What you need to know
- G.Skill is one of the leading brands when it comes to enthusiast-level PC memory and components.
- The company announced new DDR5-6400 CL30 "ultra low-latency" RAM modules from the Trident Z5 lineups.
- The Trident Z5 RGB and Trident Z5 Royal series have Intel XMP 3.0 overlock support, while the Trident Z5 Neo RGB and Trident Z5 Royal Neo series have AMD EXPO overclock support.
- The new 2x16GB RAM modules are expected to launch in late August 2024.
As processors improve to meet the needs of PC enthusiasts, the need for faster RAM with lower latencies also creeps forward. Roughly coinciding with the launch of AMD's Ryzen 9000 chips, G.Skill has again pushed its memory ahead to accommodate those who want only the best in their build.
G.Skill is one of the leading brands out there for high-performance PC parts — I love the Trident Z Neo DDR4 RAM in my aging AMD build for its looks and speed — but it doesn't just make memory for AMD systems. The new DDR5-6400 CL30-39-39-102 kits, available in 2x16GB setups when they launch "late August 2024," are split between AMD and Intel platforms.
G.Skill's Trident Z5 RGB and Trident Z5 Royal modules come with support for Intel XMP 3.0 overclocking, while the Trident Z5 Neo RGB and Trident Z5 Royal Neo support AMD's EXPO. This makes for easy overclocking, assuming you have a compatible motherboard and processor.
AMD's Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series desktop CPUs are compatible, as are Intel's 13th and 14th Gen desktop chips. Intel 12th Gen hardware is also technically compatible with DDR5 RAM, though the performance gains are small enough that you can save some money with DDR4 and still get a similar experience.
As for motherboards, it really comes down to the make and model. You want to be sure that the motherboard supports either Intel XMP 3.0 or AMD EXPO profiles for overclocking, and you want to be sure it supports DDR5 RAM. Our guides to the best Ryzen 7 9700X motherboards and the best Intel Core i7-13700K motherboards can help.
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G.Skill's RAM is more than just style
G.Skill has some of the best-looking RAM on the market, giving you the option for extreme "bling" from the Royal and Royal Neo lines or infused lighting with the Neo and Neo RGB lines. No matter what, you're getting a RAM module with a sizable aluminum heat spreader to maximize performance. The built-in RGB lighting is also compatible with major systems like ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.
While the looks aren't entirely new — G.Skill has plenty of Trident RAM available now — the main focus for this launch is a boost to performance for enthusiasts. DDR5 RAM was launched with a default maximum clock speed of 4,800MHz, but like DDR4's default speed of 2,133MHz, it can be pushed well beyond with some overclocking.
Intel's XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO tech make it easy to overclock via your PC's BIOS. In most cases, it just takes a few clicks. However, your RAM needs to support the higher speeds achieved through the process. That's where something like DDR5-6400MHz RAM comes into play.
There's also latency to contend with. G.Skill's newly announced Trident Z5 RAM is listed as CL30-39-39-102, which is esoteric to the average PC user. The first "CL" number in the line refers to the Column Address Signal (CAS) latency; in this case, it's 30. This represents the number of clock cycles required for the RAM to serve a CPU request — the lower the CAS latency the better.
G.Skill's new RAM should prove to be a great pairing for AMD's Zen 5 desktop processors. In Windows Central Editor Ben Wilson's Ryzen 7 9700X review, he called it "the new mid-range champion" thanks to a competitive price, efficient 65W TDP, and stellar performance for work and play.
