Memory

G.SKILL RipJaws SO-DIMM 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 Review

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April 23, 2014 7 Min Read
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Looking to upgrade your notebook memory? We put G.SKILL’s Ripjaws SO-DIMM (F3-1600C9D-8GRSL) under the spotlight.


Product on Review: Ripjaws F3-1600C9D-8GRSL


Manufacturer and Sponsor: G.Skill
Street Price: £46 / $78

Hunting for the best notebook deal can mean compromising on certain components such as the memory. If you’re on a tight budget, sometimes cutbacks have to be made initially but there is no reason not to upgrade specific parts later on down the line. Upgrading the memory on a notebook has never been easier, in just a few steps you can be well on your way to benefits in a range of scenarios and today we’re going to be demonstrating how a simple memory upgrade on a notebook can significantly boost performance.

Last month G.SKILL announced their new SO-DIMM DDR3 memory and today we are to review an 8GB 1600MHz kit (F3-1600C9D-8GRSL) by installing it within an MSI GE620 notebook to reveal the precise advantages that can be had from a simple upgrade.



G.SKILL on their SO-DIMM DDR3
Don’t waste time on waiting for your PC. Get the most out of your laptop with G.SKILL Ripjaws SO-DIMM series. Whether you are gaming, programming, multimedia editing or just surfing the web, you will feel the speed improve instantly! It is one of the smartest and most cost-effective ways to enhance your productivity and computing experience on your laptop!

Technical Specifications


Series
Ripjaws SO-DIMM
Memory Type
DDR3L
Form Factor
SO-DIMM
Channel Config
Dual-channel
Capacity
8GB (4GBx2)
Tested Speed
1600MHz
CAS Latency
9-9-9-28
Voltage
1.35v
Heat Spreader
No
Warranty
Lifetime

Packaging & Closer Look



Ripjaws SO-DIMM arrives in a plastic packet


G.SKILL’s Ripjaws SO-DIMM memory is presented in a plastic packet which, thankfully isn’t in a blister pack – so you don’t need to pull out the knife and demolish the packaging. Inside there is a single sheet of card which has an attractive design and details the features and technical specifications.


Ripjaws SO-DIMM – cute in appearance


Ripjaws SO-DIMM memory modules are rather dainty in stature since they are designed for the smaller form factor which notebooks generally utilise. These modules are also absent of any heatspreader and simply have a sticker over the chips to distinguish them from other products.

On the reverse, G.SKILL have also applied a specifications label sticker which identifies the model name, CL, voltage, capacity and frequency specifications. Interestingly there is also a production date stamped on this label too.

In the next section of our review we’ll be testing the memory within an MSI GE620 notebook, showing how this Ripjaws kit compares to stock memory and the performance that can be taken advantage of.


Specifications label lists various details

Test Setup


Throughout the testing of Ripjaws F3-1600C9D-8GRSL we will be comparing the kit against some 4GB Elixir PC3-10600 memory which is found within the MSI GE620. The Ripjaws memory will be installed inside this notebook as shown below.

Notebook Model
MSI GE620
Processor
Intel Core i7-2630QM
Memory
4GB Elixir PC3-10600 (1333MHz)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M
HDD
500GB 7200RPM


Benchmarks: SuperPI 1.5

In August 1995, the calculation of pi up to 4,294,960,000 decimal digits was succeeded by using a supercomputer at the University of Tokyo. The program was written by D.Takahashi and he collaborated with Dr. Y.Kanada at the computer center, the University of Tokyo. This record should be the current world record. ( Details is shown in the windows help. ) This record-breaking program was ported to personal computer environment such as Windows NT and Windows 95 and called Super PI. In order to calculate 33.55 million digits, it takes within 3 days with Pentium 90MHz, 40MB main memory and 340MB available storage.



Benchmarks: HyperPI 0.99b

The HiperPI front-end is basically a program which allows selecting multiple threads of SuperPi to be run at the same time so you can test the stability and performance on multi-core machines.



Benchmarks: AIDA64

AIDA64 is the successor to Everest ULTIMATE. This application not only details every component within a system but it also incorporates a comprehensive memory benchmarking tool that will ascertain bandwidth and latency figures.





Benchmarks: Sisoft Sandra 2014

SANDRA isn’t always a benchmark that is included in hardware reviews but I believe it shouldn’t be ignored. SANDRA provides a vigorous package that tests your system in a rather large array of benchmarks. There are many aspects of benchmark that can be executed. We will be considering – CPU and memory tests.





Benchmarks: 3DMark Cloud Gate

Cloud Gate is a new test that is designed for Windows notebooks and typical home PCs. Cloud Gate includes two graphics tests and a physics test. Cloud Gate uses a DirectX 11 engine limited to Direct3D feature level 10 making it suitable for testing DirectX 10 compatible hardware. Cloud Gate is only available in the Windows editions of 3DMark at this time.

Benchmarks: Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider is an Action-Adventure game that introduces players to the origin of one of the most identifiable video games icons of all-time, Lara Croft. The game features a blend of survival, stealth, melee and ranged combat, and exploration gameplay as a young Lara Croft is forced to push herself past her know limits to survive and unravel the dark history of a forgotten island. In the process she will unlock the adventurer within her. Additional game features include: weapons both familiar and new, upgradable items, a variety of play environments, and human and animal enemies.

Conclusion


One of the most cost effective ways to improve the speed of a notebook is to upgrade the memory and we’ve proven that the new Ripjaws SO-DIMM memory can bolster the performance of such a device in a range of activities.

Not everyone can afford to splash out on a notebook which has the very best hardware inside and sometimes compromises have to be made. Upgrading the memory at a later stage is a wise move to make and it’s easier than you think – loosen a few screws, remove the cover, slot the new memory in and you’re ready to go!

Ripjaws SO-DIMM managed to considerably improve the performance of our MSI GE620 notebook. In some of the benchmarks, the system received significant benefits – especially in the HyperPI, SuperPI and 3DMark tests. This shows how a simple upgrade can yield great results.



Costing just £46 / $78, this particular kit on review today is definitely affordable. Other kits of similar specifications from rival brands are at least £20 / $30 more and since its 100% validated before shipping and is backed by a lifetime warranty, complete confidence can be placed in this product.

It’s clear in our minds that upgrading a notebook’s memory with Ripjaws SO-DIMM is a wise decision to make. G.SKILL offer a wide range of capacities and frequencies which gives the consumer total flexibility whilst being cost effective too. Our review has demonstrated the key advantages to increasing the capacity and upgrading the frequency of DDR3.

Pros
+ Affordable upgrade
+ Lifetime warranty
+ 100% validation out of factory

Cons
– There are none!



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