v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 Review
Hold on to G.Skill? New competitor on the market
La v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 is the first RAM DDR5 that falls into my hands of this brand, anticipating its arrival in the Peruvian and Latin American market. These rams They target the most demanding users, even offering an option specially designed for ASUS ROG motherboards. In our review, we will focus mainly on evaluating its performance and checking if we can achieve those high speeds that they promote so much, all with the motherboard and processor that we are using today.
The v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 have been sampled without return thanks to the brand.
Table of Contents
Information – High frequencies, low latency and ROG Certified mode
v-color markets its memories 5GB XSky ROG Certified DDR32 (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 as gaming memories and they certainly have a design aimed at that particular audience. This kit is the fastest in this model and offers speeds of 7200 MT/s with latency of 36. On the physical side, the RAMs have several ARGB lighting zones and comes with a high-efficiency heatsink. In addition, it has a special mode for plates ASUS ROG, called ROG Certified.
Within its official compatibility list (or QVL) we see that the only motherboards that have passed these tests are the ASUS ROG Z790 using 13th generation processors (we could also include 14th generation from Intel). These RAM should also work on top-of-the-range boards from other brands such as MSI o GIGABYTE, etc. although we do not have suitable motherboards from other brands to check stability.
What is ROG Certified?
It is an additional profile for greater performance, that will only appear on ASUS ROG Z790 motherboards. This profile makes memories work 7400MT/s CL38, 200 MHz more frequency, but with a little higher latency. In BIOS this option will appear as an additional XMP profile, called ROG Certified. Applying this option is no different than applying any other XMP profile.
Price and guarantee
The price of these exclusive RAMs ROG, is US$ 199 en USA (link) through its global page and in Amazon They are being sold at US$230. (link)
I consulted the price of these RAMs locally and their local representative told me that the cost of the product for FINAL USER could be found US$ 180 (S/. 666.72, T.C. 3.704). The next batch is expected to respect this suggested price.
Regarding the warranty of this product, being an exclusive collaboration with ASUS, this coverage applies when the memory is paired with a Z790 ROG board and 13th/14th generation Intel processors. If, after your tests, you detect any stability problems, one option is to contact the company directly, who will ask routine questions, such as the BIOS version of your board. According to the brand representative, v-color offers users who purchased through its website the option to return the memory, and will also provide guidance on the procedure for those who purchased it locally in stores.
In case of problems, the brand promises to provide support for manual configurations or, where applicable, even consider a refund. Although he clarified that, in most cases, the 7200 MT/s speed should work without problems. For additional information about the warranty, we recommend that you review the corresponding section on their website (here is the link).
Detailed information - SPD
When inspecting the RAM, we find the surprise that it uses chips Hynix A-Die, which have been validated by the company so that they work at the frequencies advertised by the brand (7200/7400 MTs).
Thanks to the portal Gamers nexus, We have an idea of the process that chips and modules go through to ultimately reach the hands of the end user. I recommend taking a look at the visit the media made during its company visit to Taiwan.
Photos - v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36
How to activate the XMP profile of the v-color memories on ASUS Z790 ROG board?
Entering BIOS is simple. During the boot process one may be “spamming” the DEL (or DEL) key. This takes you to the motherboard BIOS.
If the board shows you the simple option (EZ mode), press F7 to enter advanced mode.
Here you switch to the Ai Tweaker tab, where there will be quite a few options. Among them, the option of interest is the “Ai Overclock Tuner”.
To activate the memories with the 7200 MT/s CL36 profile, we suggest using the XMP II option which will apply the default timings saved in the SPD.
The exclusive 7400 MT/s CL38 or ROG Certified option is also found in Ai Overclock Tuner, an option that will only appear on ASUS Z790 ROG boards.
Finally, to save the changes, we go to the “exit” tab and put “Save Changes & Reset”.
Insights
The test that I consider most important when analyzing any type of these high-frequency RAM memories is the issue of stability. If a press or reviewer does not test validation and perhaps takes note that, during the benchmarks, one or two games crashed sporadically, they could give a positive evaluation of a product that does not work stably in the real world.
The v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 They have two profiles of interest, 7200 MHz CL36 and 7400 MHz CL38 (ROG Certified). Both have been validated for more than 24 hours each to attest that under the configuration, there was not a single error.
Timings profile ROG Certified 7400 MT/s CL38
Timings profile XMP II 7200 MT/s CL36
The test bench uses a processor Intel Core i9-13900K which was purchased at retail and has not been sampled directly by Intel. This means that it does not have any special bin (also known as a “black leg” processor). The motherboard comes thanks to a loan from ASUS Peru, motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI II and the video card NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition.
