A Closer Look

A-Data has placed graphite colored heatspeaders on the memory. These are of the same format as the red ones found on their DDR2 memory, but have a different logo on them. There are no clips holding them in place - only thermal tape.


Both sides are identical, with the sticker being the only difference. The heatspreaders are very compact and are made of Aluminum.


Taking a close look at the logos on the heatspreaders, there are two. The first is the A-DATA company logo, while the second is the Vitesta brand name. Interestingly enough there is no mention of the "X-Series" line under which these kits are marketed. It looks like A-Data merely took the red speaders found on their Extreme Series DDR2 memory and changed the base color to granite. It would have been nice to see a bit more changed - at least a different, or additional logo printed on them. Some may mistake the memory for a DDR2 variant instead.


There are two different labels on the modules. One has a bar code and holds the general model numbers to identify the memory. On the other side the sticker holds the actual speed, CL rating and Voltage required for operation. This is the one of importance.


Taking a closer look at the modules inbetween the spreaders it becomes apparent that these are single sided. The clear side has been filled with a thick thermal tape, which holds the heatspreader in place. The side with the ICs has a thinner tape, which is supposed to hold tight. As was the case with the DDR2 memory modules we reviewed, it does not hold well at all. The problem is not that bad, but I was still able to pull the heatspreader off easily and taking a look at the thermal tape, it becomes apparent that it does not make proper contact with the ICs. This gives us the opportunity to take a close look at the Micron chips used - clearly labled D9GTR.