A-DATA XPG Gaming Series DDR2-800G, XPG Plus Series DDR2-800+ Review
Introduction
With the advent of the new Core i7, Phenom II CPU's and now P55 based Corei5 & Corei7, it was evident that very soon, DDR3 would go mainstream. In fact right now, we are in between the transition phase from DDR2 to DDR3, similar to what we experienced when we shifted from DDR to DDR2.
There are still a few of us who don’t upgrade or shift to newer platforms as frequently as the enthusiasts amongst us do. So the few who do not upgrade, would like to increase their memory capacity depending on the applications they use but there is no need for them to upgrade the entire platform because the current one gets their job done.
What we have here today is some old school stuff from A-Data . A-Data wanted us to test 2 of their DDR2 memory kits targeted at users who are still on DDR2 platforms.
We have 2 kits here, one being their 800G series which is targeted at the generic user and the other we have is the 800+ series which is for those few enthusiasts still using DDR2 platform.
Before we go ahead and take these 2 kits for a spin, here are a few words about A-Data for the uninformed.
‘A-DATA is the world’s second largest vendor of memory. The company’s main product lines include memory modules, Flash memory drives/cards, and multimedia application products. A-DATA’s corporate philosophy emphasizes constant innovation, first-rate quality and superior product performance; its innovative products have led the way in the memory industry. A-DATA products have won many major Taiwanese and international awards, including Germany’s iF Design award and RedDot award, Japan’s Good Design Award, TAITRA’s Best Export IT Product Award, and Taiwan Excellence Silver Awards. To find out more about A-DATA and its products, you can visit the A-DATA website at www.A-Data .com.tw.’
[BREAK=A-Data Gaming series DDR2 800G 4GB Kit]
[BREAK=Test setup and testing methodology]
Test Setup
Intel Core2Duo E8600
Foxconn MARS
500GB Seagate SATA II HDD
XFX Nvidia Geforce GTX295
Windows 7 X64
Initially we started off with the DFI LP DK P45 T2RS Plus as a testing platform but the 800G had some compatibility issues with the board resulting in frequent ‘F1’ errors so we switched to our slightly old but trusted board, the Foxconn MARS.
We tested both kits for the maximum stable overclock we could achieve and while the 800+ achieved a very commendable speed of 1066MHz with timings of 5-4-4-12 @ only 1.95v the 800G failed to deliver. The best clocks we could manage were 900MHz 5-5-5-15 @ 2v which is average to say the least.
Memory Kits included in this test and their individual settings used,
A-Data 800G at 800 MHz 5-5-5-12 1.85v
A-Data 800+ at 800 MHz 4-4-4-12 1.85v
A-Data 800+ at 1066 MHz 5-4-4-12 1.95v
Kingston Value 800 MHz 6-6-6-18 1.8v
Team Xtreem 800 MHz 4-4-4-12 1.9v
Testing Methodology
The testing was conducted using 2 basic sets of benchmarks, Arithmetic and Gaming.
Arithmetic Benchmarks –
1)SuperPi 1M
2)SuperPi 32M
3)Cinebench R10 64Bit
4)Lavalys Everest
5)Fritz Chess Benchmark
6)Winrar 3.80
Gaming Benchmarks –
1)3DMark 2006
2)3DMark Vantage
3)Crysis
4)Devil May Cry 4
5)Far Cry 2
6)Resident Evil 5
7)Streetfighter 4
8)World in Conflict
[BREAK=Arithmetic Benchmarks]
SuperPi 1M
The 800+ is the fastest amongst the other kits after it’s overclocked. It edges out the Team Xtreem by a small margin.
SuperPi 32M
SuperPi 32M benefits from the A-Data 800+ overclocked speed and tight timings. Even at stock speed the Plus series is faster than the Gaming series thanks to the Plus series’ faster timings. Team Xtreem and Plus series are on par when the Plus is kept at stock speed.
Cinebench R10
As expected the overclocked A-Data plus scores the most. When at stock the Plus series manages to beat the Team Xtreem. The Gaming series beats the Kingston value comprehensively thanks to its faster timings.
Lavalys Everest Ultimate Edition
The Plus series and Team are almost on par with each other in Everest whereas the Gaming series manages to marginally beat the Kingston once again.
