Patriot Memory may be a new review sponsor at Bigbruin.com, but they are far from a new name in the system and flash memory markets. Since 1985 they have been manufacturing high quality products backed not only by their continued role as a member of JEDEC, but by rigorous testing and a lifetime warranty.

This review is going to focus on one of the newer products in the Patriot Extreme Performance line up which is geared towards gamers and power users looking to get the most from their system memory. The Patriot Viper Series 2GB PC3-12800 DDR3 memory kit features a pair of aggressively styled 1600MHz DDR3 modules rated for rather tight timings of 7-7-7-18 and an operating voltage of 1.8V.


The promotional image above provides a quick look at this kit, but before taking a closer look at the modules provided for review, let's check out some of the published data taken from the Patriot website.

Specifications:

» Speed: PC3-12800 (1600MHz)
» Timings: 7-7-7-18
» Voltage: 1.8V

Features:

» Extreme Performance PC3-12800 (1600MHz)
» Low Latency (7-7-7-18)
» Equipped Patriot Viper Heat Shields with integrated ACC (Aluminum Copper Composite) technology
» 100% Tested and Verified
» Lifetime Warranty
» RoHS Compliant
» XMP Ready
» Tested and compatible with Intel P35 and X38 chipsets

Packaging:

The box that the Patriot Viper Series 2GB PC3-12800 DDR3 is sold in is shown below. A reclosable snap pack holds the two memory modules in place, while a folded paper insert provides details on the features and specifications.


The paper insert also doubles as an installation guide, as fairly generic instructions are provided on the inside.