It is often to see computer hardware, marketed as gaming-focused, to have aggressive styling and RGB lighting. The Silicon Power XPOWER AirCool DDR4 RAM is the direct opposite with extremely simple design. We are able to get a 16 GB kit of the memory to see how it performs.
Unboxing
The XPOWER AirCool DDR4 RAM is stored and shipped in separate sealed plastic clamshell box. I am not a fan of this type of packaging, which is difficult to cut open and non-reusable. It would be much better, if Silicon Power can use similar cardboard boxes, like in their P34A60 and P34A80 NVMe SSDs.
We got two identical memory sticks (SP008GXLZU320B0A) for a dual channel 16 GB kit. You can pick the frequency from 2666 MHz to 4133 MHz, as well as single module capacity from 8 GB to 16 GB.
Unfolding the paper inside the packaging reveals a quick start guide for installing the RAM.
Silicon Power XPOWER AirCool DDR4-3200 16GB Kit
Despite the utilitarian design, the XPOWER AirCool RAM still has its printed circuit board (PCB) painted in black for a cleaner and more premium appearance. There is no aluminum heat spreader on top to create additional height (31.3 mm tall). It should be compatible with most motherboard and CPU cooler configurations. A sticker can be found at the front with the RAM’s serial number, part number, rated frequency (DDR4-3200 CL16) and capacity.
Our particular 8 GB stick only has memory modules on one side, which are all 8 Gb chips manufactured by Samsung (K4A8G085WB-BCRC). The 288 golden pins at the bottom are for both power and data transmissions.
Review
Testing Methodology
To evaluate the performance of the particular memory kit, we use a total of three benchmarking software. AIDA64‘s internal “Cache and Memory Benchmark” is used to determine the read, write and copy speeds, as well as the latency. Cinebench R15‘s CPU test is perfect for testing how the memory kit’s speeds affect CPU performance. SiSoftware Sandra can show the total bandwidth, latency and throughput. The memory kit will be tested in two different settings/profiles.
- Default: 2666 MHz at 19-19-19-43 @ 1.2 V
- XMP Profile 1: 3200 MHz at 16-18-18-38 @ 1.35 V
Test Bench Setup:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 @ 2.8 GHz (65W TDP)
- Motherboard: ASRock Z370 Killer SLI
Performance
The rated frequency of our XPOWER AirCool RAM is at 3200 MHz. In AIDA64 Memory Benchmark, it was able to reach read speeds at 44629 MB/s, write at 45017 MB/s and copy at 37191 MB/s. The overall performance is in line with other RAM kits at similar frequencies, except for the slightly slower copy speeds.
The XPOWER AirCool had the highest latency at 60.5 ns at the default JEDEC frequency (DDR4-2666). But it dropped to 53 ns with the XMP profile at 3200 MHz, which is on par with other memories.
Compared to other memory kits we tested, the XPOWER AirCool did not perform well in Cinebench R15. Increasing the frequency from 2666 MHz to 3200 MHz only yielded 0.33% of improvement. The HyperX FURY RGB (its review here) at the same speed scored 3.72% better.
We observed the XPOWER AirCool had marginally smaller bandwidth and higher latency in SiSoftware Sandra, at 29.78 GB/s and 26.6 ns. Bandwidth was boosted by 16.3% when the frequency is set from 2666 MHz to 3200 MHz.
Conclusion
The Silicon Power XPOWER AirCool DDR4 RAM is a no-frills, simpler alternative in the sea of aggressively-styled memory kits. The blackened PCB is a nice touch and will match most PC builds extremely well. It does have the best performance, but is more than enough for everyday tasks and gaming. Without an integrated heat spreader, overclocking should be done carefully, due to greater temperature and power consumption. The memory kit remained stable, with the XMP profile working as designed.
The XPOWER AirCool DDR4 RAM is provided with a lifetime warranty. It is currently not available in popular online retailers, but were able to find the similar XPOWER Turbine with a heat spreader. A DDR4-3200 dual channel 16 GB kit costs $64.99 USD (MSRP). We can expect the AirCool to be slightly cheaper. If you want to get a set of basic, non RGB-lit memory, the XPOWER AirCool will be a very affordable option to consider.
You can purchase the memory from your local/online resellers or the links below from Amazon and Newegg.
- Amazon US: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine DDR4 RAM 16 GB kit
- Newegg US: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine DDR4 RAM 16 GB kit
Thanks Silicon Power for providing us the memory for review. (Review Sample)
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