Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review

Patriot's Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel RAM kit gets thoroughly investigated here in our latest memory review.

Published
Manufacturer: Viper Gaming / Patriot (PVR416G413C9KW)
18 minutes & 15 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 89%
TweakTown award

The Bottom Line

We loved the Patriot Viper RGB White for its looks and chart topping results, as long as you pair them with the right system! Those with AMD systems may want to pass these by, but Intel users will have little trouble seeing their value.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 99

Patriot is a company that we feel does not get the love it deserves. When it comes to RAM, those in the know know that when it comes time to look for a new kit, only certain manufacturers are the "go-to" for your next purchase. Names like Corsair, G.Skill, Crucial, and even possibly Mushkin spills out of the fingers of anyone giving buying advice. Still, the hard truth is that Patriot has been here the whole time, slogging through the mud, yet at the same time, can deliver RAM without revisions and parts swapping, which is something not all of the manufacturers, as mentioned earlier, do for their customers. On top of that, there has not been a single time where we popped in a set of Patriot RAM and had any issues, and at the same time, they have never let us down when it comes to flexibility for the tinkerers out there.

Following many other sets of Patriot DDR4 we have looked over, we got our first set of white sticks from them as part of the Patriot Viper Series, but we also get fancy RGB lighting in multiple zones this time. As the on-site information continues, we are told of the extreme performance these kits are designed to produce for both AMD and Intel platforms. Built with an aggressive and unique style, Patriot uses aluminum for the heat spreaders, and shockingly, these heat spreaders are cooling Samsung B-die ICs, something that seems to be as hard to find these days as hen's teeth. With attention to detail and the use of superior high-end components, you can see why we feel that Patriot does not get the credit they deserve.

Even though the Viper Series is nothing new to us, we do have a high-speed kit with conventional timings for the speed found industry-wide. For those not ready to take on the hunt for DDR5 needed to take full advantage of Alder Lake, these may be the perfect fit for your next upgrade. Keep in mind, too, that just because you see the kit we have being white, Patriot does offer the same lineup with black heat spreaders for those who want the RAM to blend rather than to stand out like these Patriot Viper RGB are sure to do with just about any system out there.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 01

We already know that we are dealing with Patriot as the manufacturer, and we also know that these are part of the Viper RGB series. Still, if we dissect the part number PVR416G413C9KW, we can ascertain that these are Patriot Viper RAM, with sticks consisting of 16GB worth of ICs on both sticks, in total. The rest of the code breaks down into 4133MHz with CAS19 used, and the end is either KW for white kits or KB for the black ones. Another touch that we have come to appreciate from Patriot is that almost all of the kits we have seen from them come with two XMP 2.0 profiles in case one may have a slight issue with compatibility or stability. In this instance, the secondary option is 4000MHz, using the exact timings and voltages as the primary profile.

Beyond the basics, there is still a bit to discuss. For those wondering, the SPD profile boots this kit at 2666MHz using 19-19-19-43 timings but needs just 1.20V for operation. In contrast, the pair of XMP profiles are set to 4133 or 4000MHz with 19-21-21-41 but need 1.40V for either to function properly. We covered the heat spreaders and the RGB lighting, but while we mentioned multiple zones of control, it isn't until now that you find out there are five zones on each stick to control, either via motherboard sync software or Patriots app. The last things we are presented cover things like the 8mm thickness, 135mm length, and 45mm height of these sticks, that both of them together weigh 104 grams, and they are backed with a limited lifetime warranty.

Patriot has set the bar high for themselves with everything we have seen in the past; we have high expectations. On paper, this feels like kits from years gone by, where many were hunting the infamous B-die at higher speeds. That being said, while not the most flexible kit we have ever tested, Patriot does not fail us in any way when it comes to doing more than we expect, but to find out how well all of this comes together, we have to see where this Patriot RGB White set of 4133MHz DDR4 stacks up against everything else in the charts.

