32GB Modules from G.Skill and ZADAK Reviewed
by Ian Cutress & Gavin Bonshoron January 23, 2019 9:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Memory
- G.Skill
- DDR4
- DRAM
- ZADAK
- UDIMM
- DC Memory
- 32GB
- Double Capacity
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Double Capacity, Double Height MemoryG.Skill TridentZ RGB DC OverviewZADAK Shield RGB DC OverviewCPU Performance, Short FormGaming PerformancePower AnalysisOverclocking PerformanceDouble Height DDR4 Conclusion
Two memory module companies, G.Skill and ZADAK, have developed a new memory format with double capacity DDR4 memory. These new modules put the equivalent of two standard modules onto one PCB, making one memory module act like two. Both companies have introduced 2×32 GB kits. As a result, these memory modules are double the capacity over regular DDR4 memory, with the downside that they are also double the height. We have tested both of the available kits using this technique, both coming in at DDR4-3200: the G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC DDR4-3200 and the ZADAK Shield RGB DC DDR4-3200.
Double Height Memory?
One of the disadvantages of small form factor motherboards is that they only feature two memory slots. Most consumer DDR4 modules can have a maximum capacity of 16 GB per module, which for mini-ITX would mean a maximum capacity of 32 GB. For ATX motherboards, this usually means a maximum capacity of 64 GB. Users looking to build those small form factor systems have historically been capped to 32 GB — these new modules doubles that capacity to 64 GB.
There are currently three motherboards on the market validated for this new double height memory:
- ASUS ROG Maximus XI Apex (Z390)
- ASUS ROG Maximus XI Gene (Z390)
- ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming
These are all Z390 chipset motherboards, and thus applies to Intel’s 8th Gen and 9th Gen processors.
In this review we used an i7-8700K, and it didn’t have any issues. We tested on some other motherboards from MSI and ASRock, however those systems did not post. It would appear that the memory has been developed in conjuction with concurrent validation with ASUS.
Left to Right: ZADAK Shield RGB DC, G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC,
G.Skill TridentZ RGB & Corsair Vengeance LPX
Each memory company is only offering a select number of kits, presumably due to the low catchment rate of the motherboards they are validated for, but also likely due to cost.
G.Skill is offering three different ‘TridentZ RGB DC’ memory kits, each 2×32 GB:
- G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC DDR4-3000 CL14
- G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC DDR4-3200 CL14
- G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC DDR4-3200 CL14 (looser secondary latencies)
ZADAK by contrast is offering five ‘Shield RGB DC’ memory kits, each 2×32 GB:
- ZADAK Shield RGB DC DDR4-2666 CL16
- ZADAK Shield RGB DC DDR4-3000 CL16
- ZADAK Shield RGB DC DDR4-3200 CL16
- ZADAK Shield RGB DC DDR4-3200 CL14
- ZADAK Shield RGB DC DDR4-3600 CL16
All of these kits (except ZADAK’s DDR4-2666) have a rated voltage of 1.
35 V. G.Skill’s kits do not have associated MSRPs due to the way G.Skill operates, however ZADAK has shared that their memory kits will start from an MSRP of $800.
The benefit of dense(r) memory is thatmotherboards can double up on maximum capacity without needing four memory slots. All three motherboards listed, the Apex, Gene, and the Z390-I Gaming, only have two memory slots which makes them ideal targets, even though only one is mini-ITX and the other two could have had four memory slots in place. The reason why only these ASUS motherboards are supported at this time is due to the collaboration between the companies: ZADAK says the modules were ‘co-developed’, but failed to go into detail about who designed what. Nonetheless, these modules are ASUS exclusive for the time being.
Double Height: Cooler Selection
Using memory that is double the height of a normal module, certain other restrictions come into play: namely the CPU cooler being used has less room to exist.
The almost universal intention in this environment, unless a low powered CPU is used, is for a liquid cooler to be in play.
Under The Heatsinks
We’ll go into more detail on the specific kits over the page, but both memory modules work in a similar fashion.
