As mentioned in our previous review, memory is a tough call when going for a high-performance build and although we can always go by the market’s most popular choice, performance has always and always will be based upon the person. Not to mention the looks. In this review we check out ADATA’s top-of-the-line series of RAM, the XPG V2.
ADATA is a top competitor in the DRAM market and has been slowly eating up SSD market shares lately but their high-end RAM products have a huge mountain to climb even though it has been in the market for a good length of time. This can be attributed more to the aggressive competition and that ADATA has yet to really soup-up their catalogs. One thing is pretty sure though, the ADATA XPG V2 memory series are some sweet-looking kit. Let’s check out the specs:
- Cas Latency: 11
- Voltage: 1.65V
- Multi-channel Kit: Dual Channel Kit (kit of 2)
- Timing: 11-13-13-35
Closer Look
Setup and Overclocking
Test Setup:
Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z87X-OC
Memory: ADATA XPG V2 8GB DDR3-2400 (2x4GB)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K SSD 2x120GB RAID0
PSU: Seasonic X-760W
Cooling: Custom loop
Case: Dimastech EasyXL
Monitor: LG E2350V
VGA: ZOTAC GeForce GTX770 AMP! Edition
As with any other modules we’ve tested, we overclock the modules past their highest rated specification. In this case, the XPG V2 is rated for DDR3-2400 11-13-13-35 at 1.65v. Whilst we like to push our system way past specification, we do not do so for our reviews and we try our best to stick to the most practical voltage we can use and in the case of memory modules, is 1.65v. Bumping up the BCLK to 104.5Mhz we got the clocks to a stable DDR3-2507 speeds.
Performance Testing
Since Haswell came in, our memory section hasn’t quite been updated as it should be and even though we’re using a whole new platform for our reviews we have not been able to establish a comparative table for RAM. That said, we’ll focus on raw data for this review and as usual we will keep the commentaries to a minimum so you can take the information for your own conclusion.
OC
Conclusion
The ADATA XPG V2 is easily a great choice for a memory kit if you’re just looking for something that looks good with gold. Sadly, that’s just not going to cut it for us high-performance seekers. Let’s break down the score:
Performance: Rated at 2400Mhz, the kit is quite strong as it is but overclocking really pulled it off much more for the XPG V2. Although ADATA has chosen to go with looser timings, experienced overclockers will find that a bit of fiddling can easily yield CL10 timings.
Build Quality: The ADATA XPG is clad in well-made aluminium heatsinks with excellent craftsmanship oozing all over. This is also evident in the black PCB and clean board work.
Functionality: Memory is a necessity in all computers and coming in at DDR3-2400, the ADATA XPG V2 easily boosts supporting platforms to the next level especially those sensitive to memory speeds as well as shared memory platforms like that of AMD’s.
Bundle: Comes as is and we’re fine with that. 🙂
Value: There’s no denying that RAM prices aren’t what they used to be and with a lot of other brands standing firm in their choice of holding on to their sky-high prices it is good to see that ADATA amongst others choose to stick with an affordable pricing model. Coming in at around $95, this DDR3-2400 kit is easily one of the most competitively priced kits around.
The ADATA XPG V2 Dual-Channel Memory kit may not be touted as an overclocking product nor will it please people who want gimmicky modules, but one thing is for sure and that is that the ADATA XPG V2 memory kit does its job and does it right.
Solid performance backed by an appealing price tag, the ADATA XPG V2 DDR3-2400 8GB Dual-Channel Kit is a top choice if you’re looking for no-frills RAM kits without all the hype. Coming in at gray and gold, these memory kits won’t please all the aesthetically-inclined people but we sure are happy with how it looks.
ADATA backs the XPG V2 with a LIFETIME WARRANTY. We award the ADATA XPG V2 with a B2G Value Award and Recommended Badge.
