Testing methodology
Comparison Memory |
||
|---|---|---|
Corsair Vengeance Pro |
Corsair Vengeance |
|
| Model | CMY16GX3M2A1866C9 |
CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10 |
| Capacity | 16GB (2x8GB) |
16GB (2x8GB) |
| Speed | 1,866MHz |
1,600MHz |
| Timings | 9-10-9-27-2T |
10-10-10-27-2T |
| Voltage | 1.50V |
1.50V |
| Price* | £130 |
£115 |
| Cost per GB* | £8.12 |
£7.19 |
| *Approximate, correct at time of writing | ||
Test Platform |
||
| CPU | Intel Core i7-4770K | |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte Z87-D3HP | |
| Storage Device | Samsung 840 Pro Series 250GB SSD | |
| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4600 (15.31.3.3071) | |
| Graphics Card | Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 (320.18) | |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX750 | |
| Operating System | Windows 8 64-bit | |
Benchmarks |
||
| HEXUS.PiFast | A number-crunching test run on a single core | |
| CINEBENCH R11.5 | Multi-threaded benchmark that stresses the system | |
| WinRAR 5.0 | Built-in benchmark run for five minutes | |
| AIDA64 v3.0 | Memory analysis tool supporting Haswell CPUs | |
| 3DMark | Latest version of industry-standard DX11 benchmark | |
| BioShock Infinite | Run at medium quality on IGP, ultra on discrete | |
| DiRT Showdown | Run at medium quality on IGP, ultra on discrete | |
Notes
This is the first time we've tested memory on an Intel Z87 (Haswell) board. We're going to quantify whether it's worth spending extra over a DDR3-1,600 CL10 pack when using everyday applications.
Overclocking
We've chosen three arbitrary speeds and timings in order to evaluate the overclocking potential of the two sets of modules. Voltage was raised from 1.50V to 1.65V.
2,133MHz (9-10-9-27-2T) |
2, 200MHz (11-11-11-31-2T) |
2,400MHz (12-12-12-31-2T) |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB |
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| Corsair Vengeance 16GB |
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Our Vengeance Pro set wouldn't Post at 2,133MHz with the default timings. Loosening them off to 2,200MHz enabled us to complete all benchmarks. In contrast, the DDR3-1,600 comparison set wouldn't manage any of the three overclocked presets.