Fritz Chess Benchmark
Similar results in Fritz chess benchmark as we have seen till now in above benchmarks.
Winrar 3.80 Compression benchmark
The performance difference between the stock speed and overclocked speed of the A-Data is huge in Winrar, almost 300 KB/s![/CENTER]
[BREAK=Gaming Benchmarks]
[BREAK=Conclusion]
Conclusion
When we received these kits, we thought, who would be interested in DDR2 now? But then we thought, maybe there are a few who are still on older platforms and this could actually help them. So this review is intended for those still interested in DDR2.
As expected, the Gaming series wasn’t very fast or a blazing performer but then it isn’t meant to be. For what it’s meant to do, it does pretty well.
As for the Plus series, we were pleased to know that even though it’s a 4GB kit, it overclocked decently and showed us some impressive scores in the above benchmarks. So all of you who want 4GB capacity and performance too, this is the kit for you.
We would also like to specially mention here that the Team Xtreem kit we used here was a 2GB kit and carries the famed, legendary Micron D9GMH ICs and are capable of some mind boggling overclocks so we restricted them to a setting similar to that of the A-Data kits because we thought it would be unfair for the A-Data kits to compete against a kit which is firstly a 2GB kit which are known to clock well then they are based on D9GMH and to top it off, these are handpicked ICs and there was a time when this very kit used to cost almost 400USD for being a very special kit.
I hope you all will understand our outlook.
MRP for the products is Rs.6500 for the 800G series and Rs.6800 for the 800+ series. Market prices will obviously be on the lower side and with such a small difference between the two no prizes for guessing which kit will sell better.
Pros –
800+ - Clocks very well on low volts.
800G – Nothing of note
Cons –
800+ - None
800G – Could be a cheaper and considering the fact that they don't clock all that well it would be better if the heatsinks were removed to reduce costs
Ratings –
A-Data Plus series DDR2 800 4GB Kit
Features – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Value for Money – 10/10
Overall – 9/10
A-Data Gaming series DDR2 800 4GB Kit
Features – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Value for Money – 7/10
Overall – 7.5/10
We would like to thank A-Data for arranging these memory kits for testing.
And lastly stay tuned for some more DDR2 action in the coming weeks with some 1066MHz memory
Introduction
With the advent of the new Core i7, Phenom II CPU's and now P55 based Corei5 & Corei7, it was evident that very soon, DDR3 would go mainstream. In fact right now, we are in between the transition phase from DDR2 to DDR3, similar to what we experienced when we shifted from DDR to DDR2.
There are still a few of us who don’t upgrade or shift to newer platforms as frequently as the enthusiasts amongst us do. So the few who do not upgrade, would like to increase their memory capacity depending on the applications they use but there is no need for them to upgrade the entire platform because the current one gets their job done.
What we have here today is some old school stuff from A-Data . A-Data wanted us to test 2 of their DDR2 memory kits targeted at users who are still on DDR2 platforms.
We have 2 kits here, one being their 800G series which is targeted at the generic user and the other we have is the 800+ series which is for those few enthusiasts still using DDR2 platform.
Before we go ahead and take these 2 kits for a spin, here are a few words about A-Data for the uninformed.
‘A-DATA is the world’s second largest vendor of memory. The company’s main product lines include memory modules, Flash memory drives/cards, and multimedia application products. A-DATA’s corporate philosophy emphasizes constant innovation, first-rate quality and superior product performance; its innovative products have led the way in the memory industry. A-DATA products have won many major Taiwanese and international awards, including Germany’s iF Design award and RedDot award, Japan’s Good Design Award, TAITRA’s Best Export IT Product Award, and Taiwan Excellence Silver Awards. To find out more about A-DATA and its products, you can visit the A-DATA website at www.A-Data .com.tw.’
[BREAK=A-Data Gaming series DDR2 800G 4GB Kit]
A thick paper box is used to pack this kit with the actual ram sticks packed in a rigid plastic box
This kit is rated at 800MHz @ 5-5-5-12 @ 1.9V not bad but nothing great either.
Build quality is pretty good; you can feel it when you hold the modules in your hand.
