Sabrent Rocket DDR5 16GB U-DIMM Review

Hey friends, it is Mr. Fox again. We have another amazing product to look at. This time, it is from the good folks at Sabrent. Unless you have been living under a rock, Sabrent is a brand you are likely familiar with. Founded in 1998, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Sabrent started building a name for itself selling PC parts through eBay. They relocated to Los Angeles in 2001 and began selling through retail distribution channels in 2008. Amazon customers began buying Sabrent products in 2012 and by 2015 their reach expanded to international markets. One of their biggest claims to fame is SSD sales, and that is what many of us recognize them for. And, for good reason, since they are one of the world’s largest SSD vendors. With headquarters in Los Angeles and branch offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and  Shenzhen, China, Sabrent is a force to be reckoned with. Expanding their product line in 2022 to include RAM, SD cards, and CFexpress, they have become even more relevant in the realm of personal computing. They provide high quality products that we all want, at reasonable prices that we can afford.

Sabrent has a commitment to its customers: we must provide a diverse array of reliable, affordable products imbued with the latest technology. We are always growing to meet your needs and, just like you, we’re excited about the future.

Source
Accordingly, they have provided ExtremeHW with a pair of 16GB DDR5 U-DIMM modules for review. By the time you are finished reading this review and watching the associated video you will understand why it is not a matter of if, but when, you will be using Sabrent products if you are not already.

Sabrent Rocket DDR5 16GB U-DIMM 4800MHz Memory Module

DDR5 Key Features

• Lower default voltage and lower power consumption compared to DDR4
• Up to four times the memory capacity on the same PCB size as DDR4
• Improved stability with enhanced error correction
• Up to double the bandwidth compared to DDR4

Sabrent Rocket memory modules meet all JEDEC memory standards, facilitating upgrades that are easy and trouble-free.

Technical Specifications

Conventional wisdom has always told us it was a cardinal sin to buy memory sticks individually, and for many years we have purchased memory in “kits” with two or more supposedly matched modules. Given the propensity for many memory manufacturers to be secretive about the IC they use for a particular SKU to allow themselves wiggle-room to use whatever IC is readily available, that may represent more common sense than wisdom. Sabrent takes a novel approach to memory sales and break from tradition by selling their modules individually. Whether or not that is an indication they are consistent and only intend to use a specific IC part number on a given SKU, we can only guess. Like the majority of their competitors, Sabrent does not publish this information in technical specifications.

It was pleasing to discover our modules arrived with SK Hynix M-die on the PCB. SKU SB-DR5U-16G (UPC: 840025255364) currently retails for $179.99 USD for a single U-DIMM module, or $269.98 USD (25% discount) if purchasing a pair from the Sabrent Store. Although not the subject of this review, Sabrent offers a 32GB variant of the Rocket DDR5 U-DIMM as well (SKU SB-DR5U-32G). Sabrent Rocket RAM carries a 1-year warranty that is extended to 5-years upon owner registration of the product.

At the time of this review, Sabrent had no meaningful published technical data about these modules on the product landing page (see links above). Thus, we rely on third-party utilities such as CPU-Z and Thaiphoon Burner to provide the technical data.

		Click images above to enlarge for viewing

As you can see from the above data, the modules have an SPD with standard DDR5 JEDEC and no XMP profile.

Retail Packaging and Initial Impressions

These modules ship in an individually packaged cardboard box with an unassuming aesthetic. The packaging reflects Sabrent’s pride in their product, without any degree of associated hype. The outer box conceals a slide-out inner box with a folding lid, dense foam to protect the modules, along with an installation guide. The inner and outer boxes identify the product with no extraneous marketing information. The modules themselves have a pleasing minimalist aesthetic, which is characteristic of Sabrent’s product line as a whole. Almost anything you purchase from Sabrent carries a consistent, pleasant minimalist look and feel. The modules are covered with a thin metal beautification cover which we will address in more detail in another section of this review. The stock CGI images (last two thumbnails below) give viewers an impression that the covers have sharp, square edges forming a flat surface across the top, that runs the length of the module. This is not true of the actual product. The cover is a one-piece unit that is folded over the top of the module, with two rows of perforations to help make the folded areas across the top of the modules a straight line with a uniform appearance. The top has a rounded appearance that is less appealing than the stock CGI images, in much the same way that a big succulent hamburger from your favorite fast food joint never looks as appetizing as it does in the marketing photographs. It’s not unattractive by any means, but not exemplary of what you would expect based on the stock images. The low-profile design should work well for customers with clearance problems associated with large CPU air-cooling solutions.

