Predator HERA 48GB 8400MHz DDR5 CL40 Memory Review

Predator has long held a position of prestige within the high-performance memory market, consistently delivering cutting-edge products that push the boundaries of speed and design. Their range of memory caters to enthusiasts and professionals alike, and while that's often reflected with higher prices, the new Predator Hera DDR5 RGB memory kit is a testament to this commitment to being the best at what they do. Boasting blisteringly fast speeds of 8400 MT/s, the Hera stands tall as one of the fastest memory kits currently available and certainly ranks among the most impressive we've had the privilege to test. This exceptional speed positions the Hera at the forefront of DDR5 technology, making it a prime choice for gamers, content creators, and anyone demanding peak system performance. Of course, you'll need the latest and often greatest motherboards and CPUs to take advantage of these speeds too, thankfully, we've just upgraded our testbench to be able to utilise this! Predator HERA The Predator Hera achieves these speeds through a combination of meticulously selected premium components and expert engineering. At its core, the Hera utilises high-quality Hynix ICs, renowned for their performance and reliability. These are paired with an OC PMIC (Overclocking Power Management Integrated Circuit) which ensures stable power delivery even under the most demanding overclocking scenarios. There's also a 10-layer PCB (Printed Circuit Board), providing optimal signal integrity and minimising interference, all of which are crucial for achieving such high frequencies. XMP 3.0 and AMD Expo Beyond its raw speed and premium components, the Predator Hera DDR5 RGB memory also offers a range of features that enhance its usability and appeal. It boasts compatibility with both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD Expo profiles, simplifying the overclocking process on a wide range of motherboards. This ensures that users can easily achieve the advertised speeds with minimal effort, regardless of their chosen platform. Predator also emphasizes minimal latency, crucial for responsiveness in gaming and other latency-sensitive applications. The Hera's extreme overclocking potential invites users to push the memory even further, unlocking even greater performance. Features High-efficiency aluminium heatsink Supports Intel XMP 3.0 Supports Intel & AMD motherboards Selected IC ensure durability and reliability On-die ECC technology RGB Sync supports Asus Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, and ASRock Polychrome Sync software for lighting effects Operating Temperature: 0C to 85C Storage Temperature: -40C to 85C Specifications Packaging & Accessories The packaging is simple yet very effective. It features a bold colour design, with a black box, and some vibrant glossy photos of the memory right on the front. We can see the speeds, platform support and the ARGB engine support on the front too, all clearly laid out. Around the back, there's a nice breakdown of all the key features, as well as the disclaimer, but it's all pretty standard stuff here. What I do like is that the box feels durable, offering plenty of production to the memory. The outer box is a slipcover, with a hard cardboard internal box with a lid. Inside, you'll find plastic clamshells to store the memory, as well as some protective foam padding to keep everything from rattling around. A Closer Look The distinctive streamlined X-shaped design of the heatsink looks superb, and I'm not even remotely surprised either. All the previous Predator memory products I've ever seen are some of the most premium and aesthetically pleasing to ever hit the market. Of course, that X-shape may add to the overall efficiency of the heat dissipation, but it does give it a unique and modern aesthetic that's sure to complement any gaming or work system. While performance is paramount, Predator has paid just as much attention to aesthetics. The Hera also features dynamic RGB lighting, allowing users to customise their system's look and add a touch of personal flair. While the RGB lighting doesn't impact performance, it undeniably enhances the overall visual appeal of the memory kit, making it a stylish addition to any high-end build. For cooling, the Hera is equipped with a 2mm metal heatsink, an X-shaped internal design for improved cooling, and a 2.5 W/m.k Thermal Conductive Silicone Layer, all designed to efficiently dissipate heat generated under extreme loads, ensuring consistent performance and longevity without the need for an active cooling fan design. With both AMD Expo and Intel XMP 3.0 support, it's plug-and-play ready to get great performance from your motherboard with ease, but also still has