It is, of course, not forbidden to assemble a new PC now with RAM of the previous generation, and due to lower prices for components you can save a lot, but if you are thinking about the future, then it would be worth taking a closer look at the assembly with DDR5. At the moment, both Intel and AMD have support for this memory standard, but the “blue” released the final generation for the current socket a few days ago, and the next one will already use the new one, which automatically calls into question the possibility of upgrading in the future at minimal cost. In any case, the choice between Intel or AMD is yours, and I do not plan to launch a holivar here. My goal today is to review the Silicon Power Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-6000 RAM, which I propose to move on to.
The memory comes in blister packaging and the set consists of two sticks of 16 GB each. The difference in the price of 32 GB of memory between DDR4 and DDR5 is not particularly significant now, and the main stumbling block for users when purchasing will be more expensive motherboards. So, the reviewed set of RAM costs on average about 12-13 thousand rubles, which is very, very good.
In my case, the memory received black heatsinks, but it also has a white version for those who need it to match the overall color palette of the system. The printed circuit board under the heatsinks is also black. Let me clarify that with white radiators the boards will still be black.
At the top of the radiators there are diffusers for RGB lighting with an increasing width of the illuminated area in the center. It all looks very decent, and the glow can be adjusted using almost any software that is capable of interacting with the RAM backlight. In particular, most popular RGB control protocols from ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock and other manufacturers are supported. If the backlight in memory does not receive other instructions, then initially the backlight will shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow in the wave.
The height of these memory modules, by the way, is 38.5 millimeters. This parameter should be taken into account when choosing RAM for a system with large air cooling on the processor. Owners of life support systems, in theory, do not have to worry about this point, but in reality, in individual cases, radiators installed on top can also rest against high memory, provided that the slots for it are located on the motherboard in a certain way.
What is hidden under the radiators of the Silicon Power Xpower Zenith RGB? 2GB SK hynix M-die memory chips. The chips are good and usually have decent overclocking potential. We’ll find out what will happen this time a little later, but before that it’s worth taking a look at the hardware in the test system.”
- Processor: Intel Core i5-12500K.
- Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix B760-F Gaming WiFi.
- RAM – Silicon Power Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-6000.
The remaining elements in this case are of little importance, and therefore there is no point in listing them. Let me remind you that initially the RAM “starts up” at JEDEC frequencies, which is 4800 MHz for DDR5. Basic timings are 40-40-40-77. Here are a couple of tests with these values.
Activation of the XMP profile, if the purchased RAM has one, is done through the BIOS in a couple of clicks. In the case of the monitored memory, this profile is available and overclocks the memory to 6000 MHz with timings of 36-37-37-70. I also attach tests after activating XMP.
As you can see, the difference, although not always (due to other factors), is there, and this is the main thing.
Let’s summarize traditionally
Silicon Power Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-6000 is a good RAM for a new DDR5 build or filling a couple of free slots in an existing one. It goes without saying that RAM on its own won’t do wonders for your system’s performance, but it can be further overclocked to squeeze out some extra performance. Overclocking, unfortunately, is a lottery, but there is not much point in going beyond the factory XMP.
The Silicon Power Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-6000 is definitely worth considering among your purchasing options. Especially if your goal is to build on AMD Ryzen 7000, which consider memory with a frequency of 6000 MHz optimal.