Click images to enlarge for viewing

Overclocking Performance and Thermal Management Mods

Now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you have all been waiting for. We are about to explore the reason you might buy a product like this one. Performance! You might be thinking, “Hold on, it doesn’t have an XMP profile and it runs at default DDR5 4800 MT/s. This isn’t special.” And, you’d be wrong for assuming that. If you have been procrastinating about upgrading to one of the latest DDR5 platforms and paying attention to talking heads on social media, you are going to find out you (and they) are wrong about lots of things relating to DDR5. I am about to show you what real memory tuning looks like. Good results are not plug-and-play. It is something you can’t get from an XMP profile, and something you would otherwise struggle with while cooking your memory in that fancy oven called a computer case. Memory overclocking is something average PC users struggle with and many decide it is easier to just settle for whatever they are handed as long as their PC plays games and watches YouTube videos without any fuss or hiccups.

If you were assuming this memory sucks because it doesn’t have an XMP profile, perish the thought. This memory rocks at overclocking without an XMP profile. Memory tuning can be tedious and time consuming, but it doesn’t have to be mysterious. The video you are about to watch is a long one, but it has some details that I hope you will find useful. Bookmark this review so you can find this information later on when you are ready to tune your DDR5 for better performance. You will be glad you did. So, stop and take a bio-break, grab your favorite beverage, and click on the video below when you’re ready to find out why you should seriously consider Sabrent Rocket DDR5 over something else.

If you wimped out before the video was over, here is a screenshot showing the easy jump from 4800 to 6800 and tight timings with this memory.

Click on image to enlarge for viewing

Conclusions and Final Rating

This, like all other DDR5 memory I have tested, runs hot enough out of the box to impair performance and degrade stability when overclocking with added voltage. It is unfortunate that none of the memory vendors are giving this issue the attention it deserves. Most of them value form over function, and most of their customers do not know any better. But, now you know better. This kit is the worst example of poor stock thermal performance I have tested thus far, but the easy solution is the same for all of them. Use a fan and, if possible, remove the lame excuse for a heat sink. They are more accurately called a “beautification cover” rather than a heat sink, and the tin foil cover on the Sabrent Rocket modules does more to harm the thermals than the others I have tested. What is great about this kit is the fact that removing the “heating blanket” is easy and poses little or no risk of damage.

If you are an RGB fanboy that loves having lighting control bloatware bogging down your PC with garbage from Microsoft Store, or you are content with lazy point-and-click XMP mediocrity, then this product probably is not for you. If you are willing to take the bull by the horns and do what is necessary to get the performance that you paid for, you will be pleased with this product. You will go far.

Kudos to Sabrent for producing a high quality enthusiast-grade DDR5 memory module that uses the superior SK Hynix IC. My recommendation is that Sabrent provide meaningful technical specifications (as opposed to the total absence of it) and deliberately advertise the IC selection as a feature. Wise DDR5 shoppers that value performance and overclocking capacity are looking for this IC, and making it known will score some points. Most of your competitors remain silent on this detail, and some are inconsistent in their selection of memory IC.

Based solely on price and performance, this product has earned the highest rating offered by the ExtremeHW Review Team.

Pro's	Con's					ExtremeHW Award
Appropriate Price	Poor Thermal Management					Excellent Product!
SK Hynix IC - Excellent Overclocking	No RGB (if you want it)
Easily Removed Beautification Cover	5-Year Warranty (Versus Typical Lifetime)
Low Profile Design
No RGB Rainbow Puke
No RGB Bloatware Needed

Want to discuss this product or give your views and feedback from your own usage? Discuss on the ExtremeHW Forums

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