Introduction

With memory prices continuing to plummet, now is a great time to be looking for memory upgrades. Winter hardware releases are in full swing, there is competition from both Intel and AMD, and the Red brand has thoroughly fixed the memory issues of generations past. No longer do users have to worry about memory compatibility or shopping for expensive AMD-branded kits. With 3200 MHz natively supported on the new Ryzen platform, options for enthusiasts have never been more open.

This is not the first time I have taken a look at the XPG SPECTRIX D60G from ADATA. I first looked at a pair of 3200 MHz kits last year. This time, I have a single kit with Ryzen optimized timings.

The XPG SPECTRIX D60G is a "DDR4 RGB Memory" kit; it says so right on the front of the box. This is a memory kit that has been designed from the ground up to be the ultimate RGB LED solution for the memory market. The XPG SPECTRIX D60G has more RGB lighting per square millimeter than any other memory module on the market, and a massive "diamond cut" diffuser to show it off.

It's not all about looks, though. No matter how pretty a kit, performance has to be there to match. The XPG SPECTRIX D60G comes in speeds of up to 4133 MHz, with my new kit coming in at a Ryzen optimal 3600 MHz. I now need to find out if the XPG SPECTRIX D60G can truly outshine the competition.

Specifications

Packaging

The packaging for the XPG SPECTRIX D60G is a nice matte black cardboard box with a picture of the stick dominating the front. Across the top are the software compatibility badges from ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, and ASRock. The bottom-left corner has the "XPG SPECTRIX D60G DDR4 RGB Memory" and the right a model sticker.

The back of the box has little extra information except for a QR code that can be scanned for more details and a model sticker. There are cutouts in the box designed to show the product stickers on the sticks as well. The box is well executed, featuring everything a prospective buyer might want to know in plain sight.


Inside the box is a molded plastic tray. The memory sticks are held firmly and kept quite safe from all but the most careless handling.

A Closer Look

The XPG SPECTRIX D60G sticks feature a "diamond cut" design that gives them a complex geometric profile.


Unlike most kits which have heat spreaders as the key aesthetic, the XPG SPECTRIX D60G is designed thoroughly around RGB LEDs, and the large white diffuser dominates the stick. Over the top of the diffuser is a brushed metal plate with a logo in the center, and triangular metal framing has been put on the sides.


The XPG SPECTRIX D60G sticks hardly have any markings; other than the logo and the specification sticker, the only other marking is "XPG" on the very top. The specs for this latest XPG SPECTRIX D60G kit I received are about as good as it gets for AMD Ryzen systems, featuring 3600 MHz at 14-15-15-35 and 1.45 V.


The sticks are single-sided and joined to the LED diffuser with adhesive. I know there will be a lot of grumbling about heat dissipation, but I can assure you that I have had no trouble with stability with these sticks.


The ADATA Spectrix D60G sticks are single-sided and use an 8-layer PCB. Given the timings, it is no surprise that these are Samsung B-die chips.


I like to weigh a stick from each kit I get as the difference in mass can be pretty drastic between kits. Mass is not the best indicator of cooling efficiency because material can matter, and of course heat dissipation is reliant on surface area, not volume or mass. That said, it is still interesting to compare.

Considering the diffuser is entirely made out of plastic, it's no surprise that a XPG SPECTRIX D60G stick falls on the lighter end at 49.52 g. For height, it comes in at a little over 46 mm, right in that 45–50 mm average almost all kits conform to.