We couldn’t have a RAM group test without a mention for the ever faithful Kingston ValueRAM. KVR has been knocking around for years, provided a decent backbone for desktops at a reasonable price. But times change, so can ValueRAM once more prove its value?
Cheesy openings aside, the Kingston ValueRAM we have on test here is the pair of 8GB DDR3 PC3-12800, 1600MHz sticks, product number KVR16N11K2/16 and priced at around £65. The timings/latency for these sticks is 11-11-11-28 with a low voltage of 1.5V.
The sticks themselves look fairly uninspiring. There’s no externally mounted cooler or Kingston logo fitted to an aluminium front – just a sticker on the chips. Not that any of that will have an effect on the performance or how the memory works, but it’s worth noting that due to the lack of a heatsink, overclocking or pushing the RAM beyond its limits is out of the question.
However, despite the lack of visual appeal, the Kingston ValueRAM measures just 30mm from the base of the PCB to the top. This means that it’ll fit virtually any system and is low profile enough for even the most aggressively intrusive CPU cooler.
The benchmarks didn’t fare too well. SiSoft Sandra recorded 20GB/s, which is the lowest so far in the group. In real-world terms, this means you’ll more than likely come across some bandwidth issues when playing the latest games or running through some memory intensive programs. Our basic gaming tests, since games use huge amount of memory bandwidth, had issues with the likes of Batman: Arkham Knight, Submerged and Elite: Dangerous. The older titles we tried, Assassin’s Creed IV and Civ 4, didn’t have any noticeable problems, though. Basically, if you’re not looking to play the latest games but you still favour some of the older titles, the Kingston ValueRAM will be enough to handle the numbers – provided the rest of your system is up to scratch, of course.
It makes you wonder though how much value the Kingston ValueRAM really is these days. As we said at the beginning, this pack is only five pounds cheaper than the better performing Crucial Ballistix Sport and only £35 cheaper overall than the Corsair Vengeance Pro Red. So while still the cheapest RAM so far in the group, you’ll get more memory value by spending slightly more.
It is a good kit, though, and if you’re on a tight budget, then the Kingston ValueRAM will suffice and offer you a good chunk of 16GB without any fitting hassles or other configuration headaches.
It’s a slightly cheaper option using the Kington ValueRAM. You’ll more than likely find the 16GB kit inside a cheaper priced pre-built desktop, so if you’re after a little more performance, then you’ll need to scrutinise the small print and see what make/model of RAM is being used.