Final thoughts and rating
HEXUS have often commented that the need for high-speed DDR3 is becoming less important as processor companies Intel and AMD continue to pile increasing amounts of on-core cache on their latest chips. Still, faster RAM produces higher benchmark scores, though the high premiums are compromised by minute performance increases when going from standard 1,600MHz to, say, expensive 2,133MHz memory.
Our look at the G.Skill F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL modules, better understood as two 4GB sticks with DDR3-1,866MHz speeds and 9-10-9-28 timings, indicates there's little to be gained by using them over a substantially cheaper, same-capacity DDR3-1,600, 9-9-9-24 kit on a mid-to-high-end Intel Core i5 PC.
Ironically enough, it's on a relatively low-cost AMD setup - an A8-3850 APU, in particular - where these well-built modules show a tangible difference in performance, especially when gaming using the on-chip GPU.
We believe that DDR3-1,866MHz memory remains a pretty niche market for the time being, and advocating 8GB of 1,866MHz memory for a value-orientated AMD platform may seem incongruous at first glance, but if you're into pushing the Llano chip to its limits, then the lifetime-warranty-backed G.Skill 8GB pack, at around £70, represents a solid investment.
The G.Skill F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL is worthy of being put on a shortlist if you really do need, and can use, high-speed memory in your PC.
The Good
Works flawlessly on Intel and AMD PCs
Relatively low-voltage operation
Provides solid performance gains for AMD Llano setups
Flexible latencies at 1,333MHz and 1,600MHz speeds
The Bad
No real performance increases for Intel Core i5/i7 platforms
25 per cent price premium over DDR3-1,600 (CL9) takes shine away
HEXUS Rating
G.Skill F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL (8GB, DDR3-1,866)
HEXUS Awards
G.Skill F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL (8GB, DDR3-1,866)
HEXUS Where2Buy
TBC.
HEXUS Right2Reply
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