Custom PC - UK (2020-04)

LABS TEST / RGB MEMORY KITS

PATRIOT VIPER RGB /£97 inc VAT

TEAM GROUP NIGHT

H AW K RG B /£74 inc VAT

SUPPLIER amazon.co.uk

SUPPLIER overclockers.co.uk

A

s one of the more affordable kits

on test, the Patriot Viper RGB has

stiff competition from the superb

ADATA XPG Spextrix D60G and G.Skill

Trident Z RGB, which give you change from

£100 for dual-channel 3200MHz kits. The

Patriot’s heatsinks are aggressive-looking,

with viper-like logos on the side. They’re

available in black or white, although the

former has more speed options, ranging

from 2666MHz to 4133MHz, while the white

kits only reach 3200MHz. However, there

don’t appear to be

any quad-channel

kit options.

A diffusing

strip covers the

LEDs running the

length of each

module, with raised

sections at each

end that unfortunately see the height rise

to 46mm. This does add some pizzazz to

the lighting, although the light isn’t as well

diffused as the Corsair Vengeance RGB

Pro modules, as you can see the individual

I

f you’re looking

for RGB memory

for as little

money as possible, then

Team Group’s Night Hawk

RGB will leave you with

change from £80, making

it one of the cheapest

16GB dual-channel

3200MHz kits currently available. However,

these kits are only available at 3200MHz in

the UK, even though Team Group’s website

lists faster versions. With a height of 53mm,

these modules aren’t short either. The

clearance on any large CPU air cooler is likely

to be lower than 53mm, so if you’re using a

large cooler, make sure it doesn’t overhang

the DIMM slots before purchasing.

The heatsinks themselves certainly look

good, with a towering wing design and

VIPER

+^ Wide software support

+^ Affordable

SLOW WORM

-^ No overclocking^
headroom
-^ Not as good-looking^
as the competition
-^ Limited kit options

SPEC

Memory chip Hynix C-die

Timings 16-18-18-36

Voltage 1.35V

Height (from base) 46mm

Stated software compatibility Viper RGB

Software, Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB

Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, ASRock RGB LED

SPEC

Memory chip Samsung B-die

Timings 16-18-18-38

Voltage 1.35V

Height (from base) 53mm

Stated software compatibility Asus Aura

Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic

Light, ASRock RGB LED, Thermaltake

RGB Plus, Razer Chroma RGB

plenty of intricate details. Large diffusing

strips allow the RGB LEDs beneath them

to splash their light along the heatsinks,

and there are openings on the sides too,

enhancing the light show. However, the

colour isn’t as vivid as the lighting on the

Corsair or G.Skill modules on test this

month, and ADATA’s XPG Spectrix D60G

ultimately looked much better too.

Thankfully, the modules now support

a huge range of software, which is just

as well as, when we first reviewed them,

Team Group’s own software had gremlins.

Now, though, these modules support RGB

software from ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI,

Thermaltake and Razer. Our 3200MHz kit

used Samsung B-die chips with 16-18-18-

38 timings, but our sample only managed

to hit 3333MHz before stability issues

surfaced, which is disappointing.

LEDs underneath. You can use most

motherboard software to control the LEDs

and synchronise them with your hardware,

plus Patriot also offers its own software.

The modules use Hynix C-die chips with

16-18-18-36 timings, and unfortunately

they didn’t take very well to overclocking,

refusing to even budge up to 3466MHz

despite us raising the DDR voltage to 1.4V.

This was the worst result on test, especially

given that the ADATA XPG Spectrix D60G is

cheaper, rated at the same speed and was

happy to hit 3800MHz.

LABS TEST / RGB MEMORY KITS

PATRIOTVIPER RGB /£97 inc VAT

TEAMGROUPNIGHT

H AW K RG B/£74incVAT

SUPPLIERamazon.co.uk

SUPPLIERoverclockers.co.uk

A

s one of the more affordable kits
on test, the Patriot Viper RGB has
stiff competition from the superb
ADATA XPG Spextrix D60G and G.Skill
Trident Z RGB, which give you change from
£100 for dual-channel 3200MHz kits. The
Patriot’s heatsinks are aggressive-looking,
with viper-like logos on the side. They’re
availableinblackorwhite,althoughthe
formerhasmorespeedoptions,ranging
from2666MHzto4133MHz,whilethewhite
kitsonlyreach3200MHz.However,there

don’t appear to be

any quad-channel

kit options.

A diffusing

strip covers the

LEDs running the

length of each

module, with raised

sectionsateach

endthatunfortunatelyseetheheightrise

to46mm.Thisdoesaddsomepizzazzto

thelighting,althoughthelightisn’taswell

diffusedastheCorsairVengeanceRGB

Promodules,asyoucanseetheindividual

I

f you’relooking

forRGBmemory

foraslittle

moneyaspossible,then

TeamGroup’sNightHawk

RGBwillleaveyouwith

changefrom£80,making

it oneofthecheapest

16GBdual-channel

3200MHzkitscurrentlyavailable.However,

thesekitsareonlyavailableat3200MHzin

theUK,eventhoughTeamGroup’swebsite

listsfasterversions.Witha heightof53mm,

thesemodulesaren’tshorteither.The

clearanceonanylargeCPUaircoolerislikely

tobelowerthan53mm,soif you’reusinga

largecooler,makesureit doesn’toverhang

theDIMMslotsbeforepurchasing.

Theheatsinksthemselvescertainlylook

good,witha toweringwingdesignand

VIPER

+Widesoftwaresupport

+Affordable

SLOWWORM

• Nooverclocking
  headroom


• Notasgood-looking
  asthecompetition


• Limitedkitoptions

SPEC

MemorychipHynixC-die

Timings16-18-18-36

Voltage1.35V

Height(frombase)46mm

StatedsoftwarecompatibilityViperRGB

Software,AsusAuraSync,GigabyteRGB

Fusion,MSIMysticLight,ASRockRGBLED

SPEC

Memory chip Samsung B-die

Timings 16-18-18-38

Voltage 1.35V

Height (from base) 53mm

Stated software compatibility Asus Aura

Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic

Light, ASRock RGB LED, Thermaltake

RGB Plus, Razer Chroma RGB

plenty of intricate details. Large diffusing

strips allow the RGB LEDs beneath them

to splash their light along the heatsinks,

and there are openings on the sides too,

enhancing the light show. However, the

colour isn’t as vivid as the lighting on the

Corsair or G.Skill modules on test this

month, and ADATA’s XPG Spectrix D60G

ultimately looked much better too.

Thankfully, the modules now support

a huge range of software, which is just

as well as, when we first reviewed them,

Team Group’s own software had gremlins.

Now, though, these modules support RGB

software from ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI,

Thermaltake and Razer. Our 3200MHz kit

used Samsung B-die chips with 16-18-18-

38 timings, but our sample only managed

to hit 3333MHz before stability issues

surfaced, which is disappointing.

LEDs underneath. You can use most

motherboard software to control the LEDs

and synchronise them with your hardware,

plus Patriot also offers its own software.

The modules use Hynix C-die chips with

16-18-18-36 timings, and unfortunately

they didn’t take very well to overclocking,

refusing to even budge up to 3466MHz

despite us raising the DDR voltage to 1.4V.

This was the worst result on test, especially

given that the ADATA XPG Spectrix D60G is

cheaper, rated at the same speed and was

happy to hit 3800MHz.