Patriot Viper Elite 5 RGB 48GB DDR5-6000 Review

Memory “chips” double in density every few years, with the doubled density allowing twice as much total capacity per module. Because of that, we don’t expect announcements such as this one from Samsung  to bring forth 32GB single-sided or 64GB double-sided modules until the end of this year. But about a year ago something happened that did surprise us: Chipmaker SK Hynix introduced a half step density improvement. That resulted in modules that should not exist, at least by convention, in the form of 24GB and 48GB parts.

Yet exist they do, and rumors have told us that the new 24Gb (twenty-four gigabit) ICs that make up these 24GB (gigabyte) modules, as well as double-sided 48GB versions, are some of the stoutest around when it comes to overclocking. They’re even marked with the same “M-Die” nomenclature that was used in the manufacturer’s venerable 16Gb ICs from two years ago.

Two years is a long time to go between Viper DDR5 reviews, so we were surprised to see these Elite modules taking a step back regarding timings when compared to the previously-reviewed Venom kit: Not only were these rated at 5% lengthier latency, but they also dropped 200 MHz off the early kit’s 6200 MHz data rate. Desperate to find any good news in the kit’s programming, we’re happy to report that Patriot includes both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP profiles on its Elite 5 DIMMs.

 Elite 5 heat spreaders are completely flat and noticeably thicker than the formed covers previously seen on our Viper Venom samples. The plastic light diffuser on the top also appears a bit whiter, which means that it softens the colors of its ten ARGB LEDs a bit more.

Compatible with the RGB software of all major motherboard venders, Viper Elite 5 RGB lighting modes can also be adjusted using Patriot’s own Viper RGB software. Though the module image represents its Viper Venom, its function is likewise compatible with today’s Elite 5 kit.

As for how we got the closeup image that led today’s review, we removed the Elite 5 RGB kit’s heat spreader by heating the module for over an hour of Prime 95 large FFTs before prying it away from the ICs.

Test Hardware
CPU	Intel Core i9-13900K: 24C/32T, 3.0-5.8 GHz, 36 MB L3 Cache, LGA 1700
CPU Cooler	Alphacool Core 1 Aurora, VPP655 with Eisbecher D5 150mm, NexXxoS UT60 X-Flow
Motherboard	ASRock Z690 Taichi LGA 1700, BIOS 13.05
Graphics	Powercolor Red Devil Radeon 6750 XT: 2324-2623MHz GPU, 12GB GDDR6
Power	be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Platinum
Hard Drive	Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD

Overclocking & Latency Tuning

Our first task was to see if the 24Gb version of Hynix M-Die could live up to the overclocking reputation of its same-named 16Gb predecessor: Our efforts were rewarded with a top overclock that matched G.Skill’s amped-up DDR5-6800.

Speaking of amping things up, we noticed that in all of our best overclocking, our CPU’s interface voltage was around 50mV lower than our memory controller voltage and that pushing these past 1.30V/1.35V didn’t help us go any farther. Likewise, this specific memory kit did not clock any higher at 1.435V than it had at 1.350V.

Lowest Stable Timings
	DDR5-6400	DDR5-5600	DDR5-4800
Viper Elite 5 48GB PVER548G60C42KW	32-38-38-76 (2T)	28-33-33-66 (2T)	24-28-28-56 (2T)
Lexar THOR OC LD5U16G60C32LG-RUD	32-38-38-76 (2T)	28-33-33-66 (2T)	24-28-28-56 (2T)
G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB F5-6800J3445G16GX2	32-38-38-76 (2T)	28-33-33-66 (2T)	24-28-28-56 (2T)
Viper Venom RGB PVVR532G620C40K	36-38-38-76 (2T)	31-33-33-66 (2T)	26-29-29-58 (2T)

Our attempts to push the Elite 5 RGB to its lowest stable primary latency cycles revealed that it didn’t really need the less aggressive timing set compared to its Viper Venom predecessor. Perhaps Patriot intentionally leaves a bit more on the table in its Elite 5 kits?

Benchmark Results

Terrible C42 timings waylaid the Elite 5 RGB’s XMP configuration test, but its Max O/C bandwidth fell directly between those of its top two competitors.

The Viper Elite 5’s max O/C also takes second place behind its sibling’s lead in 3DMark, though it drops to third place in 7-Zip’s synthetic test.

Real-world file compression heavily favors the Elite 5 RGB kit’s overclock, but the Trident Z5 takes all comers in Handbrake.

In the end, the only times Viper Elite 5 RGB becomes an elite performer are when we tweak it ourselves.  The best news then is that our 48GB sample kit gave us a 50% capacity increase without hindering tuning capabilities, when compared to four similarly-marketed 32GB sample kits.

The advantage of 24GB modules over 16GB is clear to anyone who needs more than 32GB of capacity from two DIMMs. Tuners should also be able to appreciate that these 24GB single-sided modules retain the configuration ease of their 16GB predecessors, experiencing none of the special limitations that impact overclocking of Double-Sided and/or four-DIMM kits. While it does concern us slightly that its 50% capacity increase comes at a 61% increase in price…this appears to be a market condition affecting all kits that contain 24Gb ICs, so we can’t pin the blame for that on the Elite 5 RGB’s manufacturer. We can however recommend the Viper Elite 5 RGB DDR5-6000 48GB kit to all DDR5 memory tuners who need its capacity.

Viper Elite 5 RGB 48GB DDR5-6000 (PVER548G60C42KW)
Pros	Cons
50% more capacity then 16GB DIMMsStill single-sided for easy tuningIncludes both XMP and EXPO	Kits with 24Gb ICs are priceyMediocre XMP timings
The Verdict
The Viper Elite 5 RGB’s 24Gb DRAM ICs fully live up to the tuning reputation of the 16Gb parts that preceeded them.

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