samsung B-die | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 29 Mar 2023 23:28:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png samsung B-die | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 HP V10 DDR4 RGB 16GB 3600C14 (Samsung B-Die) Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/hp-v10-ddr4-rgb-16gb-3600c14-samsung-b-die-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/hp-v10-ddr4-rgb-16gb-3600c14-samsung-b-die-review/#respond Fri, 19 Aug 2022 11:00:10 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=568987 HP hits the market with some RGB DDR4 memory - Luke puts them to the test

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HP probably isn’t the first name that comes to mind when thinking of system memory – and that’s perfectly fine given the company’s relative presence within the market. There is an aim to change that point, though. And what better way to do that than to bring out a 3600MHz kit of RGB-lit DDR4 memory with Samsung’s legendary B-Die ICs?

So yes, HP is a relative newcomer to the DIY, enthusiast memory market. And perhaps that point is emphasised nicely with the naming system – HP V10 DDR4 RGB. Simple, concise, and no ‘super-gamer-uber-turbo’ nomenclature whatsoever.

The sticks are clearly designed for an enthusiast audience. Biwin – the manufacturer that operates the HP license – goes with a sizable and heavy metal heatspreader that measure in at around 47-48mm tall. Black and shiny silver form the basis of the colour scheme and there’s a centralised ‘hp’ logo splitting the colour quadrants.

I actually think that this is a pretty sleek looking set of memory. And the heft of the heatspreaders in undeniable, so that’s positive from a build quality perspective. As always, though, a little under 50mm height for a set of RAM is largely excessive and will undoubtedly cause interference with CPU coolers, VRM heatsinks, or roof chassis fans inside a variety of builds. There’s always a trade-off.

The rated speed of this 2x8GB DDR4 kit is 3600MHz with timings of 14-15-15-35. Operating voltage is quoted as 1.35-1.50V on the packaging which is just bizarre – there should be a specific voltage for the XMP configuration. Our sample set ran at 1.45V on our Intel Alder Lake 12900K DDR4 test platform.

There’s no temperature sensor on the PCB which is perhaps slightly disappointing for a memory kit geared towards being premium. And a pair of 8GB modules means that we get a single-rank setup.

Usage of Samsung’s legendary B-Die DDR4 ICs is likely to have enthusiasts more excited. As we have now come to expect, B-Die excels when it comes to tight timings at sensible frequencies such as 3600MHz, and with strong voltage scalability.

UK availability is still non-existent. However, our contact does tell us that this is being worked on. The 2x8GB 3600MHz C14 kit that we have sampled is $150 MSRP in the US. But we can see the kit currently available for $129.99 on Amazon US.

That's steep and it is clear that HP is charging a significant premium for Samsung B-Die ICs. By comparison, a generic 3600MHz kit of Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro can be had for around this price in 32GB form! Or if you are happy with 16GB, a 4GHz kit of similar Corsair memory is about the same cost, and 3600MHz from G.SKILL and the likes is notably cheaper.

And one point that I have to really complain about is the 5-year warranty. Almost every modern set of RAM comes with a lifetime warranty – that has been the case for many years. If you're a small player trying to compete in the market, only mustering up a 5-year warranty – when competitors offer lifetime coverage – is not an effective way to project confidence to potential buyers.

HP goes with what I would deem to be the conventional RGB lighting approach.

A plastic light diffuser bar sits atop the metal heatspreaders. This design is reasonably seamless, and the light diffusion is good in my opinion. I actually quite like how the light diffuser bar extends down to the central HP logo. I don’t have any major complaints for the lighting granularity or smoothness, either.

RGB control is handled via motherboard vendor software. This is ideal for synchronisation with other components, particularly if you’re not already invested in the Corsair or Thermaltake ecosystems, for example.

Looking at Thaiphoon Burner, we see that Samsung B-Die are used. B-Die is legendary for DDR4, so there's really not much more that I need to say.

