Updated 26th March 2016
Since Zion has changed the entire DDR3 lineup of Xtreme Gaming Series RAM with a completely new design and a slightly tweaked PCB we are updating this review to keep you abreast up to date.
Zion has recently launched its Xtreme Series Gaming RAM in India. This is Zions first ever RAM series targeted at gaming and other graphic intensive tasks like video editing etc.
So today I happen to have their 8GB RAM kit for review on my desk and I must tell you it looks quite impressive by its first look!
The special feature about the Zion RAM is that its fully made in India in collaboration with Apacer Technologies who is the PCB manufacturer for this module and hence its the first ever of its type so that's a reason for all the Indians to celebrate.
The specifications of the Zion Xtreme Series Gaming RAM 8GB kit (4GBx2) are as follows:
- Product Name : DDR3-1600
- Capacity : 8GB Kit [4GBx2]
- Memory Architecture : x8 FBGA DRAM chip
- Voltage : 1.5V
- Height : 1U
- Frequency : 1600Mhz
- Intel XMP 2.0 : Supported
- PIN : 240-pin
- CAS Latency : 9-9-9-27
- JEDEC Standard : Yes
- RoHS Compliant : Yes
- Warranty : 3 Years CARRY IN
Key Features
It supports the Intel XMP 2.0 profile, this is a good news for all the Intel processor users as this enables them to get the maximum performance out of their RAM whenever the load increases or their is a need for more frequency by simply enabling the XMP profile through their BIOS.
This shows that the manufacturers have not at all compromised on quality and kept the RAM at par with the many international brands.
This shows that the manufacturers have not at all compromised on quality and kept the RAM at par with the many international brands.
But at the same time the AMD processors users face a slight disadvantage of having a RAM which has a latency of 11-11-11-28 and not the 9-9-9-27 which is there on enabling the Intel exclusive XMP 2.0 profile. This isn't a new thing since many models from various brands has this issue but they list it on their spec sheet which unfortunately Zion hasn't so a quick update from their side is required for the same.
Pros:
Over-clockable upto 2100Mhz
Intel XMP 2.0 profile support for hassle free work load.
Cons:
Only 3 year warranty
Appearance
The RAM comes in a clear see through blister pack with the marketing slogan clear and bold. The back contains nothing but some generic information but no technical specifications about the product are provided which should've been there.
It has a green PCB and not black which is turn-off for many gamers since motherboards and components tend to be in black these days & this green color wouldn't go with the design!
The heat spreader is a bit flimsy but is not too tall nor too small, this ensures that it will perform efficiently without obstructing the air flow or installation of an after market CPU cooler like the Cooler Master Hyper 212X.
The teeth design insures that heat is being distributed on each teeth and cooled evenly to insure an optimum and uniform temperature.
Pros:
Excellent Packing quality
Heat spreader is of perfect size ensuring maximum cooler compatibility.
Cons:
Heat spreader is a bit flimsy
Benchmarks and Load Test
As explained earlier the RAM is meant to work with Intel platforms at 1600Mhz with timings as 9-9-9-27 but since we have an AMD system with us it would be interesting to see how the Zion Xtreme Gaming 8GB Memory kit fairs out.The test bench for this test was as follows:
CPU: AMD FX 8350 3.5Ghz Octa-Core processor
Motherboard: Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon HD7900
Memory: Zion Xtreme Gaming 8GB DDR3 RAM
Cooler: Corsair H100iGTX 240mm CPU Liquid Cooler
Storage: Corsair Neutron GTX 480GB SSD
Power Supply: Corsair AX860i 860W 80+ Platinum
The RAM was easy to install and the system booted up without any issues. CPU Z shows that the Xtreme Gaming RAM works at 1600Mhz at 11-11-11-27 by default which is a respectable frequency for a gaming RAM straight out of the box but the latency sure is surely on the higher side.
Since I keep my FX 8350 at 4.7Ghz or more it was a walk in the park to bring down the timings on this kit to 9-9-9-27 without any voltage increase. Anything lower than this was impossible so we didn't go any further. It did hit 2100Mhz at 1.5v but the timings were too loose at 13-13-13-32 so we stuck with 1600Mhz at 9-9-9-27 for our testing.
AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark
SuperPi Mod 1.5
Cinebench R15
My verdict
Being a the first attempt from Zion in the field of Gaming the Xtreme Series is a worthy and impressive competitor. It performs competitively on AMD platforms and I'm sure will be the same on Intel aswell, not the best kit out there but for the price it comes for it sure is a product worth considering.
Made and manufactured in India makes it easy to claim for warranty if you ever need to and the build quality and designing techniques employed makes it an international competitor.
Priced at Rs. 1625 for a single 4GB stick and Rs. 2675 for the 8GB stick it is a RAM for those who love their country and don't want to compromise on quality for the sake of a fancy brand name.
Note: Unboxing and overview is now available on YouTube do watch and share.
Note: Unboxing and overview is now available on YouTube do watch and share.
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