All posts by Collin

Review of the Patriot Memory Viper 4 Series 32Gb 3200 MHz kit

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Our Experience

          We purchased this memory for our build that we’ve been working on and reviewing. It fits right in with the Meg X399 motherboard and the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X processor. So, first off, you’ll want to make sure it’s compatible with your motherboard. If you need DDR4 288 pin memory and can support speeds of 3200 MHz, then that’ll be perfect. Or, if your motherboard supports DD44 288 pin at 2133 MHz, then this memory will still work, it’ll just be slower. Beyond that, it is non-parity and non-ECC (error correcting code), as this is not meant for server builds. We’ve got dual channel support, meaning that having two sticks as we do will make it even faster, provided your board has support. The CAS (column access strobe) latency is at a pretty respectable 16; overall leaving this with some pretty good speed stats. How does it perform in the real world you ask?

          Its performance is pretty great. Now, yes, it isn’t the fastest memory in the world, but it was the fastest that we could get for our board; having a 32GB requirement at least. That being said, it is still plenty fast. 3200 MHz, with dual memory and a 16 CAS runs quite well. For our purpose of playing games, it was perfect. I must say that the combination of this processor (Ryzen Threadripper 2950X) and this memory can pretty much knock out any game at full settings. Of course, normal computer processing runs flawlessly.

          Our only issue with this memory is future proofing for games. While 3200 MHz is fine for now, that’ll start to be less so for gaming in a few years. That’s not to say it won’t play them. It absolutely will; all I’m saying is that you might find yourself selecting medium settings on games within the next three to four years.

List of Stats

  • Compatibility; speed: DDR4, 288 pin; 2133 MHz (base), 3200 MHz (OC)
  • Features: Non-parity, non-ECC (error-correcting code), dual channel
  • CAS Latency; timing: C16; 16-18-18-36
  • Warranty: Limited lifetime
  • Price: $234.99

What Others had to say

  • “Top pick? Why’s that? The Viper memory performance is good, really good. It’s close to its rivals in benchmarks. Usually, you’ll be more than happy, by just setting the XMP profile (and most of the users will leave it like that). However, if you have some time, and patience (searching for instability) you can get something extra from this kit. Thanks to the usage of Samsung chips ~3500 MHz is possible, that’s a 300 MHz increase from standard frequency, which can be helpful for example in some games.” -The Guru of 3D
  • “Overall, this is very nice RAM that I would recommend to anyone looking to spice the look of their system up while still having nice, fast RAM at a value.” -WePC
  • “At first, I was a little skeptical buying patriot ram. I was building three high end video editing systems for a client. This ram goes to 3200 Mhz easily. I ran stability tests for 48 hours each system. This ram held up really well. It was rock solid, no crashes, nothing. All of the ram had really nice metal packaging that I have not seen in a long time. For those of you wondering, I used the Asus X470 Prime Pro for the motherboard and a Ryzen 7 2700x for the CPU. I think they could sell this RAM for way more. If you buy this under $ 350, it is a steal.” -Brad S; an Amazon customer

Final Thoughts

          We recommend this memory without a doubt. If this is compatible with your motherboard, then you should definitely get it. It’s fast, reliable, and should keep up with things for at least three years or so. No complaints beyond that.

References

Note: This review is part of a classroom project.
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Review of the 2nd Generation Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

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The Stats

  • Power usage: 180 Watts
  • Socket: sTR4
  • Tech: 12 nm
  • 16 cores, 32 threads
  • Speed: 3.5 Ghz, overclockable to 4.4 Ghz
  • Cache: 8MB of L2, 32MB of L3
  • Passmark score: 25,681
  • Price: $879.99

My Experience

(The Meg)

I purchased the Threadripper 2950x to put it into my Meg X399 motherboard that I previously reviewed on this website. I wanted the best processor that would fit the board, and this one certainly hasn’t disappointed.

Let me tell you, this build blows my old PC out of the park. With 16 cores and 32 threads, I can multitask like crazy. And with 40 megs of cache, the speed of any minor task is super speedy. Lastly, being that I can overclock all 16 cores to 4.4 GHz, this thing dominates any game I throw at it. Not just gaming, but video editing, processing 4K video, having tons of tabs open at once, etcetera. It’s a powerhouse.