Packaging and Patriot Viper RGB White

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 02

One look at the packaging, and anyone can tell that RGB is a significant part of what Patriot is selling. With white as the backdrop, not only do we get a brilliantly illuminated look at the kit inside of the box, but the large "sync" sticker sends home the fact that RGB is indeed equipped. We see the Patriot logo, we can see the speed and density of the kit, and along with those, we also see that these are gamer certified and that these are a dual-channel DDR4 kit.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 03

The back of the packaging starts by explaining that this is "ultra-fast" DDR4 with excellent performance, no matter the task. Patriot continues with things like best in class stability with rock-solid reliability. Beyond that, we have to look at the bottom to see the warranty notation, its RoHS compliance, all the ways to contact Patriot, and of course, the part number of the supplied kit found on the sticker in the bottom-right corner.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 04

Inside the box, we found our kit surrounded in form-fitting plastic, which keeps them protected from bumps and bruises and is also the anti-static measure. We also found an insert thanking customers for buying the Viper RGB, where to obtain the Viper RGB DRAM Software for lighting control, as well as a brief installation guide. There is also a sticker in the box, which can be used in any way one sees fit.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 05

The contrast of the black PCB against the white aluminum heat spreaders is a slick look for Patriot. While the side shape and design are similar to what we have seen in the past, the diffusion bar at the top, and the multiple holes in the sides, along with the Vipers eyes, are illuminated when powered, and the zones break down as follows. The top three segments are all individually controllable as zones one through three, as are the wedges to either side of the logo, as zone four, which leaves us with the eyes as zone five.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 06

While the previous image shows the logo as gray and flat, we can see the whole picture from another angle. The logo has a brushed or hairline texture on it, which has been coated with a shiny metallic appearance to dress things up a bit more and add even more contrast to the Viper RGB White.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 07

The product sticker is located on the back of both sticks but is offset to the right end of the heat spreaders. We see the PVR416G413C9KW, which matches the box, as does the fact that this is DDR4, it is RGB illuminated, it is a 2 x 8GB kit, and it certainly is a 4133MHz CAS19 kit.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 08

Looking at the top of the sticks, we can see that the diffuser goes to the end of each stick and wraps the ends offering more light above and below the RAM than many others on the market. We find that the wedges are also found at the top, on either side of the central portion of the diffusers, where we find the Viper name painted on them in black.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 09

To give you an idea of what you will see once these are installed, placing them close together, we lose most of the back stick from view. However, at the same time, once powered, there is a flood of light coming from this kit, almost to the point that you will not be upset if you can see only one set of eyes illuminated from your chair.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 10

Thaiphoon Burner shows us that this is a set made from 2133 down-bin chips, which just so happen to be Samsung KA8G085WB-BCPB or the infamous B-die everyone calmers over. Looking towards the bottom of the right column, we also see that both XMP 2.0 profiles are displayed along with the timings and voltages for either option.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 11

Installed on our AMD test system, at this angle, we can thoroughly enjoy all of what is the Patriot Viper RGB White. The RAM stands out, there is no doubt on that aspect, but for those who want RGB lighting, Patriot delivers in spades! Not only can you see the lighting from any angle, the display is bright, with only a few hot spots, depending on the angle viewed, but nowhere near as visible through the top of the diffuser. It is just a smooth, colorful blend of the rainbow by default, without the motherboard or software intervention.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 12

As seen on our Intel setup, as the sticks need to be installed closer together, we do lose the view of the second set of eyes and the wedges on the sides of the second stick. However, we feel that the Patriot RGB White kit we have is still enough of a showstopper to stand on their own as-is. Even the added shiny detail of the logo on the sides plays well with the system, as we see the reflection of the motherboard solder points showing on it currently with those illuminated eyes peering back at it.

Test System Details

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 13

To obtain the AMD CPU-Z screenshots, you will see directly following this image, and this is the system we used to do it, as well as in attaining the results seen in the following pages. Thanks go out to Corsair, ASUS, and GIGABYTE for supporting this venture. Detailed specifications of the system can be found below.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 14

With the Viper RGB White now running with our 3900X, we could run the kit as designed. Out of the box, setting DOCP number one, we tested this kit at the 4133MHz speed with 19-21-21-41 but at 2T. To accomplish this, our VDIMM was set to 1.40V, while the SOC needed 1.40V to function. Something to note is that once testing was finished while sitting at idle, the system did produce a bluescreen using this profile.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 15

We then opted to try the second DOCP option, where the RAM clocks at 4000 MHz. Stability is now not a question, as we are no longer experiencing any issues using this profile. This profile uses the same voltages as above and the timings, but at this speed, we were able to move back to a 1T command rate.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 16

Since we had issues with speed already, we know there will not be any joy trying to go past what we already tried. We did try for giggles and found that any attempts to increase the speed failed on our AMD system. Yet, at the same time, we could increase the VDIMM to 1.50V and can run this kit stably at 4000MHz with 16-16-16-41 1T timings.