the potential to be manually dialled in for some more extreme overclocking performance too. How We Test Here at eTeknix, we endeavour to disclose vital information regarding the benchmarking process so that readers can quantify the results and attempt to replicate them using their hardware. When it comes to our benchmarks in our reviews, the benchmarks are pretty self-explanatory although there are a few exceptions. Remember that your choice of graphics card, CPU, the silicon lottery, and other factors can yield different numbers, and there's always a margin for error when using any software. Therefore, your experience may vary. Testing Your Own System Links are provided below, as well as the settings we use. We encourage you to not just look at how one product compares to any other, but how it compares to your own. If you're looking to build a new system, you should benchmark your current PC using our benchmarks and settings where possible. You should then look at the percentage improvement from your current hardware to the hardware we tested to give you a ballpark figure of how much an upgrade this will provide you with. Test System ProcessorIntel Core i9-13900KMotherboardGigabyte Z790 AORUS MasterMemoryChanges Per ReviewGraphicsXFX RX 6800 XT MERCStorageSeagate Firecuda 530 1TBPower SupplyNZXT C1000SoftwareWindows 11 Pro 22H2DriversAMD Adrenaline 23.7.1 Software Used CineBench R23 (download) AIDA 64 Engineer (download) WPrime (download) 3DMark (download) HWMonitor (download) CPU-Z (download) Methodology In our RAM reviews, we keep things relatively simple. We put the RAM kit that is being tested into our test system and benchmark it at its first XMP profile using a variety of benchmarks and tests. Once complete, we apply a reasonable overclock where possible and benchmark the same software with the overclocked values. The CPU clock speed is set to default for both runs. AIDA64 The Predator HERA is a pretty fast kit, sporting 8400MHz with CL40 latency, however, keep in mind that while this is the highest speed, it is the highest latency of the kits they offer, the lowest being CL32. Furthermore, it's a 48GB kit, and that increased memory is great for demanding memory-hog programs and tasks, but does also affect the overall performance, which is why it clocks in a little lower on our charts than you might have thought. Latency isn't too bad though, at 89.3ns, it's on the high side, but this is what we expected from CL40 and it is a 48GB kit; if this was the 32GB kit it would be much faster. Calculation Performance The Hera scores a little low here again, but it's not that far behind most other kits, and I still wouldn't regard it as slow either. It does deliver a competitive time in Prime though, with 59 seconds putting it along side the Urbane and Lancer kits. Rendering Performance The HERA scores competitively here, with 127 samples per minute, only a little behind the completion, but again, this is due to the increased capacity. It's competitive in single thread, but a little slower in multi-threaded. I don't mean to bang on about "its higher capacity is slowing it down" but it is. While this seems like a downside, if you're working on a massive memory-intensive rendering process, capacity will most certainly offer you a big advantage. FutureMark Performance When it comes to rendering, again, it's ever so slightly behind her, but still in line with our expectations. At this point, I'm itching to test one of their lower latency 32GB kits, as that would likely be one of our fastest tested. It scores better in TimeSpy Extreme, clocking in at 14222 points, and a little ahead of the Predator Hermes. Alan Wake II When it comes to gaming, again, I'm not expecting this to be the fastest kit given its capacity, but it holds up well here, scoring 155 FPS, in line with just about every other kit here. Baldur's Gate 3 It scores reasonably well here too, with 107 on the 1% lows and 162 FPS overall average. Cyberpunk 2077 It is much better in Cyberpunk, which seems to use the increased capacity well, delivering 163 FPS averages and good 1% lows. Dying Light 2 Dying Light 2 is the best yet, with a whopping 213 FPS average, and our strongest 1% lows too at 184 FPS. F1 24 Moving on to F1 24, not quite as great, with 335 FPS, not the fastest, but I doubt anyone would be complaining given it's already running great. Horizon Zero Dawn Most kits performed about the same here, and the Hera is no exception, scoring a competitive 167 FPS. