G.Skill TridentZ NEO DDR4 3600 MHz review - A double data-rate introduction

G.SKILL TridentZ NEO 3600 MHZ DDR4 Memory
Aesthetics and performance for the Ryzen 3000 platform (16GB)

We review what can be considered some very beautiful DDR4 memory intended for the Ryzen platform, of course from G.Skill. It's available in multiple frequencies and timings, we test the 3600 MHz kit. With XMP 2.0 memory profiles on Intel platforms as well as support for AMD Ryzen, we check a memory type that sets and defines a standard in style and design.

The good people from G.Skill figured, hey, let's go do something really out of the ordinary. Grab some awesome memory, give it a black PCB, some awesome memory ICs and apply an out of the ordinary look and design. The looks follow the classic TridentZ design, with the RGB stripes and bars making them look very beautiful. G.SKILL to date has got to be the most renowned memory partner of Guru3D.com, they simply build awesome kits on many variations, frequencies, and price levels. G.SKILL works very closely with the PC component industry, thus motherboard manufacturers often support 99% of the kits that G.SKILL releases, and if it isn't supported, you can bet that in the next firmware update it will be. We've seen this with the Ryzen launch, memory support was pretty dramatic, it was G.KILL that worked closely with AMD to get the first dedicated and AMD optimized Ryzen kits in the stores. Hats off and kudos for that. Today we'll test the new TridentZ NEO series. Properly good memory, with more fair latency timings, yet available in many clock frequencies and timings really. For our test kit, G.SKILL supplied a dual-channel (2xDIMM) DDR4 kit rated at 3600 MHz with a nice CL16. 

The TridentZ RGB series are hip and trendy alright, they fit the LED themed PCs and components these days. Admittedly, there's LED and then there's proper LED implementation that works good and looks good. The TridentZ RGB modules as far as I am concerned do fall within that last category as they have been implemented in an aesthetically pleasing manner, but then G.SKILL added some more TLC as you can control the LEDs in relation to color and animation. The DIMM RGB configuration will also be compatible with Aura SYNC, MSI Mystic Light an and such.

At defaults, though this kit will revert to the most popular setting, a rainbow of colors in a wave-style lighting effect, illuminating your PC with many shades of RGB. It does all with without extra cables and connectors. Next to all the RGB bling, you should realize, these are TridentZ DDR4 DIMMs, and that means you'll see many high-frequency and low latency options for your purchasing needs available. Our kit, for example, runs an effective 3600 MHz DDR4 data-rate, but G.Skill will offer these kits up-to DDR4-3600 in several combinations to address dual-channel memory configurations ranging from 16GB towards even 32 GB DIMM kits in varying SKUs. Being G.Skill these DIMMs will all receive a life-time warranty as well as being XMP 2.0 compatible. DDR4 memory modules you can choose plenty from and honestly, cheap but dull all green Kingston Value memory, for example, works absolutely fine. Then there is regular mainstream DIMMs, then step it up a little and say high-frequency memory is a hint faster and often cooler looking inside your PC with the fancy designs and heat-spreaders. For the last stage in the channel, there's enthusiast-grade memory for the performance enthusiasts, which is what we will look at as G.SKILL has released TridentZ series memory, the successor to their TridentX series on the (back then) DDR3 platform. The DIMMs we received from them clock in at an amazing 3600 MHz (effective). Stylish RAM memory for the people that need fast performance, the people that build their own PCs, perhaps customize it a little. In that mindset, G.SKILL released a new series based on quality, performance and LED lit aesthetics in the TridentZ package. These DIMMs will most certainly not be the cheapest, but incredibly cool with great looks and high frequencies that can be enabled with a simple XMP profile in your BIOS. We received a dual-channel kit, 16GB of it .. configured over two DIMMs thus holding 8 GB each. Being G.Skill these DIMMs will all receive a lifetime warranty as well as being SPD profile compatible, enabled with a simple 'Intel XMP' profile in your BIOS. Anyway, let's fire up this review