KingBank SharpBlade DDR5 6400mAh Memory Review: Most Affordable?

Intel started supporting DDR5 with its 12th generation CPUs, while AMD followed suit with the Ryzen 7000 series. Now, the DDR5 era is kicking off in earnest. Memory companies are rolling out various DDR5 products. Amidst numerous brands in Asia, lesser-known memory companies abound. Particularly in regions like China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, there are several such brands, including KingBank. KingBank has also ventured into DDR5 memory products, including RGB DDR5 modules, aligning with current PC market trends. One such offering is SharpBlade, which utilizes SK Hynix A-Die, a prevalent DDR5 memory module. Let’s delve into KingBank SharpBlade RGB DDR5 this time. KingBank SharpBlade DDR5

Unboxing

If you examine the product box of SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory, you’ll find it contains a pair of memory sticks. The box design is straightforward, featuring only the KignBank logo on the front. On the back, similar to other memory products, you’ll find specifications for the memory inside, along with a mention of Limited Lifetime Warranty support.

Design

Let’s delve into KingBank’s SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory. The heatsink, which comes in either white or black, distinguishes between RGB and Non-RGB products. The white heatsink stands out. Moreover, it’s low, measuring about 32mm in height, reducing interference with tower-type CPU coolers. In the product box, we found specifications indicating two clock types: 6000MHz and 6400MHz. Additionally, it boasts a capacity of 32GB (16GBx2) and is available in two sizes: 64GB (32GBx2).

Upon closer examination of the heat sink, you’ll notice the KingBank logo engraved in the middle. Above that, the top LED bar is designed to be visible from the side, and there are some groove-like designs on both sides of the heat sink. Additionally, the top LED bar, featuring RGB lighting effects, also has the KingBank logo engraved in the middle, along with a semi-transparent treatment. It’s worth noting that the PCB board is black.

Once power is supplied to the PC, the KingBank SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory reveals its lightning effect through the LED bar on the memory top. Additionally, although not indicated on the product box, it perfectly supports synchronization with the RGB Sync of motherboard manufacturers (ASUS/Gigabyte/MSI/ASRock/etc). When installed on an ASUS motherboard and synchronized with AURA Sync, you can confirm that it operates together by switching to various RGB modes.

Testing and Performance

Now, let’s check the performance of SharpBlade RGB DDR5. Before we do that, as mentioned earlier, SharpBlade RGB DDR5 comes with two clocks: 6400MHz and 6000MHz. Simply put, it means that XMP profiles are applied. The model used in the review is the one with a clock of 6400MHz. When checking the RAM timing values through CPU-Z, we can see that 6400MHz is stored as both Intel XMP and AMD EXPO profiles. Before applying the XMP profile, the default operating clock is 4800MHz. Upon loading the Intel XMP profile from the motherboard’s CMOS, it’s confirmed that the overclocked 6400MHz clock is applied and operational. Additionally, the RAM timing is 32-39-39-80.

When we checked the performance of SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory clocked at 6400MHz with XMP profiles. The AIDA64-Memory Benchmark displayed similar read/write/copy bandwidth values compared to other 6400MHz memory products. Furthermore, its latency is the lowest among products with the same clock, indicating the fastest speed. Additionally, overall system benchmarks such as Passmark’s PerformanceTest and UL Benchmark’s PCMark 10 have demonstrated the best results among comparable memory products. In applications like Photoshop or Premiere Pro, where real-world editing tasks can be benchmarked with Procyon, although the difference isn’t significant, it still exhibits slightly better results compared to similarly clocked products.

And, as mentioned earlier, the KingBank SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory module used SK Hynix A-Die. In Intel systems, where the memory controller and memory clock ratio operate at 2:1, the SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory can manually overclock beyond its XMP profile of 6400MHz. Additionally, Thaiphoon Burner, a tool used to check memory modules, fails to recognize it; CPU-Z confirms only SK Hynix. Therefore, if Hynix A-Die is used, it can be overclocked up to 7600MHz with a voltage of 1.4V in current Intel systems. So, when we tried applying the settings in the CMOS, we could confirm that it overclocked up to 7600MHz.

Overclocked

Upon verifying the performance of the SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory overclocked up to 7600MHz, let’s observe the results compared to the previously applied XMP profile at 6400MHz. It’s easy to confirm that the overall benchmark results surpass those of the 6400MHz setting. Particularly, in tasks such as memory-intensive editing operations or dedicated memory benchmarking programs, the performance differential becomes even more pronounced. Additionally, since the SharpBlade RGB DDR5 already applies a voltage of 1.4V in the XMP profile, Users only need to appropriately adjust the clock and RAM timings.

Verdict

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KingBank has released the SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory, which may appear unfamiliar to the domestic market. This memory is equipped with the trendiest SK Hynix A-Die modules in DDR5. Despite the brand’s unfamiliarity, it ensures reliable performance. Moreover, it easily supports overclocking through XMP profiles, catering to consumer preferences with its A-Die modules. For Intel PC users, it offers enhanced performance with the supported A-Die modules, provided that the CPU and motherboard support it. AMD PC users, on the other hand, can apply the EXPO profile to set the clock speed to the highest available, 6400MHz, instantly.

In other words, it ensures satisfactory performance regardless of the PC used. Furthermore, despite not being available in the domestic market yet, it is already on sale on Aliexpress. This platform is becoming increasingly popular among Korean consumers for overseas purchases. Hence, if you desire Hynix A-Die DDR5 memory, we highly recommend KingBank SharpBlade RGB DDR5 memory.