Using 8 Gb Samsung B-die chips, a normal 16 GB module would have 16 of them to make it up to capacity. For these modules, to reach 32 GB per module, there are 32 x 8 gigabit chips. These are split into two ranks of sixteen chips, and act as if there are two memory modules on the same channel. Modern mainstream processors support ‘two DIMMs per channel’, meaning two memory modules per channel, which is why we see motherboards for dual channel processors have a total of four slots. By putting two modules onto one PCB, only one slot is needed to hit ‘two DIMMs per channel’.
One would assume the signalling would be different, however within the same channel, a normal set of memory modules would use the same traces and either (a) daisy chain, or (b) split near the end in order to support both simulateously.
There are stability advantages to the (b) method, known as T-Topology, however it is often more difficult to do. Either way, because two memory modules on the same channel do not need separate motherboard traces, that is what makes these modules possible. There are some additional fine tuning elements to the system as well, as with all memory.
Ultimately any memory vendor’s chips could have been used, but both G.Skill and ZADAK have gone with Samsung B-die, which are known for being good overclocking-focused memory. It likely also helps that the optimizations for one company’s kit also helped with the second, as different ICs would have different requirements in the firmware.
Ultimately with this review, we want to answer the following questions:
- Is there any performance difference against normal 16GB modules, and
- How is the power draw affected?
The goal for both answers should be negative: we shouldn’t expect any performance difference and no power difference.
We also do some overclocking to see if they can be pushed harder even in this form factor.
Test Bed and Methodology
| Test Setup | |||
| Processor | Intel i7-8700K, 95W, $359 / 1ku 6 Cores, 12 Threads, 3.7 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo) |
||
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming (BIOS Version 1003) | ||
| Cooling | Corsair h200i V2 | ||
| Power Supply | Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W Gold PSU | ||
| Memory Tested | 2x32GB G.Skill TridentZ DC RGB DDR4-3200 CL14 (1.35 V) 2x32GB ZADAK Shield DC RGB DDR4-3200 CL14 (1.35 V) 2x16GB G.Skill TridentZ RGB DDR4-3200 CL14 (1.35 V) 2x16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-2400 CL14 (1.2 V) 2x8GB TeamGroup Night Hawk RGB DDR4-3000 CL16 (1.35 V) |
||
| Video Card | ASUS GTX 980 STRIX (1178/1279 Boost) | ||
| Hard Drive | Crucial MX300 1TB | ||
| Case | Open Test Bed | ||
| Operating System | Windows 10 RS3 inc. Spectre/Meltdown Patches |
||
New Test Suite: Spectre and Meltdown Hardened
Our motherboard benchmarking suite which includes our short form CPU performance tests and gaming tests were selected in conjunction with our new 2019 bench suite. Our test bench OS has been updated with drivers, newer software and as with our CPU testing updates, also includes Spectre and Meltdown patches.
Pages In This Review
- Double Capacity, Double Height RAM [this page]
- G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC Overview: Analysis of the Board Components
- ZADAK Shield RGB DC Aura2 Overview : Looking that the non-hardware portion
- CPU Performance
- Gaming Performance
- Power Analysis
- Overclocking Performance
- Conclusion
G.Skill TridentZ RGB DC Overview
Double Capacity, Double Height MemoryG.
Skill TridentZ RGB DC OverviewZADAK Shield RGB DC OverviewCPU Performance, Short FormGaming PerformancePower AnalysisOverclocking PerformanceDouble Height DDR4 Conclusion
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Double Height DDR4 Conclusion — Double Height DDR4: 32GB Modules from G.Skill and ZADAK Reviewed
by Ian Cutress & Gavin Bonshoron January 23, 2019 9:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- Memory
- G.Skill
- DDR4
- DRAM
- ZADAK
- UDIMM
- DC Memory
- 32GB
- Double Capacity
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Double Capacity, Double Height MemoryG.Skill TridentZ RGB DC OverviewZADAK Shield RGB DC OverviewCPU Performance, Short FormGaming PerformancePower AnalysisOverclocking PerformanceDouble Height DDR4 Conclusion
In this review we have tested the new 32 GB DDR4 modules from both G.
