720p Gaming: TEAMGROUP T-Force CARDEA Zero Z440 vs. PNY XLR8 Gaming

The random access memory in your computer is one of the most significant components in influencing the performance of your system. RAM provides temporary storage and access location for applications. It saves the information that your computer is now consuming to be immediately accessible. And for your PC to run more programs like 720p gaming, you need more memory to do it. Solid-state drives are also crucial components that will help your system perform at its best.

Your system’s speed and performance are directly proportional to the amount of RAM you installed. It can be slow and sluggish if your PC has insufficient RAM. On the other hand, you can install too much and get little to no advantage. There are several techniques to determine whether your computer requires additional memory. It is also to ensure that the memory you purchase is compatible with the rest of your system’s components.

Components are often built to the highest possible quality. The understanding is that technology will continue to evolve at the time of manufacture. To hardly distinguish what memory kit is the best for you, here are the two undeniably popular entries. Presenting today’s contenders: TEAMGROUP T-Force CARDEA Zero Z440 vs. PNY XLR8 Gaming. Let the fight begin!

TEAMGROUP T-Force CARDEA Zero Z440 Review

The T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 ($129.99 for the 1TB version) is TeamGroup’s debut dance with the PCI Express 4.0 specification for internal M.2 SSDs. The drive gets high marks for tested performance and rated durability, mostly in 720p gaming. At the same time, avoiding the clumsy cooling solutions seen in the previous TeamGroup’s like the T-Force Cardea II. However, the drive’s scores aren’t far behind enough if you’re still on the older spec. The current PCIe 3.0 all-stars justify an all-out system upgrade.

The Cardea Zero Z440, on the other hand, provides an intriguing glimpse into the future as a sampling of what’s coming with PCIe 4.0. The TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 uses a 96-layer 3D TLC NAND manufacturing technique that costs $129.99. This Type-2280 with an 80mm-long drive comes in only two storage-volume sizes: the 1TB version we have and a larger 2TB version for exactly double the retail price.

The TeamGroup Cardea series of drives are recognized for their performance, but they also include a unique feature in some models: enormous passive heatsinks. The TeamGroup T-Force Cardea II, like the Corsair MP600, has a lot of excess weight due to its flashy heatsink design. It will keep the drive from overheating during extended write or read cycles. Some desktop motherboards include passive heat spreaders over the M.2 slots. Obviating the need for heat sinks like these.

You may unclip the heat sink and utilize the SSD with the motherboard’s cooling solution in the case. TeamGroup has abandoned this method in favor of a more streamlined design, with only a thin strip of passive cooling on top. The strip is composed of graphene copper foil. It is thin enough to fit used on higher-end X570 and TRX40 boards that enable PCIe 4.0.

PCIe 3.0 has a maximum theoretical throughput that has been increased from 16GBps to 32GBps in this release. Theoretical means that since today’s PCIe 4.0-capable SSDs won’t even come close to that in real-world usage scenarios. Today’s version has read and write speeds of around 5,000MBps, much faster than the top PCIe 3.0 SSDs, which have read and write speeds of roughly 3,500MBPS. The PCIe 4.0 was released to the first mainstream products in 2019 at the same time as the third generation AMD desktop CPUs and the first AMD Navi-based graphic cards.

PNY XLR8 Gaming Review

Every computer hardware manufacturer seems to have a specialized gaming sub-brand these days. PNY’s XLR8 Gaming division competes in three major hardware and solid-state drives. The XLR8 Gaming brand is still a little wet behind the ears in terms of memory, but the company has begun to cement its rosters. One of XLR8 Gaming’s most recent additions to its memory range is the Epic-X RGB line.

The Epic-X RGB memory modules include a black PCB and a matching aluminum heat spreader. A few diagonal lines and the CLR8 logo are featured on the heat spreaders. An RGB light bar is mounted on the memory module to add flair. Because the RAM is 47mm or 1.85 inches tall, it may interfere with some CPU air coolers.

PNY did not create a proprietary program to control the lighting on the EPIC-X RGB, which will benefit users who do not want to install additional software on their system. PNY is instead delegating responsibilities to the motherboard. But, the Epic-X RGB has you covered on all fronts. The testing phase pushed the XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB DDR4 3600 as far as possible from its advertised speed of 3600MHz CL18-20-20-40. The VDIMM, primary timings, and sub timings were all increased to verify the settings were table and capable of cleaning HCI MemTest with at least 400 percent coverage.

Going DDR4-4000 with the XMP profile timing is achievable without a lot of sub-timing tuning, but you’ll need a Vdimm of at least 1.4-1.4V to keep it stable enough to survive 400 percent on HCI MemTest. If you have an AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU, DDR4-4000 is what we’ll recommend for now, as anything more than that won’t provide you big performance boosts in 720p gaming. Superbly so, the PNY XLR8 Gaming Epic X RGB performs well when it comes to overclocking.

If you’re curious about what’s inside the heatsink, you’ll only find RAM ICs that have been rebranded with a PNY branding. If the chip isn’t purposely modified by the manufacturer, like the one we have here, you can find the information using Thaiphoon Burner. The design is modest, but it’s enough to satisfy most people who want something different from the standard bare-bones generic memory module, complete with RGB lighting.

