ADATA XPG V2 Review: 2x8 GB at DDR3-2400 C11-13-13 1.65 V

A 2400 C11 memory kit sits nicely on the performance curve.  With DDR4 expected to hit within the next couple of years, buying a memory kit today might be the last DDR3 memory kit, at least on the Intel side, that you ever buy.  Thus we always have to weigh up the potential benefits of faster memory between now and then against the cost.

At $200, this ADATA 2400 C11 2x8 GB kit is extraordinarily expensive, especially when everything at the same memory timings is cheaper, including the same kit but in a different color which retails for $140.

At $140, it would be at the sharp end of 2400 C11 memory kit pricing that you could buy – only a good sale would beat it.  At a relative PI of 218, it sits above the 200 baseline of default kits a user should consider, but it does not set the world alight either.  Through some quick and fast overclocking, it hit a PI of 242 (2666 C11), which might not show up much on the benchmarks due to the law of limiting returns.

Very few users need 16 GB right now, but it seems to be the sweet spot when it comes to memory purchasing for those who feel they need more than 8 GB, and plenty of memory manufacturers are offering these kits.  Even under my heavy workload I rarely see the top side of 5GB unless I am also running everything in the background along with a game.  For this reason amongst others is why no 16 GB non-ECC modules are up for grabs: the margins would be too high to invest in those ICs.

At $140 I could recommend these ADATA modules – this comes down to less than $8.75/GB.  But at $200, it really is a no-go: aim for the $140 tungsten grey ones instead.

Addendum 11/19: After publishing this review, ADATA got in contact as they were confused at the high price of the Gold model against the Tungsten Grey model.  I am told that the $140 value of the Tungsten Grey version of this memory is actually an internal special offer to Newegg, and that the $200 value of the Gold model is a misprint.  Sounds like an expensive misprint: system builders will have a focus and it would be better to spend money on the focal point of a build.  ADATA said the actual MSRP would be $180, which I pointed out is still quite high, given the price list I gave on page 2 of this review.

$180 would still put this memory at the rough end of the spectrum.  ADATA took a few days, and then responded that the new MSRP for this memory would be $160.  At $160, this memory is far more reasonable, and means that it sits between the G.Skill and the expensive kits, but nearer those from G.Skill.

$140 Mushkin Enhanced Blackline DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB, Frostbyte
$148 G.Skill Ripjaws X DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB
$152 G.Skill Ares DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB
$155 G.Skill Sniper DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB
$156 ADATA XPG V2.0 DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB, Gaming (EOL)
$160 ADATA XPG V2 DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB, Gold
$170 Silicon Power DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB 
$170 Mushkin Enhanced Blackline DDR3-2400 C11 2x8GB, Ridgeback 

This also means that in a sale, they might cost even less.  As of this new information about pricing, the gold kit is sold out at Newegg.  Does our conclusion about the memory change?  Memory has to compete primarily on price and avoiding pitfalls in benchmarks due to a bad setting.  On the former, ADATA is moving in the right direction, but it still has competition.  On the latter, ADATA is very much ballpark - what you might get from another kit is better (or worse) overclocking.  I have two other ADATA kits in for testing, so keep abreast for those reviews soon.