Chad's AMD DDR4 Dual-Channel Test System Specifications

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 17

To obtain the Intel CPU-Z screenshots, you will see directly following this image, and this is the system we used to do it, as well as in attaining the results seen in the following pages. Thanks go out to Corsair, ASUS, and GIGABYTE for supporting us here too! Detailed specifications of the system can be found below.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 18

The XMP profiles worked as intended when paired with the 10700K without a single issue. With the first option enabled, we see the kits clocked at 4133MHz with the 19-21-21-41 2T timings we expected. A trip back into the BIOS shows that our VDIMM is set to 1.40V, but the VCCIO jumps to 1.408V, and the VCCSA also increases to 1.504V to function correctly.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 19

The second of the XMP profiles is what we have this time, where everything voltage-wise stays the same, but the speed is slightly reduced to 4000MHz. The primary timings remain the same, but we also see that the tRFC has dropped from 724 to 700.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 20

As we did with the AMD system, we bottomed out with the exact tight timings we saw then. VCCIO and VCCSA were left alone, but we did push the VDIMM to 1.50V to accomplish stability, with the Viper RGB White now sitting at 4133MHz with 16-16-16-41 2T timings.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 21

Unlike our AMD system, where the Patriot falls flat in achieving more speed, our Intel rig is a bit more forgiving in that department. Just with the increase of the VDIMM to 1.50V, we were able to top out the Viper RGB White set to 4400MHz with 19-21-21-41 2T timings. Also, unlike with our AMD system, stability is not an issue here.

Chad's Intel DDR4 Dual-Channel Test System Specifications

Chad's Intel DDR4 Dual-Channel Test System Specifications

AMD Performance

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 22

Things are starting well, with the Viper RGB White reaching very near the top of the list, only beat by Corsair's LPX. Scores align as expected, with our overclock leading the pack, even if just by the slightest margins. At 4133MHz, performance is strong, and at 4000MHz, performance is shockingly similar to 4133MHz, lacking just 30 MB/s from DOCP(1), and is only 129 MB/s off the best numbers for this kit.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 23

Write performance shows a slightly better finish than we saw in the read portion of this suite. Now Patriot has reached the top of the chart in all ways we could run them. We expected that the second DOCP profile would finish last of the three options, but we never predicted the primary DOCP profile to outpace our tighter timings run. Even though only 236 MB/s are separating the best of the Patriot from the least productive run, you need to realize that with the default DOCP profile active, you get a 2281 MB/s advantage over the next best kit; which is huge!

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 24

Copy performance is good, but these Patriot sticks now fall into third place, as the chart shows. Not to downplay the excellent positioning that Patriot falls into here in any way, but we feel they should be closer to the LPX and should surpass the XTREEM ARGB as well. With a fair advantage over the Vengeance RGB RT to the tune of 1349 MB/s but falls well short of that 58588 number at the top of our chart. Respectable, but to be blunt, we expected it to stick to the top slot or at least a bit closer in throughput to the top two listed here.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 25

Even with top-three finishes in the trio of tests that preceded this, we would have assumed the latency would come out better. While we do not believe that the lowest latency is the end-all for RAM performance, we see a 10ns gap from the best kit to the Patriot Viper RGB White. We reduced that, opting for tighter timings but only by 4ns versus the DOCP defined settings.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 26

Putting it bluntly, the mix of AMD and this Patriot kit does not pan out well when it comes to the physics portion of 3DMark Fire Strike. These results fall somewhere near the bottom, between the XLR8 RGB and the XTREEM ARGB. DOCP options both outperformed our lowered timings run, but we expected better.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 27

PCMark 10 brings on similar pain to the testing of the Patriot RGB White kit. Hanging around with much slower kits such as the DYNA4 SLT ORION, the 64GB kit of Ripjaws V, and the Zenith RGB, to say we expected more, is starting to get a bit tiresome to hear at this point.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 28

