The linchpin of ADATA’s XPG Z1 DDR4 modules is its Thermal Conductive Technology, which improves heat dissipation to boost performance. ADATA has certainly put TCT to good use, as its XPG Z1 kits are already available at speeds up to 2,800MHz. ADATA also plans on releasing a 3,200MHz kit in the near future. The XPG Z1 lineup is already an imposing collection, considering the DDR4 standard is still in its infancy. ADATA sent us a 16GB 2,400MHz quad-channel kit (model AX4U2400W4G16-QRZ) to put through the wringer.
TCT is more than marketing hype. For example, one of the most important elements of TCT is that each chip on the module PCB makes direct contact with the XPG Z1’s heat spreader. This direct contact ensures that the integrated circuits and PCB operate at equal temperatures. Speaking of the PCB, XPG Z1 modules use a 10-layer black PCB that contains 2 ounces of copper. The extra copper (traditional DRAM PCBs have a 1-ounce inner layer of copper) and PCB layers enhance the quality of signal transfer—and thereby improve efficiency—by reducing electric resistance and power consumption. It all boils down to improved stability, which is always good news for the likes of overclockers and enthusiasts who insist on pushing frequencies to the maximum.
Our 16GB test kit comes with Intel XMP 2.0 support and timings of 16-16-16-39. The latency is comparable to what we’ve found on other DDR4-2400MHz kits. By setting the latency to CL17, we were able to overclock these DDR4-2400 modules to 2800MHz, so there’s certainly some headroom for increased speed at the expense of some added latency.
ADATA offers the XGP Z1 lineup in both dual-channel and quad-channel kits. The quad-channel kits, such as the 16GB DDR4-2400MHz kit covered here, are available in 16GB (4 x 4GB) and 32GB (4 x 8GB) capacities. Dual-channel kits are available in 8GB (2 x 4GB) and 16GB (2 x 8GB) capacities.
The XPG Z1 modules sport a dark red heat spreader. In the middle of the heat spreader is a triangular decal showing off the XPG logo set against a checkered black pattern. It’s a great look and makes the XPG Z1 a good fit for the red and black color schemes found on so many gaming-centric motherboards today.
We installed this 16GB XPG Z1 kit into a system with GIGABYTE’s GAX99-GAMING G1 WIFI and Intel’s Core i7-5960X. In SiSoftware 2014 Lite SP3’s memory bandwidth benchmark, the four modules worked together to generate bandwidth speeds of 45.72GBps (Integer test) and 48.13GBps (Floating test). Overclocked to 2,800MHz (with 17-17-17 timings), the kit eclipsed 50GBps in both tests (50.26GBps Integer, 51.59GBps Float). The results are the fastest we’ve seen from DDR4 memory. We also ran the Sandra’s Cache & Memory Latency test, which delivered a respectable rate of 32.4ns at the CL 16 timings and 34.1ns at the CL 17 timings. In the Cache Bandwidth test, the memory produced speeds of 347.85GBps at 2,400MHz and 362.4GBps at 2,800MHz.
If you’re looking for some DDR4 to sate your overclocking needs, the XPG Z1 lineup should satisfy your cravings. The performance using Intel’s XMP 2.0 profile is solid, too. The attractive heat spreaders should also put these modules on the radar of system builders looking for components that will stand out inside a case. This is how you do DDR4. NATHAN LAKE
Specs
Capacity: 16GB (4 x 4GB); Timings; 16-16-16-39; Frequency DDR4-2400 (PC4-19200); Voltage: 1.2V; Unbuffered; Non-ECC; Limited lifetime warranty