G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 Review: Bringing That A-Die Flavor
Test the G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 Memory Kit today to see how it performs against the best RAM on the market. In the early days of DDR5, memory vendors didn’t have a wide selection of die for memory kits. As a result, the first DDR5 products used SK hynix M-die, Samsung B-die, or Micron M-die integrated circuits (ICs). No two molds are made alike. It didn’t take long for SK hynix’s M-die to show its overclocking edge over its competitors. M-die ICs easily outperform rival ICs in overclocking. SK hynix is now pushing DDR5 to the limits with its second generation A-die IC.
However, the A die is not a replacement for the M die. SK hynix continues to manufacture both products in parallel. Ultra-fast DDR5 memory kits, especially memory kits above DDR5-7000, utilize the latest SK hynix A-die ICs. Until Micron and Samsung release something better, SK hynix’s A-die IC is now the overclocking die of choice for many enthusiasts and performance seekers.
G.Skill hasn’t deviated significantly from Trident’s core design over the past few generations. It’s shown with the Trident Z5 RGB memory. It features the familiar aggressive fin-like appearance with sharp edges. The aluminum heat spreader has a matte black exterior and an intermediate strip with a brushed aluminum finish. G.Skill has many variations of the Trident Z5 design, but the memory modules adhere to 42 mm (1.65 inch) height for maximum compatibility with motherboards and CPU air coolers.
RGB lighting has become a requirement for gaming memory, and the Trident Z5 RGB sticks to that trend. A slim RGB light bar atop the heat spreader shines brightly. He has two ways the consumer can control it. If you’re an avid fan of the brand, G.Skill offers Trident Z Lighting Control software. If not, you can always control it with your motherboard’s lighting software. Supports Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, ASRock Polychrome Sync.
G.Skill hand-picked SK hynix H5CG48AGBDX018 (A-die) ICs embedded in memory modules. This is a single-rank design with eight of her 2GB chips for a capacity of 16GB per memory module. Richtek’s 0D=9B J1U power management IC (PMIC) is responsible for voltage regulation of the Trident Z5 RGB memory module.
Some DDR5-7200 memory kits default to DDR5-5600 natively, but G.Skill’s memory is still DDR5-4800 compliant. The default timings are 40-40-40-77. G.Skill has designed a memory kit for Intel’s latest 13th Generation Raptor Lake processors, supporting Intel XMP 3.0. Only one profile saves his DDR5-7200 settings of 34-45-45-115 timings at 1.4V. For more information on timing and frequency considerations, see the PC Memory 101 feature and how to buy RAM stories.
comparison hardware
memory kit | part number | capacity | data rate | primary timing | Voltage | guarantee |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team Group T-Force Delta RGB | FF3D532G7200HC34ADC01 | 2 x 16GB | DDR5-7200 (XMP) | 34-42-42-84 (2T) | 1.40 | lifetime |
G Skill Trident Z5 RGB | F5-7200J3445G16GX2-TZ5RK | 2 x 16GB | DDR5-7200 (XMP) | 34-45-45-115 (2T) | 1.40 | lifetime |
Corsair Vengeance RGB | CMH32GX5M2X7000C34 | 2 x 16GB | DDR5-7000 (XMP) | 34-42-42-96 (2T) | 1.45 | lifetime |
G Skill Trident Z5 RGB | F5-6800J3445G16GX2-TZ5RK | 2 x 16GB | DDR5-6800 (XMP) | 34-45-45-108 (2T) | 1.40 | lifetime |
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB | CMT32GX5M2X6600C32 | 2 x 16GB | DDR5-6600 (XMP) | 32-39-39-76 (2T) | 1.40 | lifetime |
G Skill Trident Z5 RGB | F5-6400J3239G16GX2-TZ5RK | 2 x 16GB | DDR5-6400 (XMP) | 32-39-39-102 (2T) | 1.40 | lifetime |
The Intel test system revolves around Intel’s Core i9-13900K processor and MSI’s MEG Z690 Unify-X motherboard, running 7D28vA8 firmware. In contrast, the AMD testbed leverages the Ryzen 7 7700X and ASRock X670E Taichi, which are currently on 1.11.AS06 firmware.