When it comes to compressing files, we feel that the DOCP option results are lackluster, as even the Vengeance LPX, with less speed, bests Patriot. The one shining light here is the overclocked results. Removing an additional ten seconds over DOCP is significant, and those results land in line with what we expected to see from the DOCP profiles.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 29

Back to the top half of the chart this time, we find Patriot trading blows with the Vengeance PRO SL and the vanilla Lexar Desktop Memory. While the results are not all the bad on the scale of all results, it doesn't look the best when you charge for the speed and components yet score similar to what many SPD profiles offer.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 30

Handbrake performance is not horrible, but keeping company with 3200 and 3600MHz kits doesn't shine a light on this kit, but overall, we are only fifteen seconds from the best kit in the chart. The scores for each testing method fall in line as we would expect them to, with the 4000C16 being best and DOCP(1) performing better than the second DOCP option.

Intel Performance

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 31

We see a different story with our Intel testing, as this look at AIDA64 read performance shows. The Patriot Viper RGB White holds the top two slots, with 4133C16 having an 868 MB/s advantage, over running them at 4400C19. XMP1 results are 472 MB/s better than the previous top rank holder, and even if you have to sacrifice speed for stability, the second profile still delivers a fourth-place finish overall.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 32

The write throughput on our Intel system is through the roof compared to the others in this chart. 636 MB/s over the next best kit, with XMP(2) at 4000MHz. Opting for the XMP(1) option, we gain 1255 MB/s over XMP(2), and there is still room for improvement. Breaking into the 60K region is damn good for our system, and while 4133C16 delivered another 1894 MB/s over the best XMP option, and if you can get to 4400MHz as we did, expect another 2196 MB/s added into the mix.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 33

Copy performance is just as good when used with our Intel processor. While the gap between the XMP2 profile results and the Vengeance LPX is smaller, topping the chart is something, we cannot complain about in any way. As one can see, both XMP profiles are great options, but for the tinkerers out there, there are nearly 4000 MB/s on the table from the lowest score to the best of these Viper RGB White sticks.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 34

Latency is much better with our Intel system, not just by the actual number but by how they fall into the chart. Where on the AMD rig we fell into the average range, with the Intel system running the Viper RGB, the results for the XMP profiles fall into the third and fourth slots. The Apollo RGB and XTREEM ARGB did perform slightly better but were easily bested with the overclocked settings of the Patriot.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 35

While not terrific results for Patriot in the physics portion of Fire Strike, it is still better than the bottom half of the chart, like we found this kit when paired with the AMD system. Those pesky Vengeance LPX pop up again, just beating the XMP profiles offered by Patriot. As it sits, we cannot complain much overall, but we have not a single complaint about the performance once overclocked. Even if it is only slightly better than the Zenith RGB, it takes top honors all the same.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 36

PCMark 10 shows a drastic improvement of the Patriot performance over the lackluster results seen in the AMD charts. Rather than stripes near the bottom, with the 10700K IMC in control, Patriot takes first, second, third, and fifth places. Oddly, XMP(2) was the best run, followed by 4400C19, with XMP(1) just behind that. 4133C16 was the least performing option but is still in second place overall without the other three scores from this Patriot kit in play.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 37

7-zip scores are similar to what we found on AMD, and while the XMP options do not produce brilliant results, we are still much closer to the best than we are the worst of the bunch. As for how these results stack up, they follow expectations of what settings are being used, with XMP(2) at the bottom and 4133C16 delivering the best results. So far, we have little to complain about when it comes to Patriot being paired with an Intel system.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 38

Cinebench testing lands the XMP(1) option to perform the least out of the four alternatives, which is a bit of a shock. 4400C19 does slightly better than XMP(1) but is still bested by XMP(2). While we figured that the 4133C16 results should be best, we had no idea they would do well enough to land in third place.

Patriot Viper RGB White DDR4-4133 16GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review 39

In Handbrake, things start rocky with the XMP(1) results we see near the bottom of the chart. However, if you run this kit with XMP(2) active, you can gain an astounding 56 seconds back for every 4.2GB of transcoded files. That is HUGE! More time can be achieved back opting to run them at 4400C19, to the tune of another eight seconds, but if you can run them at 4133C16 as we did, you can take back fifteen more seconds over the best XMP run.

