The ADATA DDR3 1600 12GB Gaming series memory is clearly not just an option for gamers. We have shown that in demanding situations for the X58 platform 12GB is much better than 6GB.
The mainstream focus for the major memory manufacturers is still based around 1GB or 2GB density sticks, but as user demands increase, we will see more of these high density kits being released to market. If you own an X58 board and need an upgrade, then memory prices right now are as good as we can remember. With the recent Japan disaster we can assume prices will rise in Q3, so if you can afford it, now is an ideal time to part with the cash. At around £140 for this 12GB kit, fully populating the majority of X58 boards with 24GB of memory costs under £300.
The only real trade off is based around looser timings. With these high density configurations, 9-9-9 is generally as good as you will get. That said, while this doesn't seem impressive on paper, it really is basically impossible to tell the difference in the real world between this kit and one tagged with a 7-9-7 profile.
If you are just interested in gaming, then 6GB is perfectly fine for now, and I have spent a long time testing various games with 6GB and 12GB system builds, coming to the conclusion that there are very few, if any tangible benefits between the two configurations. This might change in the future.
Applications such as Adobe Photoshop reap the rewards with higher memory counts, obviously depending on your demands. If you are simply editing a couple of 72 dpi web graphics then it won't make a difference, but for serious SLR photographers or designers, then 12GB of ram is a worthwhile investment. Large documents with multiple layers will demand more memory before paging into the scratch disc causing slow down. The benefits of 12GB can mean the difference between a responsive system and one that is continually shifting data between hard drive and memory. If you have configured Photoshop to page data to a fast Solid State Drive the data lag will not be so dramatic, but it is still noticeable.
Also if, like myself, you work with multiple screens and have many programs open simultaneously then a higher memory count will aid productivity dramatically. Upgrading to 12GB boosted performance by up to 40% in our Photoshop tests.
At £140, it is hard to fault this kit and when compared to the Kingston T1 12GB we reviewed recently, the smaller ram heatspreaders offer slightly improved compatibility with oversized CPU coolers. I still can't get over current memory prices, because it seems like only yesterday when 4GB of quality memory cost as much as this 12GB kit. It won't hold forever at these prices though, that's for certain.
Pros:
- heatspreaders are only slightly oversized meaning more compatibility with big CPU coolers
- great performance
- pricing is extremely competitive
Cons:
- timings are looser than 2GB density sticks at the same frequency
- overclocking capabilities aren't good
Kitguru says: X58 owners with higher multitasking or professional oriented demands should consider this kit as a cost effective upgrade.