  • Model Number: HP V10 DDR4 RGB
  • Capacity: 16GB (2x 8GB)
  • Rated Frequency: DDR4-3600MHz
  • Rated Timings: 14-15-15-35
  • Voltage: 1.45V XMP
  • Format: 288-pin DIMM
  • Warranty: 5-Year Limited Warranty

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DDR4 Round-Up: Corsair, G.SKILL, Kingston, PNY, Predator Tested https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/ddr4-round-up-review-corsair-g-skill-kingston-pny-predator-tested/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/ddr4-round-up-review-corsair-g-skill-kingston-pny-predator-tested/#respond Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:28:25 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=536253 Luke takes a look at six different DDR4 memory kits

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With DDR5 just around the corner and ready to steal the limelight, we thought it would be a good opportunity for us to look at a few different DDR4 kits with a variety of different operating specifications. We have mainstream, flashy bling, and uber-high-frequency kits from Corsair, G.SKILL, Kingston, PNY, and Predator.

As is clear, the majority of our samples run at 3600MHz. This has emerged as the new go-to option for DDR4 memory, especially with the beneficial tie-in frequencies on the AMD platform.

We will be testing these sets on our usual go-to AMD Ryzen 9 5950X test system, but also with a keen eye on which kits may perform well as partners for DDR4-equipped Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake motherboards.

Let’s take a closer look…

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G.SKILL Trident Z Royal Review – 4000MHz C17 https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/g-skill-trident-z-royal-review-4000mhz-c17/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/g-skill-trident-z-royal-review-4000mhz-c17/#respond Thu, 08 Jul 2021 07:31:27 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=522431 This is a high-quality memory kit from G.SKILL - here's Luke's full analysis

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G.SKILL's Trident Z Royal memory brings 4000MHz C17 operating frequency in a 32GB dual-channel, dual-rank form using Samsung B-die ICs. What more could you ask for? Great aesthetics and a mirror-finish aluminium heatspreader sound good? Let's take a closer look at this ultra-premium set of DDR4 memory.

Video Timestamps:

00:00 Start
00:15 Introduction
01:20 G.Skill Trident Z Royal Memory Specs / Design
03:53 LED Lighting
04:37 RGB Synchronisation
05:18 Availability and pricing
06:02 Test Setup
07:40 Test results
08:50 Overclocking
09:40 Closing Thoughts

As we already mentioned, the specs are impressive! DDR4 4000MHz operating frequency supporting XMP, dual-channel 2x16GB 32GB kits using dual-rank modules, 17-18-18-38 rated timings at 1.4V operating voltage. These are impressive numbers, even for a high-end memory kit.

And under the heatspreader, you get Samsung B-die memory ICs which we know are still loved and highly regarded for both Intel and AMD setups.

In terms of styling, it is the usual Trident Z aesthetic but with the Royal flair added. That tri-fin heatspreader design continues to look absolutely fantastic in my opinion, and it feels sturdy and well built. At 44mm tall, the overall module height is very reasonable by today's standards.

Looking at the physical modules, G.SKILL uses a heavily polished, electroplated aluminium heatspreader that is silver in colour for our specific test kit. The sheet of metal is so heavily polished and so reflective that G.SKILL actually includes a cleaning cloth as part of the bundle. Touch these modules bare-handed at your own peril!

LED lighting is handled via 8 controllable RGB zones atop the module. G.SKILL uses a ‘crown jewel’ design crystalline light bar that is certainly unique in terms of appearance. Without colour applied, the jewel-type appearance works well with our kit’s shiny silver heatspreader.

With RGB lighting applied, the aesthetics are taken a whole different level, in our opinion. Diffusion is excellent, brightness is superb, and the overall appearance really does tick pretty much all of the boxes for high-end, eye-catching memory sticks.

In terms of RGB synchronisation, G.SKILL does offer their own tool. It is actually reasonably comprehensive and allows individual control of the 8 LED zones. You can select a few different modes and then settings such as speed and brightness. And there is also support for Razer Chrome RGB sync.

You will probably want to use motherboard vendor software for control and sync to match other components. That can be done through the individual tools which are ASUS Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.

As is typical for G.SKILL memory in recent times, pricing and availability are pretty much non-existent in the UK. We can’t even speculate UK pricing as G.SKILL’s product line is so fractured and availability basically boils down to Amazon third-party sellers.

In the US, Newegg has the kit listed at $329.99. That is expensive but doesn’t actually seem outrageous versus comparable premium kits such as Corsair Dominator Platinum and Crucial Ballistix MAX.

