Patriot Viper 2x1GB DDR3 PC3-15000 Review

We have already covered the fact that this Patriot Viper Extreme memory is the highest rated DDR3 for frequency that is available at this time. It shares that title with a kit from Super Talent but those are the only two manufacturers that we are aware of with PC3-15000 modules. What does that mean? Well, it means that the memory is rated for DDR3-1866 (933MHz) as we can see from the graphics on this page. The rated timings for this frequency are 8-8-8-24 but there is no mention of 1N or 2N on the Patriot web site. The voltage that these modules are rated to run this inflated frequency and timings is a rather low 1.9v.

Patriot has also developed a new heat sink for this line of memory and this is where the name Viper Extreme comes from. Patriot refers to the heat sinks as "Viper Heat Shields" integrated with an aluminum copper composite. This last line is something we haven't seen before and caught our attention. We will discuss this a bit further when looking at the modules once we get our hands on this unusual sounding material.

Other tid-bits of information to note are the inclusion of XMP profiles which won't help us on the Asus P5K3-Dlx that we will be testing them on but for X38 users, this is a welcome addition. Intel’s XMP profiles are used to allow the system to automatically adjust the settings in order to run the given module at its rated specifications without any knowledge in overclocking required. This is rather handy for memory like the Patriot Viper Extreme since the only way to run these modules at DDR3-1866 is to have a FSB of 467MHz. This is a rather hefty overclock which is another reason why we are quite surprised to see that Patriot claims that the modules have been tested on P35 and X38 motherboards. For any P35 motherboard users that have pushed memory to the limits, 940MHz~970MHz is where a lot of P35 motherboards run out of stability for the memory. The P5K3-Deluxe we are using for today's review has had no problem running memory up to 950MHz~960MHz with complete stability so we will have no problem meeting spec as long as the memory does.

Unfortunately the method that Patriot uses for securing the new Viper heat sinks to the modules won't allow us to safely remove them and have a peak at the ICs used on this kit. It is probably safe to say that they are Micron D9GTR/GTS simply based on the specifications but there is no guarantee that Patriot hasn't found another IC that can run these frequencies. When contacted, Patriot representatives were un-able to disclose this information as we expected, leaving us to speculate...but it is safe to say it is Micron based.