| Aeneon XTune 2GB DDR3-1600 Dual Channel Memory Kit
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Conclusion:
The Aeneon XTune 2GB DDR3-1600 dual channel memory kit wound up surprising me. While I didn't expect it to perform poorly, I did not anticipate that it would keep up with similar kits with tighter timings. Despite being rated for 1600MHz at 9-9-9-28 timings, it managed to perform on par with other kits with timings of 8-8-8-34 and 7-7-7-18.
One key difference between this kit and the others was that it was able to run at 1600MHz with just 1.5V, while the others required 1.8V. The XMP profile actually has the kit programmed to use 1.6V, but either way it is saving power, something Aeneon and their parent company Qimonda have been focused on with their development of high performance DDR3 memory.
In addition to respectable stock speed performance which should be achieved with ease by most users thanks to the availability of XMP and EPP 2.0 profiles onboard, the kit overclocked fairly well, too. The kit reached a high of 1740MHz, although it seemed to need some fine tuning in order to insure stability at this speed. With the stock timings and a relatively low 1.6V, the system was rock solid at 1700MHz. At these speeds the line was blurred as to whether the limits of the memory or the processor were being reached.
While the timings may not be as tight as the competition faced in this review, the results showed that it wasn't really a big deal. The Aeneon kit still performed very well in all tests, and in real world applications I doubt anyone could tell the difference. The only other negative regarding this kit and most Aeneon products is availability in the US. A search of PriceGrabber finds a few XTune kits, but they are all from Amazon.com where the prices are way out of line. The Aeneon store lists this kit for sale in Europe at 222.99 Euros, which converts to just over $350 US at this time. While that might have been a competitive price a few months ago, there are now several 1600MHz kits available from a few big brand names for between $150 and $200 (US).
I see Aeneon products as something like the A-Team due to the show's introduction "...if you can find them, maybe you can hire: THE A-TEAM". If you can find this Aeneon XTune memory kit, and you can get a good deal on it, I would definitely recommend it.
Pros:
» Performs well, even in the face of competition with tighter timings
» Overclocked to over 1700MHz
» Requires only 1.5V, while many other kits require 1.8V
» Lifetime warranty
Cons:
» Rather loose timings
» Price and availability
Special thanks to Aeneon for providing the Aeneon XTune 2GB DDR3-1600 Dual Channel Memory Kit to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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