Page 10 - Overclocking Results and Conclusion
At this point, you might think it is a complete waste of time after reading through pages upon pages of benchmarks, only coming to the conclusion that the performance of the tested memory modules are all virtually identical. But this is just the reality when it comes to testing components with similar specifications, haha. Motherboards and RAM generally come very close together in performance given the same testing scenarios, but it is not stock performance that tells the whole story. As far as RAM is concerned, overclocking is quite a fundamental element. And this is where the fun starts... that's right, on the last page of this review.
Since the latest Intel processors do not like memory voltage above 1.65V due to limitations of the integrated memory controller, we stuck with it, and began playing with the settings in my Asus P7P55D-E Premium's BIOS. First of all, I wanted to see how much more I can get out of the G.SKILL Ripjaws F3-12800CL7D-8GBRH at stock latencies and voltages. I was able to get a practically LOL-able degree of just 20MHz (40MHz DDR) over 800MHz. Anything higher, the system will boot into Windows, but it is not Prime95 stable. It is really not much fun up until this point.
To leave it off there would just be ruining the party. When G.SKILL asked me if I wanted the CAS 7, 8, or 9 version of the Ripjaws 2x4GB set, I naturally put in a request for the set with the lowest latencies. But there is something beyond the obviousness. For one thing, the price difference between the three is only about five bucks at press time. Secondly, buying lower latency memory is not just about getting slightly higher benchmarking scores -- it usually means more 'cream of the crop' ICs, so when you drop the latencies, you can achieve higher overclocking potentials. The Micron H5TQ2G83BFR ICs did not disappoint. I was able to get a commendable 925MHz (DDR3-1850) at 9-9-9-27 -- which translates to a good 16% over stock. For 4GB modules, this is certainly something to brag about!
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The G.SKILL Ripjaws F3-12800CL7D-8GBRH 2x4GB dual channel memory kit is a bold statement in today's saturated computer RAM market. What really makes it stand out of the crowd is its optimal balance between high performance, low price, and maximum capacity. No, this is not one of those "pick any two" scenarios. You want high performance and low price? You lose out on capacity. Want high performance and maximum capacity? You pay the price. Want low price and maximum capacity? Say goodbye to performance. But G.SKILL's Ripjaws DDR3-1600 2x4GB CL7 set allows you to choose all three, all at the same time. And this is what that makes it so impressive. Coming in at around $190 at press time, it holds its own against others in the benchmarks thanks to its great specifications on paper. But beyond that, we also have a good amount of overclocking potential under the hood, too. The moment you loosen up the latencies, we are off to whole different level of awesomeness in achieving maximum frequency potential. Whether you are looking for high performance, overclocking, or just want a lot of RAM without breaking the bank -- or heck, you want all of them -- your best bet won't go far beyond what this G.SKILL Ripjaws dual channel kit has to offer. What more do I need to say? The numbers and results simply speak for themselves!
Special thanks to Frank over at G.SKILL for making this review possible.
APH Recommended Award
Starting from April 30, 2007, Number Ratings have been dropped for all CPU, motherboards, RAM, and graphics cards. This is to ensure the most appropriate ratings reflected without the limits of using numbers. Everything else will continue using the Number Rating System.
More information in our Review Focus.
Pick all three: High performance, low price, and maximum capacity. This is what the G.SKILL Ripjaws F3-12800CL7D-8GBRH 2x4GB dual channel kit is all about.
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Page Index
1. Introduction and Specifications
2. A Closer Look, Installation, Test System
3. Benchmark: EVEREST CPU
4. Benchmark: EVEREST FPU
5. Benchmark: EVEREST Memory
6. Benchmark: PCMark Vantage
7. Benchmark: 3DMark06 Professional
8. Benchmark: PassMark PerformanceTest 7.0
9. Benchmark: SuperPI 1M, Cinebench R11.5
10. Overclocking Results and Conclusion