Skill and Zadak. These modules are ‘double the height’ of traditional DDR4 memory, as they essentially use two modules worth of DRAM chips to achieve the double capacity. The modules do this through adjusting the pins on the DDR4 interface as if one memory slot were responsible for two memory sticks. This change means that these modules need to be qualified for motherboards on a per-motherboard basis. To that extent, at the time of the review, these modules are only validated on three ASUS ROG motherboards. These are enthusiast grade motherboards, to go along with enthusiast grade memory.
The benefit of these 32 GB DDR4 modules means that a motherboard with only two memory slots can achieve 64 GB of memory by using 2×32 GB, rather than the current limit of 2×16 GB. The penalty for using the memory comes in the form of physical space on the motherboard — the G.Skill kit we tested is substantially taller than its regular counterpart, while the Zadak kit we tested is marginally taller.
In both circumstances, the manufacturers recommend that liquid cooling is used on the processor on the motherboard, given the difficulty that air coolers can have with tall memory.
On the modules we get a doubling of almost everything: there are 32 Samsung B-die chips on each module, leading to 32 GB of capacity per module. There is also double EPROMs, and when installed in the system, each module is seen as two. What we essentially have is the ‘two DIMMs per channel’ technique exploited by having two DIMMs on one PCB.
The purpose of this review was to examing the hardware, and test to see if there are any performance differences. Also, the presence of Samsung B-die gave us an interesting application — these high-performance chips are usually an overclockers’ favorite, so we did a bit of overclocking as well. We also looked into power, which is likely to be a sticking point for these modules.
Performance
Performance across both the G.
Skill and ZADAK kits was consistent in our bench suite, and on par with G.Skill’s TridentZ RGB DDR4-3200 standard 2×16 GB kit. Before we started, one could have assumed that the double height memory would hinder performance due to its larger size longer traces from the ICs, EPROM and pins — however having a unified design actually seemed to benefit in a few of the scenarios.
For power, we tested using Intel’s Power Gadget tool, which has the hooks to test DDR4. The results show have two interesting scenarios. For power consumed per gigabyte, the new memory is fairly competitive:
However, when we look at power per performance, in a benchmark where all the memory kits performed the same, then the value only comes from having the larger memory:
Compatibility
As mentioned, only three ASUS motherboards currently support this new double height DDR4 memory. It means these modules are going after a small market, or it will be up to system integrators to get the best deals for end-users when combining the right motherboard with the right memory.
ASUS is keeping the details of how they enabled the new memory under wraps for now, likely seeing it as a competitive advantage in the aggressive motherboard market.
In the ASUS BIOSes, there’s nothing much that gives them away, except that the BIOS shows that four memory slots are populated, despite the motherboard only having two available, confirming that each of these 32 GB memory modules are seen internally as 2x16GB modules.
Double Capacity, Double The Price
On the pricing front, this is down to the memory companies. G.Skill doesn’t typically give official pricing for any of its kits, and the company states they like to be competitive per region on a weekly basis, which means they don’t give ‘global MSRPs’ as they can change. The company did state however that the 2x32GB kits would be priced similar to its 4×16 GB kits. If this is right, the price for the G.Skill DC kits is expected to start from around $650 based on a 64 GB DDR4-3000 kit and closer to $1000 for DDR4-3200.
ZADAK unveiled its full MSRP pricing list to us. The baseline DDR4-2666 CL16 kit starts at $799, and the highest end DDR4-3600 kit finishes $1299.
Obviously, the benefits of the double height memory are focused on one key direction only: the need to have a total of 64 GB of memory in a particular form factor. Out of the three motherboards where this memory is actually qualified, only the Z390-I Gaming is a small form factor motherboard, so for users looking to optimize an SFF system, this would be the one to get. Larger systems rarely have this two memory slot limitation, and so the options for this memory are a lot larger, unless the user absolutely needs to use the Gene or the Apex motherboards from ASUS.