Benchmark (for storage reviews)
CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K (Power Limiters Disabled) (https://amzn.to/3X53WQS)
Board: ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI II (BIOS 0801) (https://amzn.to/3ClPWde)
RAM: v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 – What we are testing (https://amzn.to/3HeZhpJ)
T.video: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition (Link: https://amzn.to/3Pe4Vx6)
Operating system: Windows 11 Home Edition 23H2 – VBS OFF
Liquid refrigeration: Lian Li Galahad 360 (https://amzn.to/3jMvNXO)
SSD: Addlink S70 1TB + TeamGroup MP34 4TB SSD (https://amzn.to/3PuIAvX)
Driver: NVIDIA Driver
Power supply: NZXT C1200 (https://amzn.to/4aVcbXJ)
AIDA64
AIDA64 It has a tool to measure RAM. Although it is a synthetic benchmark, it is quite popular for comparing RAM overclocking results and comparing between products.
Geekbench 4
Geekbench 4, although it is a version of the software that has already reached EOL, it has a performance measurement option exclusively for RAM that versions 5 and 6 do not have.
Games – 720p. Why 720p?
Here perhaps the big question will come or "indignation" of many users, seeing the following results in a resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels or 720p. Why not in 2160p, 1440p or even 1080p? The answer is simple. The higher the resolution, on average, the lesser impact of RAM on performance, since the bottleneck is the video card. That's why we tested in 720p, where we hope to bring the limitation to the processor, where the RAM influences.
In summary, there are three types of results that are observed in games:
-Games where RAM has almost no impact, being limited by the processor itself, the GPU or the game engine.
-Games where RAM has a slight impact on performance.
-Games where RAM memories influence the measured frames per second.
The results obtained with the 5GB v-color DDR32 XSky ROG Certified (16GBx2) a 7200 MHz CL36 They show a variation from 0% in games with some previously mentioned limitation to an 8% increase in FPS in games that benefit from higher bandwidth or lower latency, compared to RAM memories tested at 6000 MT/s CL40.
Manual Overclock – A quick look
Due to time constraints and the need to spend considerable effort validating and testing configurations, I have only performed quick tests of some manual overclocking configurations. Unfortunately, these failed stability tests, so more manual adjustments will be necessary, a task I hope to address in future sessions.
However, I share some screenshots that show that the memories managed to reach 8000 MT/s and passed a simple validation with CPU-z, indicating that they are probably useful for record testing in HWBOT.
Final analysis – High-end DDR5 memories highly competitive in price
I want to highlight the most important thing when entering the world of RAM memories, especially those that boast high frequencies: they have to pass the litmus test of stability, without giving a single error. As much as they shine in the benchmarks, It makes no sense to recommend RAM that is not stable.
The good news is that v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36 Not only did they give the go-ahead, but they passed on both 7200CL36 (XMP) and 7400CL38 (ROG Certified) profiles. So, all of today's results are reliable.
In synthetic benchmarks such as AIDA64 o Geekbench 4, we noticed a slight improvement when using the ROG Certified profile at 7400 MT/s CL38 compared to 7200 MT/s CL36 (XMP). Meanwhile, in gaming, the difference between both profiles is only 1-2% in games susceptible to RAM frequencies/latencies.
In the best scenario, we are seeing up to 8% more performance compared to 6000 MT/s CL40 memories. For many it may not justify the price difference, but this product is aimed at gamers or enthusiasts looking for the best in performance.
The only local competition we find is the G.SKILL Trident Z5 RGB Series 7200 CL34 (2x16GB), but it has a higher price, around US$ 205-215 US dollars. Here v-color leads, and we hope it continues like this, since it will need to consolidate its brand with competitive prices in new markets, like ours.
Perhaps the only criticism I have is the short list of boards listed in the official QVL for this model, which is limited to ASUS Z790 ROG boards. This could be due to an exclusivity with the ROG brand, which makes sense, although I can't confirm. It does not necessarily mean that it will not work on suitable boards from other brands such as GIGABYTE or MSI, among others, but the warranty does not explicitly cover those cases.
In closing, we took a look at their warranty policies and they are pretty solid, something that may come in handy in the odd case. Don't forget to check the RAM QVL list and use a 13th or 14th generation Intel K-series processor.
Final score - v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) 7200 MHz CL36
-
Economical performance
-
Price
-
Warranty
Overall
Summary
La v-color DDR5 XSky ROG Certified 32GB (16GBx2) at 7200 MHz CL36 stands out as a RAM memory designed to meet the demands of demanding users, especially those who use motherboards. ASUS Z790 ROG. Delivers impressive speeds of up to 7200 MT/s, with the option ROG Certified that reaches 7400 MT/s.
With a price that fluctuates between US$199-230 in the United States, it is expected to reach Peru with an approximate cost of US$180. During our testing, this memory demonstrated not only stability but also competitive performance, with up to 8% improvement compared to 6000 MT/s CL40 memories. In summary, it is presented as an attractive option in terms of quality-price ratio in the user segment for which it is directed.
Pros
-Passed stability test in both overclock profiles (XMP and ROG Certified).
-Very good performance.
-Competitive price in the audience segment it targets.
-Perfectly matches users who want ASUS Z790 ROG motherboard.
-Excellent warranty as discussed with the Taiwanese v-color representative (local and global).
Cons
-“Official” QVL support limited to ASUS Z790 ROG boards.