[BREAK=A-Data Plus series DDR2 800+ 4GB Kit]
This kit is rated at 800MHz @ 5-5-5-12 @ 1.9V not bad but nothing great either.
Build quality is pretty good; you can feel it when you hold the modules in your hand.
The Plus series is packed in a sturdier tetra pack
This kit is supposed to replace the famous Vitesta series from A-Data. A tough act to follow for sure
This kit is rated at 800MHz 4-4-4-12 CR2 @ 1.9V. 800MHz CL4 @ 1.9V is respectable. It remains to be seen how well these overclock because 2GB kits in DDR2 had some insanely overclockable kits but when 4GB kits were introduced, they didn’t overclock anywhere close to what their 2GB counterparts were capable of.
Even this kit shows exemplary quality showcasing that irrespective of the model, A-Data maintains the same quality levels throughout their lineup.
This kit is supposed to replace the famous Vitesta series from A-Data. A tough act to follow for sure
This kit is rated at 800MHz 4-4-4-12 CR2 @ 1.9V. 800MHz CL4 @ 1.9V is respectable. It remains to be seen how well these overclock because 2GB kits in DDR2 had some insanely overclockable kits but when 4GB kits were introduced, they didn’t overclock anywhere close to what their 2GB counterparts were capable of.
Even this kit shows exemplary quality showcasing that irrespective of the model, A-Data maintains the same quality levels throughout their lineup.
[BREAK=Test setup and testing methodology]
Test Setup
Intel Core2Duo E8600
Foxconn MARS
500GB Seagate SATA II HDD
XFX Nvidia Geforce GTX295
Windows 7 X64
Initially we started off with the DFI LP DK P45 T2RS Plus as a testing platform but the 800G had some compatibility issues with the board resulting in frequent ‘F1’ errors so we switched to our slightly old but trusted board, the Foxconn MARS.
We tested both kits for the maximum stable overclock we could achieve and while the 800+ achieved a very commendable speed of 1066MHz with timings of 5-4-4-12 @ only 1.95v the 800G failed to deliver. The best clocks we could manage were 900MHz 5-5-5-15 @ 2v which is average to say the least.
Memory Kits included in this test and their individual settings used,
A-Data 800G at 800 MHz 5-5-5-12 1.85v
A-Data 800+ at 800 MHz 4-4-4-12 1.85v
A-Data 800+ at 1066 MHz 5-4-4-12 1.95v
Kingston Value 800 MHz 6-6-6-18 1.8v
Team Xtreem 800 MHz 4-4-4-12 1.9v
Testing Methodology
The testing was conducted using 2 basic sets of benchmarks, Arithmetic and Gaming.
Arithmetic Benchmarks –
1)SuperPi 1M
2)SuperPi 32M
3)Cinebench R10 64Bit
4)Lavalys Everest
5)Fritz Chess Benchmark
6)Winrar 3.80
Gaming Benchmarks –
1)3DMark 2006
2)3DMark Vantage
3)Crysis
4)Devil May Cry 4
5)Far Cry 2
6)Resident Evil 5
7)Streetfighter 4
8)World in Conflict
[BREAK=Arithmetic Benchmarks]
SuperPi 1M
The 800+ is the fastest amongst the other kits after it’s overclocked. It edges out the Team Xtreem by a small margin.
SuperPi 32M
SuperPi 32M benefits from the A-Data 800+ overclocked speed and tight timings. Even at stock speed the Plus series is faster than the Gaming series thanks to the Plus series’ faster timings. Team Xtreem and Plus series are on par when the Plus is kept at stock speed.
Cinebench R10
As expected the overclocked A-Data plus scores the most. When at stock the Plus series manages to beat the Team Xtreem. The Gaming series beats the Kingston value comprehensively thanks to its faster timings.
Lavalys Everest Ultimate Edition
The Plus series and Team are almost on par with each other in Everest whereas the Gaming series manages to marginally beat the Kingston once again.
Fritz Chess Benchmark
Similar results in Fritz chess benchmark as we have seen till now in above benchmarks.
Winrar 3.80 Compression benchmark
The performance difference between the stock speed and overclocked speed of the A-Data is huge in Winrar, almost 300 KB/s![/CENTER]
[BREAK=Gaming Benchmarks]
3DMark 2006
Almost all kits are close to each other in 3DM06 since this benchmark isn't that heavily dependent on the memory to show any significant difference at these speeds.
