Test Setup
We’ve changed our approach on this review, and instead of the Intel X99 Asus Rampage V Extreme Motherboard we would normally use, we are going to use the Intel Z270 ASRock Pro4 Motherboard.
We think it’s a better representation of an enthusiast who has chosen a solid Intel motherboard, and it compares well with AMD offerings.
This also means that it’s all Dual Channel results and not Quad Channel results, which is more in line with your average enthusiast setup.
| Test Platform | Intel Z270 |
|---|---|
| Processor | i7-6700K |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
| Motherboard | Intel Z270 ASRock Pro4 Motherboard |
| Graphics | MSI GTX 970 GAMING Twin Frozr V |
| Drives | Crucial MX200 500Gb SSD |
| PSU | Corsair HX1000i |
| Chassis | MicroCool Banchetto 101 |
The Intel i7-6700K CPU is also going to be used for this review, which we use for most of our non X99 reviews. This is clocked at 4Ghz, with a Turbo overclock of 4.2Ghz, on air cooling.
Synthetic Tests
- PCMark 08 Professional
- AIDA64 Engineer
- wPrime
- RealBench
- SuperPi
- Cinebench R15
Real World Tests
We run the Real World tests in 1080p resolution with maximum and minimum graphical settings with v sync off, so the focus doesn’t move to the MSI GTX 970 GAMING Twin Frozr V. This should give feedback on the small physical configuration differences such as memory timings.
Packaging - 7.9
Warranty - 7.7
Compatibility/Stability - 8.4
Price - 8
Consumer Experience - 8.5
8.1
When we added up our scores, the Ballistix Elite 3466 MHz DDR4 Memory Kit managed to get into the “Recommended” category, and we are super impressed by this kit. We would recommend you think hard about a kit like this if you own an early X99 chipset motherboard, but anything else, and this is an excellent upgrade, though you will notice this less if you have 3200Mhz memory already.
