Patriot Viper 4 8GB DDR4 3400MHz Memory Kit Review - PAGE 1

With the release of Intel's X99 platform and Haswell-E Extreme processors, there was a race to the DDR4 memory market. The big players in the RAM arena were ready for consumer demand with memory kits of various capacities and speeds. A similar race happened when Intel released its Z170 platform, and DDR4 was accessible to the masses. Patriot was among the leading brands on both occasions, offering memory kits to satisfy a wide range of user needs from first time builders on a budget, to the most demanding enthusiast.

This review will be focusing on a dual-channel kit from Patriot's VIPER 4 brand. The kit is composed of two 4GB modules rated at 3400MHz speeds with 16-18-18-36 timings and requiring 1.35V. These modules, like all others from Patriot, were hand tested and the company stands behind its products by offering a lifetime warranty. At the time of writing, the kit I'm looking at today comes under SKU# PV48G340C6K and can be found online for as little as $55 USD at retailers.

The packaging of the Viper 4 modules featured in today's review stays unchanged from what we've seen before. The front panel comes with a dark-blue background, silver accents, and displays the kit's specifications on the left side. The right side window provides a view of the modules. From the packaging we can tell that this memory kit consists of two 4GB DDR4 modules (for a 8GB total) running at 3400MHz. This dual channel kit is designed for the Intel X99/100 platforms and is XMP 2.0 ready. The back of the packaging provides a view of the opposite sides of the modules where we can see the part number of the memory kit, alongside the timings and voltage specs. Here we also find a little message from Patriot where the company addresses gamers and enthusiasts, as well as emphasizing the rigorous testing each module went through, and the product's lifetime warranty.

 

The two modules are protected by a plastic clamshell inside the box.

After taking the memory modules out of the box, we get a closer look at the heat spreader and the PCB underneath. The black and red color scheme of the modules is clearly gamer oriented and should match well with most motherboards geared towards that market. To my delight, the PCB is now deep black and not the retro-looking green that Patriot used previously. I'm glad to see the company is paying attention to reviewer and user feedback, even regarding these trivial details that do not affect the performance. The front of each module shows the Viper logo in the brand's characteristic font printed on the high performance heat spreader. On the opposite side of each module is a sticker containing relevant info about the specs of the kit at hand. What we are looking at today is the 8GB kit with part number PV48G340C6K that includes two 4GB modules rated to run at 3400MHz with latencies of 16-18-18-36 using 1.35v.

The heat spreader used by Patriot for the Viper 4 seems to be composed of three pieces, with the top section attached by screws located at each end. The fin design on the top will allow for improved cooling by taking advantage of the airflow inside the chassis. The modules are also very well made with no gaps, play or sharp edges.

Specifications: