How We Tested 32GB DDR4 Memory Kits
Test System Configuration | |
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CPU | Intel Core i7-5930K (Haswell-E), LGA 2011-v3, overclocked to 4GHz at 1.20V |
Motherboard | Asus X99-Pro, BIOS 1004 (10/16/2014) |
CPU Cooler | Swiftech Apogee GTX, MCP 655b, Triple-Fan Radiator Kit |
Graphics | Gigabyte GV-N970G1 GAMING-4GD: GeForce GTX970, 1178-1329 MHz GPU, GDDR5-7012 |
Hard Drive | Samsung 840 Series MZ-7PD256, 256GB SSD |
Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
Power | Antec HCP-1200: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
Intel’s Core i7-5930K offers most of the performance of its -5960X relative, but at a fraction of the cost. It gives up nothing in overclocking, and that makes it a good choice for evaluating DDR4. It also retains all of the architecture's PCIe 3.0 connectivity, making it a good choice for upcoming graphics reviews. I tuned mine up to 4GHz.
We’re still putting together our Tom’s Hardware reference PC for 2015, but the one necessary diversion was to find the best memory overclocking motherboard. An evaluation of that motherboard’s features and value could wait!
Performance is normally in the cards for gamers. Some titles are specifically bottlenecked by DRAM at lower settings, though. Gigabyte’s triple-fan GeForce GTX 970 raises that floor to “High Quality” in Grid 2 at 1920x1080 without making much noise.
Benchmark Configuration | |
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Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 | Version 15.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080 |
WinRAR | Version 5.0: THG-Workload (1.3GB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3" |
Grid 2 | Steam Version, In-Game Test, High Quality, No AA |
Battlefield 4 | DirectX 11, 100-sec. Fraps "Tashgar", High Quality |
SiSoftware Sandra | Version 2014.02.20.10, Memory Bandwidth, Cache & Memory Latency Benchmarks |