Overclocking Performance
Double Capacity, Double Height MemoryG.Skill TridentZ RGB DC OverviewZADAK Shield RGB DC OverviewCPU Performance, Short FormGaming PerformancePower AnalysisOverclocking PerformanceDouble Height DDR4 Conclusion
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Today 06 December 2022
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| June 5, 2019
Zadak announces new DDR4 memory kits that are offered in different speed options. At the same time, all of them are equipped with a stylish RGB backlight. The company’s offer begins with 2666 MHz CL16 modules. Intermediate solutions have a frequency of 3000 MHz, 3200 MHz and 3600 MHz. Modules with a frequency of 4133 MHz and CL19 timing became the top model. In terms of capacity, the company offers single sticks in 8 GB and 16 GB, as well as paired sets in 16 GB and 32 GB. Zadak Spark RGB RAM As for the backlight, it is fully compatible with the controls of leading motherboard manufacturers. It has been qualified by companies such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and ASRock. Little is known about the price. The company reported only the cost of a 16 GB set (8 GBx2) with a frequency of 3200 MHz. It is 159 dollars. ZadakDDR4LEDRAM
On Friday, we reported that Adata set a new RAM overclocking record, but it only lasted a couple of days as Micron easily outperformed the competition with 5726 MT/s. Record set on Micron’s Ballistix Elite 3600MT/s memory. DDR4 modules were overclocked to 5726 MT/s. This is 79% more than the JEDEC specification for 3200 MT/s. Ballistix RAM Unfortunately, the overclockers didn’t talk about the process of setting the record. Also, overclocker Savvopoulos noted that the Elite 3600 made the record very easy: “We were blown away by how amazingly easy it was to overclock the Ballistix Elite DDR4 3600 MT/s modules. Other modules we overclocked were temperaments and required training and lowering temperatures to increase stability; but we didn’t expect the Micron E-die to scale much better at higher voltages and temperatures. In general, it was quite simple — plug and play» . overclockBallistixDDR4 RAMMicron comment on related news New result achieved in XPG’s own Overclocking Lab (XOCL) on Spectrix D60G DDR4 RGB memory modules overclocked to 5634.1 MHz. Spectrix D60G DDR4 RGB 9 RAM Module0002 The experiment used one Spectrix D60G 8 GB memory module in an MSI MPG X390I Gaming Edge AC Mini-ITX motherboard and an Intel Core i9-9900K processor. Confirmation of overclocking Spectrix D60G DDR4 RGB memory up to 5634 MHz During overclocking, it was possible to set timings CL 31-31-31-46 3T, while overclockers did not report voltages. The base frequency for the tested memory is 4133 MHz, and the overclock frequency is much higher — 5634 MHz. In general, Adata clearly decided to fight for leadership in the RAM market. overclockingDDR4ADATA RAM comment related news 1Z nm 8 GB memory was produced thanks to their development. The technology made it possible to increase the share of production of suitable products by 20%, compared with the previous generation. Mass production of chips will begin in the second half of 2019of the year. Samsung 1z nm DDR4 memory The new memory is planned for use in next-generation servers and high-end computers released in 2020. The technology will also be used to produce other types of DRAM, including DDR5, LPDDR5 and GDDR6. The company notes that the production of 1Z nm memory will allow the company to maintain its leadership in the DRAM market. 10nmDDR4 RAMSamsung comment on similar news Hardware Zone
Samsung announced the release of 12 GB LPDDR4X memory packs for next-generation smartphones. Thus, the South Korean giant has created the largest package to be used with 512 GB of eUFS storage. In the new chip, the company packed six separate 1Y-nm cores with a capacity of 16 GB. The received packet thickness is 1.1 mm and the throughput is 34.1 GB/s. While the company has said the chip will be used in new flagship smartphones, it hasn’t named any models yet. 12 GB Samsung LPDDR4X memory The new chip is released following the similar 8 GB LPDDR4X solution, which packs the same 16 GB cores made using a 1y nm process. The increase in the amount of RAM the company connects with the increased demand for such memory. In any case, the company is already preparing a replacement for these modules. So, Samsung already has samples of 8 GB LPDDR5 packages that are built on 8 GB cores, but so far the company does not have an exact release date. DDR4 RAMSmartphoneSamsung comment on related news Bit-Tech
