From a performance standpoint, I found the A-Data Vitesta Extreme Edition DDR2-800+ memory to be somewhat of a misnomer. While the EE label may seem to infer that these modules offer a substantial improvement in performance over the standard Vitesta line, in truth the overclocking ability is not all that great and the memory would not run at the advertised timings. That being said, the A-Data product description states the "Vitesta [Extreme Edition] + series is designed to offer mainstream desktop users an opportunity to upgrade their PC with performance, reliability, quality, and affordable price." Nowhere do they claim these modules to be great for overclocking or that they are designed with the computer enthusiast in mind.
A-Data already offers their V-Data value line and Vitesta series, which are basically just value modules with colorful heat spreaders. Perhaps a more appropriate moniker for the Extreme Edition + line might be the Vitesta+, leaving the Extreme Edition tag for their X series of modules. Somehow I doubt their marketing department would go for the "Not-so-Extreme Edition" or the "Mediocre Edition" model names instead.
With the Extreme Edition DDR2-800+ price coming in at around 25% more than the equivalent Vitesta modules, and improving performance only by about 5%, I would recommend that mainstream desktop users looking at an A-Data memory solution stick with the basic Vitesta modules. You'll save yourself some money and have nearly the same amount of performance. Overclockers and enthusiasts looking to get some significant performance increases out of their memory would do well to look elsewhere.
Thanks to A-Data for sending over the Vitesta Extreme Edition DDR2-800+ kit for review.