What others have to say

  • “Skip the pricey Intel Skylake-X CPUs and even AMD’s new WX-series. Price-to-performance, you won’t find a better value out of a high-end desktop processor than the Ryzen Threadripper 2950X.” -TechRadar
  • “Ryzen Threadripper 2950X builds on all of the goodness offered by AMD’s first-gen Ryzen Threadripper processors, addressing some of our concerns in the process. If you’re looking to upgrade from an older CPU to an all-around crowd pleaser, Threadripper 2950X does not disappoint.” -Tom’s Hardware
  • “Whatever your choice is, you’ll love your Threadripper PC, whether that is 12, 16, 24 or 32 cores. But for the demographic of this website, the 2590X somehow makes sense, as it could be the best match in application compatibility and gaming.” -The Guru of 3D

Final Thoughts

The AMD Threadripper 2950X is a great processor. It can handle all sorts of heavy task, play games well, and multitask like a pro. If you’re in the market and have a $1000 price range, then you’d be crazy not to buy this processor. At just under $900, it’s a steal for the price. I absolutely recommend it.

References:

Please note that this review is part of a classroom project. 

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Review of the MSI Meg X399 Creation Motherboard

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Of all the gaming motherboards I’ve used over the years, this one stands out. It pushes boundaries in every department, with tons of room for expansion. In this review, we’ll go through the many reasons this is a great option for gamers. 

Well, everyone knows the heart of a computer is the processor. A powerful one is required to play hardware-intensive games as well. With support for 1st and 2nd gen AMD Threadrippers, there’s no lack of power concerning the CPU.

Another important aspect for gaming, or computing in general, is memory. This motherboard has plenty of space there. There aren’t two memory slots; not four, or six; but rather, eight. That’s right; this thing packs eight DDR4 memory slots. With a max capacity of 128 gigabytes, and overclocked speeds of over 3600 mhz; there’s more than enough memory capabilites to go aroujnd. 

One more hugely important thing for a gamer is expansion cards. You want to be able to add graphics cards, right? Well, rest assured; you can here. It’s got one PCIe x1 slot, and four PCIe x16 slots. Yep, you can run two dual-slot GPUs on this sucker if you wanted to. 

Lastly, you’re gonna need lots of space for all those games. Have you seen some of the big games lately? They’re anywhere from fifty to a hundred gigs, for a single game! That takes up some room. There’s no reason to worry with the Meg though. The Creation has three m.2 slots. That’s absolutely unheard of. Along with the 8 SATA III ports, you can hook up hard drive after hard drive to this board; SSD after SSD. Those big games don’t seem so scary after all now do they? 

Now for my experience while using it. I’ve got mine configured with a 2nd-gen threadripper CPU, 64 gigs of ram, GeForce 2080 Ti graphics, and a total of 3 TB of SSD storage. It takes everything I throw at it. I can play any game on the highest settings and hit 120 FPS or more. Boots up in about six seconds, and performs simple task with ease. Of course, I’ve got some good internals hooked up to it, but this just goes as an example. 

In the market for a gaming motherboard? Well definately consider the Meg X399 Creation from MSI. Sure, $600 is a hefty wad of cash, but I consider it money well spent. I bought mine back in August when it came out, and there hasn’t been a day I’ve regretted it. With great spec capabilities, and lots of future proofing, you won’t regret it either!

Specifications List

  • Form factor: Extended ATX
  • CPU socket: AMD TR4
  • Compatible with: 1st and 2nd generation AMD Threadripper CPUs
  • Memory: 8 DDR4 slots with overclocking speeds of over 3600 mhz. Maximum RAM is 128 gigabytes.
  • Storage: 8 SATA IIIs, 3 M.2s
  • Expansion: 4 PCIe x16s, 1 PCie x1
  • Integrated components: 7.1 channel audio and LAN with AC wifi and bluetooth 5.0.

Ports on the rear (from left to right)

  • 9x USB 3 A ports
  • 2x RJ45 ports
  • 1x USB 3 C port
  • 1x optical S/PDIF port
  • 5x audio ports

Others’ Opinions

“The MSI MEG X399 Creation is clearly designed to please more than just content creators and professional users, especially given the tools and features included. The sixteen-phase power delivery and dual 8-pin 12 V CPU power inputs are something extreme overclockers and hardcore enthusiasts will be interested in, and the eight SATA ports in addition to the three M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slots built-in are something workstation users and video renderers will be keen to take advantage of.” -Gavin Bonshor, anandtech

“Ultra- premium X399 is all about finding ways of making your board a bit different from the rest. Massive M.2 support, over-the-top power delivery and a restrained look mark out the MEG X399 Creation.” -Tarinder Sandhu, hexus

“KitGuru says: MEG X399 Creation is the most impressive motherboard we have ever seen. Nuff said.” Leo Waldock, kitguru

Sources

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

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