Corsair has released new RAM modules with new LED technology that allows you to place a hundred lights in the same place as four. Dominator Platinum RGB memory was first introduced at CES, but is only now available for purchase. Thanks to a row of small LEDs, the memory sticks can display more colors than ever before. Dominator Platinum RGB memory module In addition to lighting, the new modules also received performance improvements. At least, this is what Corsair says, though without citing any benchmarks. Most likely, the use of new LEDs made it possible to reduce power consumption and heating of modules, which means to reduce delays. Dominator Platinum RGB backlight option Dominator Platinum RGB memory is available in sets of two, four or eight modules with different frequencies and capacities. In the best case, a variant with a frequency of 4800 MHz is offered before overclocking. Prices start at $160 and go up to $1565 for an 8-module set of 16GB each. Backlight Dominator Platinum RGB DDR4LED RAMCorsair comment on related news One of the features of this chip is the support for 768 gigabytes of RAM. This amount of RAM at home is absolutely superfluous, and the processor itself is not designed for home use. However, if suddenly someone wants to build a home PC based on it, then he will have problems with RAM, because memory with parity has never been very fast. Six-channel memory G.Skill Trident Z Royal But now, thanks to G.Skill, there is a solution to the problem. The company has prepared six-channel kits in the G.Skill Trident Z Royal line. This range is offered in various operating speeds from 3200 MT/s to 4000 MT/s. The 3200 MT/s junior model is offered in two versions: with standard timings 16-18-18-38, and shortened 14-14-14-34. While the 3600 and 4000 sets work with CAS 17, however, due to the higher frequency, the delays will be comparable. Specifications G.Skill Trident Z Royal It’s actually surprising that G.Skill has such a wide selection for such a niche product. After all, the only processor where such memory can be used is the freshly released Xeon W-3175X. This processor can only be obtained from system integrators, it is produced in incredibly small quantities and at an incredibly high price. This is probably why G.Skill decided not to openly sell six-channel sets, offering to order them from the company’s trading partners. 9 DDR4XeonG.SkillIntel RAM 5 Comments backlight. WaterRam RGB modules have excellent heat dissipation capabilities. The cooling system is represented by a copper water-cooled base and an aluminum radiator. Water-cooled Thermaltake WaterRam RGB WaterRam RGB rated at 3200 MHz with CL16 latencies. Frequency and voltage are controlled by Intel XMP 2.0 technology. Backlight can be synchronized and controlled by ASUS Aura Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync and Asrock Polychrome technologies. The system receives power through a special 5-volt connector. DDR4 RAM cooling systemThermaltake comment similar news Guru of 3D
Memory manufacturer Adata has announced that it has set a record for overclocking XPG Spectrix D80 RAM. The XPG Spectrix D80 module was overclocked to 5584 MHz. The overclocking machine was based on a Core i9-9900K processor and an MSI MPG Z390i Gaming Edge AC motherboard. Adata XPG Spectrix D80 RAM This record was expected as Adata recently opened the XPG Overclocking Lab (XOCL), which means that we will see many more record results from this company in the future. And although these records have no practical application, it is always pleasant to see the competition of different companies. XPG Spectrix D80 memory overclocking process overclocking DDR4 RAM ADATA . It debuted with the Xpower Turbine RGB DDR4 range, which is designed for professional esports players and enthusiasts. Xpower Turbine RGB memory is built on a 10-layer PCB and features a low-profile metal heatsink. The modules are only 37 mm high, which means they should not pose any problems when installed in any system. The full-color LED backlighting of the modules is controlled by built-in motherboard features such as Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync and ASRock Polychrome Sync. |
Quad-channel sets have a capacity of up to 64 GB. All memory is compatible with all three generations of Ryzen platforms. Automatic memory tuning is carried out using XMP technology. 
It is noted that CAS delays were set at CL24, as in most record overclocks. As a platform, the ASUS Maximus XI Apex motherboard with an Intel i7-8086K processor and liquid nitrogen cooling was chosen. 
The system was cooled with liquid nitrogen, which made it possible to noticeably raise the frequencies. 
It is possible to purchase modules with a volume of 8 or 16 gigabytes in sets of 6 or 12 brackets. 
The system offers convection air or liquid cooling. This exclusive technology reduces the temperature of memory modules by 37% compared to traditional passive air cooling. 
Everything was cooled, as usual, with liquid nitrogen. 