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PNY Anarchy X 16GB 2800MHz

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PNY Anarchy X 16GB 2800MHz

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High bandwidth memory 2800 MHz
 

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#2 ·
PNY Anarchy X 16GB 2800 MHz

review by jedson3614

DDR3 memory is not the latest standard, but it seems to be the leading mainstream standard for price and performance. DDR3 can still reach speeds to their DDR 4 counterparts, and this particular kit I'm reviewing is rated for 2800MHz. High bandwidth memory, capacity, and latency can definitely show improvements when choosing RAM for your system. Higher rated memory is really important for overclocking, as well as timings. These kits can be more expensive, but well worth your time when it comes to choosing the right parts for your computer. The great thing about DDR3 is it is still in production, DDR4 is the latest standard, but continues to push down prices for DDR3. This makes DDR3 a perfect choice for people looking to build a fantastic gaming PC on a budget. PNY has taken to the extreme with its Anarchy series. It uses top-tier components for aggressive timings and low latency. The PNY XLR8 series has stylish heat spreaders that stand out in any high-end computer. Lets take a look at how you can dominate in the heat of battle, and look fierce while doing it.

The specifications are as follows:
  • PC Type/Memory Type- Desktop DDR3
  • Capacity- 16GB (4x4GB)
  • Channel Type- Quad Channel Kit
  • Frequency Speed- (JEDEC) 2800MHz (PC3-22400)
  • CAS Latency- CL12
  • Voltage- 1.65V
  • XMP Support- Yes
  • Speed Compatibility- 2800MHz, 2666MHz, 2400MHz
  • OS Compatibility- Windows 10 and older
Packaging



The PNY XLR8 16GB kit was packaged pretty standard. The front showcases the awesome looking heat spreaders that the memory has.



The memory was packaged well inside, and each card has its own anti static bag. It would have been nice to have some documentation, but no information was included about installing the memory or how to set the XMP profiles. This is a relatively easy task, but some people might be new to installing memory, and have to look online for additional help. Here is a link if anyone want more information about installing DDR3 memory.

The memory modules look fantastic, and really have a well designed heat spreader. You will find as I always say, that the red/black color scheme will really fit most high-end component manufacturers designs. Most board partners use the red/black scheme because it is one of the most popular colors to sell.

Design



PNY and other manufacturers use the word extreme for a reason. Most people when building a computer seek out the best hardware for the best price. For over 30 years PNY has manufactured and tested memory rigorously.

The Anarchy X kit I'm testing is:
  • 16GB (4x 4GB sticks) of DDR3
  • CL timing of 12
  • 2800MHz of speed
  • 1.65V of power.


PNY uses premium components and select IC's (Integrated Circuits). This kit has aggressive speeds, low latency, and bullet-proof reliability. This is going to result in extreme overclocking, and top-notch performance. Overclocking, and setting speeds is made easier with Intel XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) technology. PNY Anarchy X modules support the latest XMP 2.0 standard. This aggressive Anarchy X memory kit offers DDR3 2800MHz performance, high bandwidth, low power consumption, and advanced thermal performance for stability. All this is backed up by a no hassle lifetime warranty.

Testing



I want to point out a few problems I ran into while testing this memory kit. While XMP 2.0 is supported, The default value selected was 2133MHz, with a voltage of 1.6v. This can easily be fixed by manually entering in the 28 multiplier to achieve the 2800MHz, but it wasn't automatic.



I set my multiplier to 28, voltage to 1.65, and then my timing to 12-14-14-35. I had to hunt for the actual timings for this particular set. They are not listed on the box, and this is when it would have been nice to have some form of the full timings listed. I was able to find the full timings listed on PNY's website at this link.





The test bench used for testing is as follows:
  • Motherboard- Z87x-UD3H
  • CPU: Intel Core I7 4790K
  • Network Card- netgear AC 1200 USB
  • Cooler- H100i GTX V2
  • Memory- Anarchy X 16GB DDR3 2800MHz Desktop Memory vs KLevv Urbane 16GB DDR3 2800MHz
  • Video Card: EVGA NVidia Geforce GTX 970
  • Storage- PNY CS2210 480GB
  • Power Supply- Corsair TX750m
  • OS- Windows 10 x64 Pro
  • Headphones- HyperX Cloud II


I often get questions about understanding why DRAM runs different across platforms, between similar sets, and how to run at full specifications. I am going to be keeping things relatively simple when it comes to ram testing. My methodology will consist of comparing similar kits to each other to see how one kit might stand out from the next. My primary benchmark will consist of testing with AIDA64 Extreme. AIDA64 does a great job at testing memory bandwidth to its full potential. You can see above the memory speeds were set to the proper frequency and timings for the following tests. I made sure both memory kits had the same settings for each test.



I ran the memory benchmark for each kit, and found the results are surprising for memory rated at the same speeds. This PNY kit is faster by a small margin, but does take the lead.



For a while now RAM speed was labeled as having negligible performance gains in gaming, but in recent game titles it has made a difference. Fallout 4 for example does benefit from faster memory. You can read more about that here. Bethesda does seem to be making a trend with this. I experienced similar benefits from DOOM while having faster memory. SNAPMAP ran significantly better with this kits speed compared to my older 1866MHz RAM. I noticed games that have mods like Skyrim, and Fallout 4 benefit from faster ram due to all the extra content being loaded into the game.

Conclusion

Some negative things about this memory:
  • NO installation manual or documentation
  • Full timings not listed on box
  • XMP profile wasn't automatic for best settings


This kit overall is really fantastic DDR3 memory. The PNY Anarchy X performance memory is designed extremely well. It has massive heat spreaders both for looks, and reliability. The red/black color scheme will fit most builds, and provides efficient cooling for overclocking your RAM. The 2800MHz speeds are what I loved the most about this kit. This seems to be really close to the top-tier of bandwidth for DDR3 memory kits. I think there are a few that go higher, but with DDR4 being the current standard , its hard to justify anything faster with current prices. The 2800MHz speeds seem to be at a great price point for enjoying faster RAM. I highly recommend this kit and you can buy it now from PNY for $220.

ProsCons
Looks / SpeedXMP / No documentation

Ratings
Overall4
 
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