Corsair’s CUE H100i Elite LCD liquid cooler keeps temperatures constant for Raptor Lake and Zen 4 processors. Additionally, the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio tackles our gaming RAM benchmarks.
Your Windows 11 installation, benchmark software, and games reside on Crucial’s MX500 SSD, while a Corsair RM650x power supply provides the power your system needs. Finally, the Streacom BC1 open bench table keeps the hardware in place.
component | intel system | AMD system |
---|---|---|
processor | Intel Core i9-13900K | AMD Ryzen 7 7700X |
motherboard | MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X | ASRock X670E Taichi |
graphics card | MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio | MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming X Trio |
depository | Crucial MX500 500GB, 2TB | Crucial MX500 500GB, 2TB |
cooling | Corsair iCUE H100i Elite LCD | Corsair iCUE H100i Elite LCD |
power supply | Corsair RM650x 650W | Corsair RM650x 650W |
case | Streamom BC1 | Streamom BC1 |
intel performance
The memory kit showed good performance and stable operation during testing. It outperforms the T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 C34 for second place overall. However, G.Skill’s memory kit remained at number one in Adobe Photoshop’s benchmarks, where he was 3.2% faster than the competing T-Force.
AMD performance
The current state of the AGESA code and silicon limitations put AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors at a disadvantage when it comes to memory support. However, good samples with powerful IMC (Integrated Memory Controller) usually support DDR5-6400 to DDR5-6600 memory.
On our particular Ryzen 7 7700X, DDR5-6400 is the upper end, so DDR5-7200 is beyond the realm of possibility.
Overclocking and latency tuning
We expected the Trident Z5 RGB memory kit to have similar headroom as the T-Force Delta RGB memory kit. Because they both use the same SK hynix A-die IC. G.Skill’s memory module ran fine at DDR5-7600 and his 1.45V, the same as its rival. The memory timings were comparable, except the Trident Z5 RGB memory didn’t run consistently at 86 tRAS.
Minimum stable timing
memory kit | DDR5-6800 (1.45V) | DDR5-7000 (1.45V) | DDR5-7000 (1.5V) | DDR5-7200 (1.45V) | DDR5-7400 (1.5V) | DDR5-7600 (1.45V) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team Group T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 C34 | none | none | none | 34-41-41-81 (2T) | none | 36-46-46-86 (2T) |
G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 | none | none | none | 34-41-41-81 (2T) | none | 36-46-46-115 (2T) |
Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-7000 C34 | none | none | 32-42-42-96 (2T) | none | 34-42-42-96 (2T) | none |
G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6800 C34 | 32-42-42-96 (2T) | 34-45-45-108 (2T) | none | none | none | none |
However, at DDR5-7200 and 1.45V, the Trident Z5 RGB could be on the same page as the T-Force Delta RGB. Using 34-41-41-81 exact memory timings, the G.Skill memory kit worked stably.
Conclusion
The Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 has slightly better overall performance than the T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 C34. Overclocking potential was similar for both memory kits. This is because the two memory kits use practically the same SK hynix A die IC. Unfortunately, IC quality comes with some trade-offs. We were able to push the memory to DDR5-7600, but your overclocking mileage may vary. A-die is currently the best DDR5 IC to reach high frequencies.
G.Skill has Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 $234.99 (opens in new tab)Its direct competitor, the T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 C34, $214.99 (opens in new tab)At current prices, there is a noticeable difference. However, there is no denying the fact that G.Skill’s memory kit is the faster of his two memory kits. The Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 is perfect when you want pure performance. As always, aesthetics are subjective, and brand loyalty also influences purchasing decisions.