon as we have installed the modules on our test system, the Viper RGB modules started showing their unique appearance:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test Setup

 

CPU: Intel I5 8600K Retail

CPU Cooler: Deepcool Captain 240 EX RGB AIO

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming

RAM: Currently tested kit

Video: KFA2 GeForce GTX 1060 OC 6GB

Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W

SSD: OCZ Vector 150

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840

 

The pre-programmed timings and frequencies can be also found by using AIDA64:

 

 

From the pre-programmed timings, we are learning that the kit was set to run at 16-18-18-36, 17-18-18-36 and 18-18-18-36 timings, for compatibility issues. The RAM ICs were manufactured by Samsung and we were able to run the tightest XMP 2.0 profile right away with our Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming motherboard. As soon as we did complete the initial run, we did try to see how the kit does behave when overclocked; we first ran it at 3300MHz and in order to obtain stability in Memtest86 we needed to set the timings at 17-19-19-38. We were quite impressed to see that the kit was also stable at 3400MHz, but this time with the 17-20-20-39 timings, all at stock volts.

 

 

Validation

(click to enlarge)

 

Starting with the JEDEC 2133MHz, we did benchmark the RAM step-by-step up to 3400MHz, in order for you to spot the performance differences.

Test Results

 

SuperPI XS 1.5 2MB

 

GeekBench 4

 

Blender Ryzen Rendering

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIDA64 Bandwidth

 

CineBench R15 Rendering

 

HWBOT X265 Encoding

 

PCMark 8

 

Ashes of Singularity - CPU Focused

 

PCMark 10

 

 

 

Patriot Memory does also supply extra software for controlling the RGB LED system; the GUI is simple to understand and from it we can select different options by using the left panel:

 

 

 

 

Depending on the kit we did purchase, we can select it from the GUI:

 

 

 

Different LED light preset effects can be chosen moving forward:

 

 

 

For even more customization, we can go ahead and select the color for each segment:

 

 

 

The selected colors will be reflected in the interface, before applying it to the hardware:

 

 

 

Besides the colors, we can also select the LED Brightness or the Speed of the selected effect:

 

 

 

 

Even if Patriot Memory has arrived a little bit late to the table with their Viper RGB series, these do not disappoint and come with a unique appearance; depending on your system setup appearance and the desired XMP 2.0 speeds, you can choose to go either with black or white heatsinks, while the RGB 5-segment setup will surely bring a lot of eye candy to your machine. The product does feature compatibility in terms of RGB lighting with the most-known motherboard brands and for the others we do have the ability to use Patriot’s own software, supplied on the website.

 

In our test with the Z370 platform and the 8600K i5 processor from Intel, we were able to run at even higher frequencies (3400MHz), by just altering the timings a bit but leaving the default operating voltage (1.35V). This particular aspect did increase scores in benchmarks so it is not only a placebo effect.

 

16GB of RAM is becoming mainstream for most gaming systems, so Patriot Memory has built dual-channel kits from the start; if you need more though, you can always purchase a second kit and install it right away.

 

The Patriot Viper RGB White 3200MHz 16GB kit can be purchased online for about 170 Euros (at the time of the review).

Patriot Memory Viper RGB Series DDR4 16GB (2 x 8GB) 3200MHz Kit is Recommended for:

 

 

 

We would like to thank again to Patriot Memory for making this review possible!