Benchmark Results & Final Analysis
The Trident Z RGB DDR4-3600 is given superior 16-16-16 timings by XMP, but that didn’t keep the T-Force XTREEM DDR4-3600 from trouncing it in our tuning test at DDR4-3200. The additional stress of having four modules on the CPU memory controller could be a factor, but that didn’t keep G.Skill’s older Trident Z DDR4-3866 four-DIMM kit from at least tying for the lead.
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| Lowest Stable Timings at 1.35V (Max) on Asus Maximus IX Hero (BIOS 0801) | |||
| DDR4-3200 | DDR4-2666 | DDR4-2133 | |
| Gskill Trident Z RGB 32GB F4-3600C16Q-32GTZR | 15-16-16-32 (1T) | 12-12-12-28 (1T) | 10-11-11-28 (1T) |
| T-FORCE XTREEM 16GB TXGD416G3600HC18ADC01 | 14-15-15-30 (1T) | 12-12-12-28 (1T) | 11-11-11-28 (1T) |
| T-FORCE Dark ROG 16GB TDRRD416G3000HC16CDC01 | 16-17-17-34 (1T) | 13-14-14-28 (1T) | 11-12-12-28 (1T) |
| G.Skill Trident Z 32GB F4-3866C18Q-32GTZ | 14-15-15-30 (1T) | 12-12-12-28 (1T) | 10-11-11-28 (1T) |
Using just two of the four Trident Z 3600 modules, we matched the overclock settings of the T-Force XTREEM DDR4-3600. Perhaps the only differences we’ll see, then, are due to its inclusion of four modules rather than two?
The big bandwidth gain of having four ranks of RAM on the Core i7-7700K is easily seen when the dual rank DIMMs of T-Force Dark ROG DDR4-3000 blow past the single-rank DIMMs of T-Force XTREEM DDR4-3600 in Sandra. Both G.Skill sets reach four ranks by having four single-rank DIMMs, and G.Skill’s advantage over the two Dark ROG DIMMs are nearly limited to the higher XMP data rate.
Sandra Memory Latency shows that DDR4-3600 CAS 16 is quicker than DDR4-3866 CAS 18. A bit of math could have told us the same thing.
The Trident Z RGB 3600 takes a slight lead in F1 2015 when using XMP settings. As this is where most buyers “stop” with their tuning, that’s an important result.
Metro LL is one of those titles where we’ve blown past memory bottlenecks, though it’s still possible to experience those if you’re using a very slow set.
Blender is another application where only a vastly inferior memory configuration could have shown us a noticeable performance difference. We combine greatly and slightly affected benchmarks in these reviews to help less-experienced builders understand what to expect from their expenditures.
Both G.Skill sets, having both four ranks and fast data rates, tear through 7-Zip file compression when using XMP settings.
«Performance Per Dollar» doesn’t mean much when comparing 16GB to 32GB sets on benchmarks that are already optimized at 16GB. The following chart just gives us a basic reference point for the next calculation.
After balancing price and performance against capacity, the two problems that remain for the Trident Z RGB DDR4-3600 are that it’s expensive, and that the T-Force modules are priced competitively to the overall market. A small premium is part of the T-Force pricing, but it’s not nearly as large as the one payed for Trident Z RGB’s configurable LEDs.
I may not personally pay an approximately 20% premium to get configurable LEDs on my memory, but seeing other builders pay hundreds of dollars for RGB fans, strips, and even controllers puts the Trident Z RGB kit in a different light. Since I haven’t even paid dozens of dollars to have monochromatic LEDs on my other devices, I might not be the best person to even rate the value of cheaper monochromatic LED DIMMs. Yet I can look at other things and note that even without the lighting, G.Skill’s Trident Z RGB DDR4-3600 32GB kit is one of the top configurations I’ve tested. The top quality memory underneath those fancy LEDs is worth at least our stamp of approval, even before we get around to comparing the cost effectiveness of alternative programmable-LED DIMMs.
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