Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB DDR4-3600MHz 16GB Review

1. Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB2. Performance Tests3. Closing Thoughts4. View All Pages

Thermaltake first showed off its ToughRAM series of memory modules back at Computex in May. The ToughRAM RGB series offers capacities of 16GB with frequencies of 3000MHz, 3200MHz, and 3600MHz. LED lighting is the key feature that Thermaltake is banking on, with each module hosting addressable RGB LEDs.

ToughRAM RGB features support for all of the main motherboard RGB sync suites – ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome. Notably, Razer Chroma and Amazon Alexa RGB control methods are also provided.

In addition, you get alternative control methods through Thermaltake’s own software – TT RGB Plus and ToughRAM RGB software. ToughRAM software also features the ability to highlight current RAM usage statistics, alongside the 25 lighting modes.

Cooling for the memory modules and PCB comes from the dark black aluminium heatspreader. Interestingly, Thermaltake aims to shake up the design a little by cutting two large notches into the otherwise rectangular heatspreader. You also get two mirror-type sheets that enhance reflections from elsewhere in one’s PC build.

Module height is just under 50mm, so CPU cooler interference is definitely worth watching out for.

Personally, I like the visual appearance of Thermaltake’s ToughRAM RGB memory modules. There are clear similarities to the angular design of G.SKILL TridentZ modules, but that’s not a bad thing. The lighting is smooth and well-balanced thanks to a 10 addressable RGB LEDs and 5 control zones, and the number of operating modes is highly positive. I like the two angular cut-outs as they at help to segregate the solid RGB strips.

Importantly, there are no external cables required for the RGB lighting and control.

Our specific kit is the DDR4-3600MHz frequency version which features SK Hynix ICs operating at 1.35V XMP, according to CPU-Z. Thermaltake only advertises the C18 timing on the product page, and some information online highlights 18-19-19-39.

Thermaltake should highlight the full set of timings, not just C18, on the product page. The fact that Thermaltake does not do that almost implies that the actual timings of 18-22-22-42 are being hidden, which wouldn’t be an unreasonable though given that 20+ for some of the measures are very loose.

Specifications:

We will be outlining the Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB DDR4 memory’s performance with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X CPU, ASUS ROG STRIX X570-E Gaming, and an Aorus RTX 2080 Ti XTREME graphics card.

Test System:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX X570-E Gaming.
• Graphics Card: Gigabyte Aorus RTX 2080 Ti XTREME 11G (custom fan curve to eliminate thermal throttling).
• System Drive: WD Black SN750 500GB.
• Games SSD: Crucial MX300 750GB.
• CPU Cooler: Corsair H100X (full speed fans to eliminate thermal throttling).
• Power Supply: Seasonic Prime Titanium 1000W.
• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64-bit 1903 Update.

Comparison Memory Kits:

• G.SKILL FlareX 3200MHz 16GB (2x8GB) 14-14-14-34 @ 1.35V.
• G.SKILL Trident Z Royal 16GB (2x8GB) 16-16-16-36 @ 1.35V.

7-Zip Benchmark

7-Zip highlights solid performance for the 3600MHz Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB modules. The decompressing rating is a smidgen faster than 3200C14 competition, while it’s relatively close in performance to G.SKILL’s 3600MHz Trident Z Royal with tighter timings.

Cinebench R15

Cinebench R15 actually puts the ToughRAM RGB into first place in our testing, albeit by a single point over G.SKILL’s tighter Trident Z Royal. Realistically, this performance difference is within margin of error. However, it is positive to see Thermaltake’s SK Hynix-based modules keeping pace with G.SKILL’s Samsung B-die based competitors.

Cinebench R20

Another performance draw is shown between the two 3600MHz kits, this time in Cinebench R20. Clearly, Cinebench R20 does not show performance loss with the looser timings of Thermaltake’s ToughRAM RGB versus the G.SKILL alternatives.

AIDA Memory Bandwidth

Unsurprisingly, each memory kit falls into place in AIDA memory bandwidth testing. Thermaltake’s 3600MHz ToughRAM RGB kit sits middle-of-the-pack in our testing, with the tighter G.SKILL 3600MHz kit hitting top spot, while the 3200C14 competitor is comprehensively beaten.

AIDA Memory Latency

The higher frequency for the ToughRAM RGB kit cannot offset the tighter timings of G.SKILL’s 3200C14 FlareX and therefore the Thermaltake modules sits closer to the slower G.SKILL kit rather than the tight 3600MHz sticks. This is a test where the relatively loose timings for the ToughRAM modules look to be holding back the performance potential of the 3600MHz frequency.

SiSoft Sandra Memory Bandwidth

Memory bandwidth in SiSoft Sandra also has the ToughRAM RGB sticks sitting closer to the performance of G.SKILL’s slower competitor. A bandwidth of just below 37GBps is solid but the tighter 3600MHz G.SKILL kit is able to hit 1.5GBps higher.

3DMark Time Spy

There’s little between all of the kits in 3DMark Time Spy’s CPU score. G.SKILL’s 3200MHz C14 FlareX more-or-less ties with the 3600MHz ToughRAM modules, while the tighter Trident Z Royal sticks open up a minor performance lead.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

As was the case with 3DMark, there’s very little between each kit in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The ToughRAM RGB 3600MHz kit slots into the middle of our chart by beating out 3200MHz C14 FlareX by a single FPS on average, whilst falling behind 3600MHz C16 Trident Z Royal by 1 FPS on the minimum.

Any of these kits will be perfectly adequate for gaming usage in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

With the Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB 3600MHz memory kit, you get solid performance thanks to the high frequency from the SK Hynix modules and you get a good aesthetic design.

I like the appearance of the black metal heatspreaders and the small reflective strips. And the RGB lighting looks good thanks to the ten addressable LEDs and five controllable lighting zones.

Software compatibility is a clear strength for Thermaltake. You get support for all of the main motherboard vendor tools, in addition to Amazon Alexa and Razer Chroma. If that isn’t enough, Thermaltake also has you covered with its own software tools, with the ToughRAM RGB software package featuring plenty of lighting modes.

The timings are loose at 18-22-22-42, even for a 3600MHz kit. It is disappointing that Thermaltake does not make clear that this is the timing configuration on the webpage or on e-tailer pages, instead opting to only highlight the C18 CAS latency.

Given the £140 asking price for Thermaltake’s ToughRAM RGB 3600MHz kit, the timings should be tighter than they are to compete at that price point. G.SKILL Trident Z RGB, for example, is rated at 3600MHz 17-18-18-38 at around £145. While £140 Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro is 3600MHz 18-19-19-39.

Alternatively, the kit should be priced closer to £100 in order to better compete with 3600MHz 18-22-22-42 kits from competitors such as Corsair’s Vengeance RGB Pro, which retails for around £95, or G.SKILL Trident Z RGB/Neo, which is around £110-115.

The Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB 16GB 3600MHz DDR4 memory kit is priced at £139.97 at eBuyer. We noticed today as we went to publication that Thermaltake have reduced the price by £19.99 to £119.99.

Pros:

• Excellent RGB lighting aesthetics.
• Good lighting control modes.
• Plenty of support for RGB lighting software sync – Thermaltake's own, Razer's, and motherboard vendors'.
• Premium design with brushed aluminium heatspreader.
• Solid performance overall.

Cons:

• Relatively loose timings for DDR4-3600MHz.
• Height will cause an issue with many large air coolers.
• Price is significantly higher than RGB competitors with the same frequency and timings.

KitGuru says: Worth considering if you’re particularly keen on the RGB LED styling and sync compatibility with your partnering Thermaltake hardware.

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