Introduction

Acer, in partnership with BIWIN Storage, is building upon the successful Predator series for DDR4 and giving it a revamp. Acer currently has three Predator series available for DDR5. The first is Predator Vesta II, which looks very similar to its predecessor. The second is the Predator Pallas II, with the third being the Predator Hermes that will be covered today in this review. Between the three series, consumers can have memory configurations ranging from 5600 MT/s to 8000 MT/s in 32 GB, 64 GB and 48 GB sizes (series-dependent).


The Acer Predator Hermes DDR5-6800 32 GB kit I have for review today sports a single 6800 MT/s Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) profile using 32-45-45-108 primary timings at 1.40 V paired with a 10 layer PCB. It also comes with a 40 mm fan for greater heat dissipation. Acer continues to deliver excellent RGB integration with eight independent lighting areas and 16 million color options, supporting ASUS Aura, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light, and ASRock Polychrome Sync software for maximum compatibility with different motherboard ARGB implementations. This memory kit is well suited for Intel-based users who are looking to maximize their system gaming performance without going to the extremes. Potential headroom for overclocking does exist for those who dare! In this review, we will be testing the memory at its advertised speed before looking into what a bit of tuning can deliver in terms of extra performance. Without further ado, let's see how this Acer Predator Hermes DDR5-6800 kit stacks up to the competition!

Specifications

Packaging

Acer pulls out all the stops once again to emphasizes that it is a premium product. The presentation gives off a gamer vibe to better match the Acer Predator branding. Across the top of the box is the Predator brand logo and RGB badges to show support for ASUS Aura Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync. The bottom right has a sticker with what should be inside the box. In this case, the sample sent is 32 GB of DDR5-6800.

Because the Acer Predator memory is a licensed product to BWIN we have a slightly out of place disclaimer to go along with it on the back, from my interpretation, this is a nice way to say that while Acer is the intellectual property owner, the Predator brand is licensed to BIWIN for use in production of this Predator DDR5 memory kit.


After removing the outer sleeve and opening the box, the Acer Predator Hermes RGB DIMMs can be seen, held firmly in place inside the plastic shell to avoid scuffing during transportation. Below the memory is a memory fan kit and instructions on how to properly install it.

A Closer Look

Acer currently has three DDR5 series under the Predator line; Vesta II, Pallas II and Hermes. The Hermes is sold in three color variations: Black, White and Silver. Compared to the Vesta II, the overall design and appearance are similar, but the heatsink has undergone a number of changes to stand out on its own. Most notably visible is the change to the light diffuser. While the specifications also changed for the heat spreader thickness (1.9 mm) and now using a 10-layer PCB.


On each heat spreader is Acer Predator branding out on the right, while the left side has a cutoff number five with a beehive pattern throughout the middle.


On one side of each DIMM module is the identification sticker. Acer makes the sticker easy to read with bold lettering, but it doesn't make it all that easy to understand. First is the 16 GB. 1R*8 is the module size. 2R means two ranks, while single is 1R, with a single rank of 16 GB on one side of the PCB for a total of 16 GB per DIMM. Next is the PC5 6800. This is a combination of PC5-54400 and the XMP profile for DDR5-6800 memory. The next line below is the 6800 MT/s primary DRAM timings for this particular Predator Hermes memory kits XMP profile.


Laying the DIMMs on the side, you can see "Hermes" written in black on one corner. The entire plastic strip in the middle will be illuminated when the system is powered on and lighting can be controlled with supported motherboard software.


Acer Predator Hermes DDR5-6800 kit weighs in at 92 grams on the scale. For Z-height, it comes in at 52 mm rounding up. Compared to the competition, these DIMMs are heavy and quite tall!


Acer has included a fan kit with memory rated for DDR5-6800 and higher. It is interesting that Acer is the first to do this for DDR5 considering higher speed memory can and will reach unstable temperatures rather quickly for performance tier memory. It reminds me of when DDR2 had massive heatsinks attached to the memory or the fan attachments. This is the direction DDR5 could be heading in if speeds keep increasing.

So what's included here? Acer gives a quick installation guide, a metal bracket, screws and a 40 mm fan. Installation was easy and straight forward, no complaints. Because I have no way to verify the fan speciations, these are taken at face value: a maximum air flow rate of 4.72 CFM and 29.9 dB noise rating. Overall, the fan has decent airflow and is discreet enough to stay clear from being an eyesore.


With the heatspreaders removed, we see that these are single-sided DIMMs with eight 2 GB ICs. This is as expected for 16 GB DDR5 DIMMs. This particular kit does have a small thermal pad on the PMIC, but nothing for the surrounding components.


A closer look at the ICs shows that these are SK Hynix (H5CG48AGBD-X018). Which can be abbreviated to SK Hynix 2 GB A-Die. Currently, Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix are the three suppliers of DDR5 ICs. When it comes to higher frequency memory, SK Hynix is currently unmatched and without a direct competitor in the high frequency market. Up until the release of 3 GB ICs, the previous world record title was held by SK Hynix A-Die (2 GB) and is still considered a good choice for high frequency overclocks paired with lower primary timings.



With DDR5, one of the major changes is how the motherboard directly provides 5 V to the memory module's PMIC, which is then stepped down and split accordingly. No longer is the motherboard responsible for regulating the voltages, as with DDR4. The PMIC has the part number "5100 Y27K2R," software reports this as GMT being the manufacturer.