Final Thoughts

While there are no specific claims to being Ryzen Ready or any of that mess on the box, in this day and age, DDR4 is DDR4, and manufacturers should ensure their kits can work anywhere or risk drastically reducing the number of people looking to buy them. At this point, we run into a bit of an issue, though. While we were able to run this kit on our AMD system, we did have stability issues with the main XMP profile, and even while we were able to pass all of the tests, a blue screen while idling is never good. Performance there was hit and miss.

Some of the benchmarks show Patriot in a terrific light, but at the same time, the average performance over all test suites is just that, average. Of course, this is why there is XMP(2), which allows for greater compatibility and stability, we could not run them at spec, and many going above 3600MHz want every last drop of speed the kit promises. Even with some slight issues, niggles with our setup, if you will, we were happy to see this kit running at 4000C16 without much effort to get there.

On the flip side, Intel's performance is near spectacular. More times than not, these Patriots take top honors in some form compared to the masses in our charts. We saw some of the best numbers from any kit when it came to AIDA64, PCMark 10; scores were shocking, and even what we saw in Handbrake is nothing less than impressive. Then, as we are used to from Patriot, they left a lot in the tank for those that do not mind the time and testing of overclocking. The fact that we can run these at 4133C16 with 1.50VDIMM, and they will take a speed boost to 4400C19, we have nothing to complain about when it comes to our Intel and Patriot pairing.

When it comes to the Patriot Viper White that we have in hand, we acknowledge that things could be better for one camp, but to be fair, Patriot made no claims to its Ryzen capability, so there is that point to ponder while we contemplate how we proceed. In the meantime, we should harp on the features. Starting with RGB, this is the most feature-rich setup that we have seen from Patriot regarding lighting. Yes, we have witnessed RGB from them, but not to this extent. Not only did Patriot open up more areas in the aluminum heat spreaders that we do like the look of, but they also designed it to be addressable in five zones, which can only be done via the Patriot RGB DRAM Software suite, which is easily obtainable and is straightforward in its usage.

However, you do have to run another app to control the lights, although once set and saved, the software can be uninstalled and the settings kept. Overall, when it comes to aesthetics and what this kit offers on paper, you receive a well-appointed set of DDR4 with top-tier components, made to deliver "best in class" performance, as we saw many times in our charts.

In the current market, the cost of 16GB worth of 4133MHz DDR4 falls in the range of $88 to $349, depending on what you want. Those who like what they saw in the Patriot Viper RGB White expect to pay $124.99 at either Amazon or Newegg. However, you are in for a treat for those of you who cannot deal with white heat spreaders, as the black variant of these will cost you only $104.99 right now.

While we like the pricing compared to the market, we cannot see a need to raise the cost due to color, especially when the MSRP shows the kit we have is $149.99 before the current deals we see. While we feel that Patriot can tighten up the pricing differences within the series, we think that you get quite a bit of bang for your buck compared to the masses. Even that last line comes with an asterisk, as those on AMD systems will not feel the same love as those with Intel rigs.

In the end, we will have to take points from Patriot for various reasons, we do feel that in the right environment, the Patriot Viper RGB White is a worth product for your hard-earned money, but you have to realize there are factors you must consider first. In this day and age, we feel that memory needs to do well in both camps to survive in the long run, but we still cannot shake the smile of how well this kit performed on the 10700K.

The Patriot Viper RGB White is the perfect solution in specific scenarios yet isn't a great compatriot for others. While we do recommend Patriot to all users, this recommendation comes with an explanation. Something we typically do not have to do with a product.

Photo of product for sale

Performance

75%

Quality

100%

Features

90%

Value

90%

Overall

89%

The Bottom Line

We loved the Patriot Viper RGB White for its looks and chart topping results, as long as you pair them with the right system! Those with AMD systems may want to pass these by, but Intel users will have little trouble seeing their value.

TweakTown award

Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

Newsletter Subscription
We openly invite the companies who provide us with review samples / who are mentioned or discussed to express their opinion. If any company representative wishes to respond, we will publish the response here. Please contact us if you wish to respond.