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ADATA's 3100MHz XPG V2 modules operate at a blisteringly-fast 3.1GHz and have the overclocking headroom to take them past 3.3GHz on air, with a sensible voltage. The hand-picked, high-quality memory chips used on ADATA's XPG V2 modules have given a clear indication that they have the potential to reach ultra-high overclocks with extreme cooling and higher voltage levels than the 1.7015V we used.
While the stock performance may not be the best in every circumstance – a fact that is largely due to the loose timings – nobody buying this set of memory is going to leave the sticks operating in their default states. Adjusting the primary and secondary timings will garner performance improvements that allow the 3.1GHz DRAM frequency to show its performance potential.
Despite performance improvements being easy to obtain through tweaking, leading benchmark results aren't this kit's primary goal. As proven by our test comparisons, many lower-speed and tighter-latency memory kits are able to outperform modern ultra-high frequency kits. Record-breaking frequency results are what ADATA's 3100MHz XPG V2 memory kit is designed for, and as far as our overclocking results go, they're en-route to those achievements.
By simply increasing the DRAM voltage from 1.65V to 1.7015V and tweaking some motherboard settings, we managed to boost the ADATA XPG V2 3100MHz memory kit's DRAM frequency to 3280MHz. Increasing the speed of an already-fast kit by almost 6% with very little effort is a positive point that gives an indication of the memory chips' potential. With relaxed timings we hit 3340MHz – a frequency boost of just under 8%.
Motherboard compatibility is unlikely to be a concern with the ADATA XPG V2 3100MHz memory kit. The XMP profile makes use of a 129.2MHz BCLK which adjusts the CPU strap to 1.25x. Many of the enthusiast Haswell processors should be able to hit 3100MHz without problems, especially when using the 1.25x or 1.67x CPU strap. Motherboard limitations are unlikely to cause issues; we are certain that the type of user buying this memory kit will already have one of the best overclocking-geared motherboards available.
ADATA ships the XPG V2 memory kit with gold or tungsten-grey heatsinks. While either colour may not appeal to all, it is highly likely that this kit's default heatspreaders will be removed in favour of extreme heatsinks that allow for a greater cooling capacity.
When we asked ADATA for the 3100MHz kit's cost shortly before processing this review, we were told that the current pricing is unstable (presumably the repercussions of recent fires at Hynix plants). A quick look on Newegg sees the 3100MHz XPG V2 8GB memory kits selling for a card-crunching $999.99. If this pricing holds firm, we can expect the kit to retail for around £700-800 in the UK.
While almost a thousand dollars is an obscene amount for the wide majority of people to even consider spending on eight gigabytes of RAM, ADATA has a very specific target audience for its 3100MHz memory modules. That customer group is one that has no limits on what hardware costs, provided it is the best available. To a record-breaking overclocker or extreme enthusiast, spending almost $1000 to get the world's fastest memory kit is a possibility.
When it comes to breaking world records for frequency numbers, for the professionals, nothing but the best will do. With that in mind, ADATA's 3100MHz XPG V2 can call itself one of the world's fastest memory kits and will grab much attention from extreme users looking to break frequency records.
Pros:
- One of the fastest memory kits in the world, out-of-the-box.
- 3100MHz XMP profile.
- Good overclocking headroom – can hit a loose 3340MHz on air with 1.7015V.
- Memory chips hand-picked for their high frequency performance.
Cons:
- Very, very expensive.
- A fan would be good for air overclocking scenarios.
- Best for ultimate frequency, not necessarily ultimate performance.
KitGuru says: One of the fastest sets of memory in the world, ADATA's tirelessly-screened XPG V2 3100MHz kit is worth buying if you're an extreme overclocker with aspirations to push frequency boundaries and break records.