The Key Differences Between The Two

Similar to each other, the TEAMGROUP T-Force CARDEA Zero Z440 and PNY XLR8 Gaming also have their differences. Though they both have the heatsink feat, the Zero 4400 makes it more compatible with strip design of graphene foil. It is thin enough to fit in any most typical head spreaders beneath.

The PNY XLR8 also has a heatsink feature but an aluminum heat spreader. It is also much heavier than the Zero Z440 because of its 3.2 ounces item weight compared to Zero Z440, which has 0.317 only. They also have great differences with their dimensions because the PNY XLR8 has a whopping 7.8 x 4.61 x 0.35 inches dimension, while the Zero Z440 has only ‎3.15 x 0.87 x 0.15 inches. 

RAM is using data that one must access fast to reiterate. This means that running many programs, multiple processes, or simultaneously reading multiple files will likely consume a significant amount of RAM. 720p gaming or designing software use RAM to run complicated applications. The PNY XLR8 is the best example of an exceptional performing RAM in those regard.

Moreover, solid-state drives are a new generation of computer storage devices. SSDs use flash memory, which is substantially faster than a mechanical hard drive. One of the most effective ways to speed up your computer is to upgrade to an SSD. Learn how SSDs operate and maintain them running at peak performance with a specific performance-enhancing program. The TEAMGROUP T-Force CARDEA Zero Z440 is the best example of a quality and fast SSD.

Both RAM and SSD can improve the performance of your machine, but RAM is hundreds of times faster than a solid-state drive. Still, an SSD can transmit data at speeds of up to 6Gpbs (750 B/s) using the SATA interface. In addition, a decently fast SSD might achieve a write speed of 456 MB/s in real-world use. On the other hand, the speed of RAM is defined by the PC number, and a PC3-12800 memory module can transport data at a rate of 12,800 MB/s.

Similarities Between The Two

RAM is significantly faster than HDD, but it is also more expensive. It stores both the application code and the program’s data to accomplish anything useful right away. When a computer is turned off, the data in RAM is lost, which is why non-volatile memory is required. A solid-state drive is a good example of this type of memory. It is utilized by the operating system and practically all apps to save code and data in the form of files, even when the laptop is turned off. 

The more RAM your computer has, the more programs it can run at once, or the greater the files it can save. It also goes that the more non-volatile storage (SSD) you have, the more programs or data you can install and use at different times. As a result, the highest-performance computer will contain plenty of both RAM and SSD. They are complementary to one another.

Best of Use of the Two

When you switch on your computer, the operating system loads into RAM. That implies you’ll need a certain amount of RAM to get your computer up and running. Today, the most popular operating systems are Windows, macOS, and Chrome OS, with the latter being the least demanding of the three. However, even Chrome OS will benefit from having enough RAM like PNY XLR8. For most users, 8GB of RAM is the sweet spot, providing adequate RAM for nearly all productivity tasks and less demanding games. If you’re using demanding apps like video editing, 720p gaming, or CAD, or if you’re a serious gamer, we recommend starting with 16GB and working your way up.

Solid-state drives (SSDs) outperform traditional hard disk drives in terms of speed(HDDs). Because SSDs do not have any mechanical components or moving parts, they are a better choice for reading and writing data than HDD. The device microchips are responsible for saving the data because the entire storage device is digital. Because SSDs do not have any moving mechanical parts, they are less prone to processing failure and physical damage from wear and tear. T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 is the best example of a working SSD that your PC needs.

Who is the Winner?

Because RAM and SSD are two independent computer components, they are not comparable. However, some users are undecided about upgrading to an SSD or their current RAM for gaming when it comes to computer performance.

An SSD cannot directly replace RAM, which is a critical component. Each application requires a particular amount of RAM to function effectively. Without it, the software will be incredibly slow, if not impossible, to run. If your RAM is insufficient or you need to run many demanding apps. Increasing RAM to your laptop is unquestionably the greatest way to speed up your computer.

It makes that PNY XLR8 Gaming is clearly the winner of this bout (as in, you need more RAM than you need SSD if you can’t afford to have both). 

Final Takeaway

Both components that we discussed are essential for a computer to function. An SSD is a storage device that holds an operating system and other data such as documents, movies, and photos. A RAM is a type of memory that your computer uses to run programs. An SSD is similar to a fuel tank, while the RAM is similar to an engine component. The engines take power from the SSD and run it on RAM to make the computer work. Whether it’s your operating system or a specific program, you’ll need a lot of RAM to run the software.  

FAQs

Difference of HDD and SDD

Newer and faster than HDD. SDD is the upgraded form of HDD that is normally a traditional storage device. From moving read and write head access to data.

Does upgrading RAM have a limit?

It all depends on the computer. If you have a 32-bits processor, the maximum RAM you can upgrade is up to 4GB. Computers that run a 64-bit processor can handle terabytes of RAM upgrades.

What does RAM mean?

RAM is short for Random Access Memory.

What is the biggest ‘Byte’ today?

Petabyte has 1,024 Terabytes or 1,048,576 Gigabytes.

How much RAM will it take for you to play 720p gaming?

16GB RAM chip is advisable for a faster, smoother, and more stable gameplay for today’s computers and laptops.

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