Since Intel’s 6th Generation Core processors hit the market in August 2015, the DDR4 product lines have been steadily growing. Initially the costs were notably high compared to DDR3, but for those transitioning over to Skylake and Z170, DDR4 was and is a necessity for the desktop platform.
So, with any new technology there is a premium and the costs can take a little while to tumble. Initially, budget conscious enthusiasts may choose to opt for a lower frequency kit with the type of usage dictating the overall capacity. Today, we’ve been looking at a lower frequency – 2400MHz 16GB kit from Crucial which as the benchmark tests have revealed, demonstrates admirable performance when pitched against faster kits and with greater capacity.
From the outset, each of the DDR4 solutions we’ve looked at each have their place depending on the intended use. Users who are handling large data files in multi-tasking environments will favour higher capacity memory which has a bump in frequency, while those who are casual users – engaging in general day-to-day tasks mixed in with some gaming will still benefit from lower capacity and lower frequency.
G.SKILL TridentZ
G.SKILL’s TridentZ 16GB 3200MHz kit offers excellent performance. Out of the three kits being tested, the TridentZ topped some of the benchmarks and was neither the most expensive or cheapest of the memory kits – priced at: £125 GBP - $140 USD.
G.SKILL has done a great job on the aesthetics with TridentZ, this kit will coordinate well with the rest of the system configuration, though the height of the heatspreaders may need some consideration if a large heatsink is used over the CPU.
Crucial Ballistix Sport LT
Whereas, Crucial’s Ballistix Sport LT 16GB 2400MHz remained the slowest of all three kits being tested, but actually closely observed, the gulf between Crucial’s offering and the rest is quite nominal. Best of all, this great performance can be had for as little as: £82 GBP - $120 USD – making it a great buy.
The Ballistix Sport LT in the white livery we’ve tested today is so very distinct and favourable. We really like what Crucial has done with this kit from a visual standpoint – even go as far as to supply a white PCB too.
Corsair Vengeance LPX
Corsair’s Vengeance LPX 32GB 3000MHz took the spotlight in most of the benchmarks – having the greatest capacity at 32GB and slightly behind G.SKILL’s offering at 3000MHz. The LPX kit retains the lowest CAS timings out of all three kits and this is likely to give this DDR4 kit the edge over the pack. But, such performance does come at a cost: £210 GBP - $280 USD.
Today’s roundup should give users an understanding of what to expect from DDR4 kits with different capacity, frequency and CAS timings. In the coming months we hope to see prices fall even more.
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