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle It's competitive here too, with 163 FPS putting it within 1 FPS of the fastest kit in this test. Spider-Man 2 It does lag behind here, with around 7 FPS between the Hera and the fastest kit, but the 1% lows are still very competitive at 88 FPS. Thermal Perforamance? With it large heatsinks and stylish design, it's not surprising to see great temperatures, with the Hera clocking in at just 56.8c. While that isn't the coolest, keep in mind there are higher capacity chips in this kit, and they're running at the highest speeds we've seen (8400MHz), so overall, I think they're running very cool, all things considered. How Much Does It Cost? The Acer Predator Hera DDR5 RGB RAM 48GB (24GBx2) 8400MHz CL40 Memory is available now from Amazon. Well, sort of, they're actually out of stock at the time of writing, but they do have a listed price. At just £289.99 they're not cheap, but they're actually surprisingly decent value for such a high-speed and high-capacity kit; I've certainly seen lesser kits for more money over the years. With AMD EXPO and Intel XMP support, they'll work with many modern systems. However, keep in mind, that you'll typically only get these top speeds on the latest generations of CPUs and motherboards such as Z890 Arrow Lake. You can check for up-to-date stock and prices here. Overview The Predator Hera DDR5 RGB memory kit presents a well-rounded package, excelling in key areas. Its build quality is undeniably excellent, featuring robust components and meticulously designed hardware. Aesthetically, it stands out with its striking X-shaped heatsink and vibrant RGB lighting, enhancing the visual appeal of any high-end system. In gaming, while not consistently at the absolute peak due to its high capacity, it delivers a very good and smooth experience. For calculation performance, it remains competitive, handling demanding tasks with efficiency. Overall, the Predator Hera balances performance, aesthetics, and build quality effectively. Build Quality Predator has focused on durability and reliability in the Hera's construction. The use of high-quality Hynix ICs, coupled with a 10-layer PCB, ensures stable signal integrity and minimises interference. The thicker metal heatsink and a 2.5 W/m.k Thermal Conductive Silicone Layer, effectively dissipates heat, maintaining consistent performance even under heavy loads. Aesthetics The Predator Hera's aesthetics are a highlight, featuring a distinctive streamlined X-shaped heatsink design that is both modern and visually appealing. The dynamic RGB lighting adds a layer of customization, allowing users to synchronize the lighting effects with other components using popular motherboard software like Asus Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, and ASRock Polychrome Sync. Gaming While the Hera's high capacity might slightly impact its performance in some gaming benchmarks compared to lower-capacity kits, it still delivers a very good gaming experience. It maintains competitive frame rates and smooth gameplay, particularly in titles that benefit from increased memory capacity. The kit's ability to handle demanding games with consistent performance makes it a viable choice for gamers who also engage in memory-intensive tasks like content creation or video editing. Calculation Performance In calculation performance, the Predator Hera remains competitive, handling demanding tasks efficiently. While it might not always top the charts due to its higher capacity and CL40 latency, it still delivers solid performance in benchmarks like AIDA64, CineBench R23, and WPrime. The kit's ability to maintain stable performance under heavy workloads makes it suitable for professionals and power users who require reliable and efficient memory for demanding applications. Should I Buy One? If you're a content creator, power user, or gamer who values both performance and aesthetics, the Predator Hera DDR5 RGB memory kit is a compelling choice. While it might not always lead in every benchmark, its overall performance is hardly lacking. The kit's high capacity and stable performance make it ideal for demanding content creation rather than just flexing in benchmarks. If you're a video editor, graphics artist, game developer, etc, then having more capacity will trump flat-out speed in demanding workflows. At £289.99, it offers an exciting option for a high-capacity, high-speed DDR5 kit. We recommend it to anyone looking to push the boundaries of their system's capabilities and seeking a premium memory solution. If you're looking for the same great build quality and design as a gamer, one of their lower latency 32GB kits would be your better option. I am awarding this our Extreme Performance kit, despite it not being at the top of our charts. Again, it's the only 48GB kit we've got on our charts at this time as we've recently started retesting all our kits. However, if we had more, it would be king. 48GB running at 8400 MHz is extreme by any measure, making this a real winner for content creators.