TeamGroup has launched new Elite and Elite Plus DDR5 memory kits to rival the best RAM. According to the product page, the DDR5-6400 memory kits are seemingly drop-in compatible with the upcoming "Intel Z790 Refresh" platform for 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh processors.
Existing 13th Generation Raptor Lake processors support DDR5-5600 or DDR4-3200 memory out of the gate. The specifications on the product page hint that Raptor Lake Refresh will seemingly support DDR5-6400 natively. Suddenly, the rumors of Raptor Lake Refresh reportedly having a better-integrated memory controller (IMC) seem a little more credible.
TeamGroup's latest DDR5-6400 memory kits conform to JEDEC specifications, meaning you don't need to overclock them to hit DDR5-6400. As a result, they don't come with Intel XMP 3.0 or AMD EXPO profiles. They are plug-and-play on compatible platforms like the Intel Z790 Refresh platform mentioned on TeamGroup's website. As far as AMD goes, Zen 4 only has native DDR5-5200 support. The latest AGESA microcode has enabled some Zen 4 processors to hit DDR5-6400 and allowed some golden samples to go up to DDR5-8000. That's the reason why Zen 4 isn't on the compatibility list.
Being JEDEC-compliant has its concessions. Although the memory kits only require a DRAM voltage of 1.1V, the memory timings are terrible. TeamGroup has configured the timings to 52-52-52-103, which is the middle bin. The bottom and top bins are set to 56-56-56 and 46-46-46, respectively. The sloppy timings will negatively impact the memory's performance. For comparison, entry-level DDR5-6400 memory kits have their timings set at 40-40-40-84. But then again, these are overclocked memory modules, pulling 1.35V instead of TeamGroup's JEDEC-specced 1.1V. The lower operating voltage implicates reduced power consumption, but it's typically not a huge deal on desktop platforms unless you aim to build a very energy-efficient system.
TeamGroup will offer the DDR5-6400 memory under the run-of-the-mill Elite series and the slightly better-looking Elite Plus series that comes with a low-profile aluminum black or silver heat spreader. Either way, the memory will be available as single DIMMs (16GB or 32GB) or dual-channel kits (2x16GB or 2x32GB). The timings and DRAM voltage remain the same regardless of the capacity or presentation.
TeamGroup announced that the Elite and Elite Plus DDR5-6400 memory kits will launch in August 2023 in North America and Taiwan. The company didn't reveal the pricing, though. It would seem that the memory kits will arrive before Raptor Lake Refresh, rumored to hit the market in October.