3DMark Vantage
Same case with 3DMark Vantage, all kits neck to neck except for the Kingston which falls behind
Crysis
Surprisingly the Plus series seems to have beaten the Team here although marginally. Thanks to the tight timings on the Gaming series, it manages to comprehensively beat the Kingston here. The overclocked Plus series maintains its dominance even here.
Devil May Cry 4
Things have changed here; the Team has managed to beat the A-Data Plus series at stock speed, exact opposite of what we saw earlier.
The Gaming series manages to beat the Kingston once again by a huge margin.
Far Cry 2
The clocked 800+ leads the pack by a comfortable margin here with the Kingston bringing up the rear
Resident Evil 5
A 15% difference between the oced 800+ and the CL6 Kingston, goes to show the impact good memory has on gaming
Street Fighter 4
The gap widens even more significantly in this test as we can see that even at the same speed there is a difference of nearly ~38fps just due to CAS latency
World in Conflict
The GFX card is a bottleneck in this test so the difference in performance between the kits is negligible
Almost all kits are close to each other in 3DM06 since this benchmark isn't that heavily dependent on the memory to show any significant difference at these speeds.
3DMark Vantage
Same case with 3DMark Vantage, all kits neck to neck except for the Kingston which falls behind
Crysis
Surprisingly the Plus series seems to have beaten the Team here although marginally. Thanks to the tight timings on the Gaming series, it manages to comprehensively beat the Kingston here. The overclocked Plus series maintains its dominance even here.
Devil May Cry 4
Things have changed here; the Team has managed to beat the A-Data Plus series at stock speed, exact opposite of what we saw earlier.
The Gaming series manages to beat the Kingston once again by a huge margin.
Far Cry 2
The clocked 800+ leads the pack by a comfortable margin here with the Kingston bringing up the rear
Resident Evil 5
A 15% difference between the oced 800+ and the CL6 Kingston, goes to show the impact good memory has on gaming
Street Fighter 4
The gap widens even more significantly in this test as we can see that even at the same speed there is a difference of nearly ~38fps just due to CAS latency
World in Conflict
The GFX card is a bottleneck in this test so the difference in performance between the kits is negligible
[BREAK=Conclusion]
Conclusion
When we received these kits, we thought, who would be interested in DDR2 now? But then we thought, maybe there are a few who are still on older platforms and this could actually help them. So this review is intended for those still interested in DDR2.
As expected, the Gaming series wasn’t very fast or a blazing performer but then it isn’t meant to be. For what it’s meant to do, it does pretty well.
As for the Plus series, we were pleased to know that even though it’s a 4GB kit, it overclocked decently and showed us some impressive scores in the above benchmarks. So all of you who want 4GB capacity and performance too, this is the kit for you.
We would also like to specially mention here that the Team Xtreem kit we used here was a 2GB kit and carries the famed, legendary Micron D9GMH ICs and are capable of some mind boggling overclocks so we restricted them to a setting similar to that of the A-Data kits because we thought it would be unfair for the A-Data kits to compete against a kit which is firstly a 2GB kit which are known to clock well then they are based on D9GMH and to top it off, these are handpicked ICs and there was a time when this very kit used to cost almost 400USD for being a very special kit.
I hope you all will understand our outlook.
MRP for the products is Rs.6500 for the 800G series and Rs.6800 for the 800+ series. Market prices will obviously be on the lower side and with such a small difference between the two no prizes for guessing which kit will sell better.
Pros –
800+ - Clocks very well on low volts.
800G – Nothing of note
Cons –
800+ - None
800G – Could be a cheaper and considering the fact that they don't clock all that well it would be better if the heatsinks were removed to reduce costs
Ratings –
A-Data Plus series DDR2 800 4GB Kit
Features – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Value for Money – 10/10
Overall – 9/10
A-Data Gaming series DDR2 800 4GB Kit
Features – 8/10
Performance – 8/10
Value for Money – 7/10
Overall – 7.5/10
We would like to thank A-Data for arranging these memory kits for testing.
And lastly stay tuned for some more DDR2 action in the coming weeks with some 1066MHz memory
