TESTING METHODOLOGY AND OVERCLOCKING
I decided to use only two clock-speeds to test the modules, as the stock speed is already at a relatively high 1866MHz:
In order to present an unbiased review, I decided to test the G.SKILL RipjawsX Series kit on both an AMD and Intel platform. The memory benchmarks and overclocking results are recorded from both architectures, as it would be unfair to include and conclude data from only one platform while leaving out the other for which the modules are specially designed for:
*PLEASE NOTE THAT REVISION 3.1 OF THE GIGABYTE GA-870A-USB3 WAS USED TO ACHIEVE CLOCK SPEEDS OF 2133MHz, WHICH IS AN AMD AM3+ READY MOTHERBOARD*
Installation of the units was extremely easy. I decided to use slots 2 and 4 for better cooling, as well as to prevent any clearance issues:
Since the Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) feature is unique to Intel, CPU-Z presented incorrect specifications when the modules were first installed. A quick trip into the ASRock BIOS allowed modification from 1333MHz to 1866MHz (and beyond), as well as fine-tuning the timings and voltage. In the case of the Intel test-system, the enabled XMP profiling feature in the BIOS, coupled with the fact that the RipjawsX Series sticks support XMP, resulted in everything being detected correctly during initial setup:
Last but not least, before I get into the testing portion, I would like outline and highlight the main ideas that went behind analyzing each platform:
Like the Patriot Xtreme kit, the RipjawsX modules worked flawlessly on both the Intel and AMD systems. The only tweak made was adjusting the voltage from the stock 1.5V to 1.65V for safe measure and system stability.
NEXT: Memory Benchmarks
INDEX
Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Package and Memory Overview
Page 3: Features and Specifications
Page 4: Testing Methodology and Overclocking
Page 5: Memory Benchmarks
Page 6: Computation and Productivity Benchmarks
Page 7: Gaming Benchmarks
Page 8: Z68 Chipset-Specific Benchmarks
Page 9: Overall System Benchmarks
Page 10: Final Words and Conclusion