Thaiphoon burner also shows the presence of a temperature sensor from the OnSemi stable.

  • Model Number: F4-4000C17D-32GTRSB
  • Capacity: 32GB (2x 16GB)
  • Rated Frequency: DDR4-4000MHz
  • Rated Timings: 17-18-18-38
  • Voltage: 1.4V
  • Format: Non-ECC Unbuffered 288-pin DIMM

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G.Skill launches DDR4 5GHz memory kits for Intel Z590 and 11th Gen Core processors https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/g-skill-launches-ddr4-5ghz-memory-kits-for-intel-z590-and-11th-gen-core-processors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/matthew-wilson/g-skill-launches-ddr4-5ghz-memory-kits-for-intel-z590-and-11th-gen-core-processors/#respond Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:43:33 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=509985 With Intel launching its 11th Gen Core desktop processors today, we are also seeing an influx of new memory modules to take full advantage of the new platform. G.Skill is well known for pushing the boundaries of memory speeds and that isn't stopping anytime soon, with the latest kits providing speeds up to 5333MHz.  Today, …

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With Intel launching its 11th Gen Core desktop processors today, we are also seeing an influx of new memory modules to take full advantage of the new platform. G.Skill is well known for pushing the boundaries of memory speeds and that isn't stopping anytime soon, with the latest kits providing speeds up to 5333MHz. 

Today, G.Skill has announced six new DDR4 memory kits for the Intel Z590 chipset. At the top of the pile, we have the 16GB DDR4-5333 kit, running at 5333MHz speeds with 22-32-32-52 timings and 1.6V. If you need more capacity but don't want to sacrifice too much speed, then the 32GB DDR4-5066 kit is available with CL20 timings.

The 5333MHz kit was validated on systems featuring an ASUS ROG STRIX Z590-E Gaming WiFi, ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XIII APEX and MSI MEG Z590i UNIFY motherboards and an Intel Core i9-11900K processor, as shown in the validation screenshots below:

The rest of the new memory line-up includes 16GB DDR4-4800 CL17, 32GB DDR4-4800 CL20 and 64GB DDR4-4600 CL20 under the Trident Z Royal, Trident Z RGB and Ripjaws V memory series'.

Each G.Skill memory kit comes with Samsung B-die ICs, which are renowned for their overclocking capability, helping to achieve 4GHz+ and 5GHz+ speeds at a range of capacities and latency timings to suit different needs. All of G.Skill's new extreme high-speed memory kits will be available in Q2 2021.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: As usual, we're seeing very impressive speeds from G.Skill's latest memory kits. Are any of you planning on building a new PC in the coming months? Will you be picking up a high-speed G.Skill memory kit? 

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Team Group T-Force Xtreem ARGB 3600C14 16GB Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/team-group-t-force-xtreem-argb-3600c14-16gb-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/memory/luke-hill/team-group-t-force-xtreem-argb-3600c14-16gb-review/#respond Tue, 06 Oct 2020 07:08:43 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=485582 How good is this 3600MHz CL14 memory kit from Team Group?

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Fancy RGB lights and unique heatspreaders remain a logical way to differentiate otherwise similar sets of memory. This is exactly what Team Group does with the flamboyant T-Force Xtreem ARGB sticks that we have for review.

But there is certainly more to the kit than just flashy looks and bright lights. Rated frequency comes in at 3600MHz but the latencies run at an aggressive 14-15-15-35 using 1.45V. Could this be an excellent choice of memory kit for use with AMD Zen 2 processors?

Undeniably, the styling of Team Group’s T-Force Xtreem ARGB memory modules is a distinguishing feature. The sticks use a black aluminium heatspreader in combination with 15 zones of LEDs pumping out light through a mirror-finish type diffuser.

Personally, I like the LED styling which I would describe as well-balanced and surprisingly subtle in terms of light intensity. However, I also value the higher level of brightness observable on some competing modules such as G.SKILL’s Trident Z Royal or Capellix-equipped Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB modules. As always, RGB LED lighting preference is very much down to individual taste.

ARGB lighting is controlled through your specific motherboard software package. ASRock Polychrome, ASUS Aura, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, and MSI Mystic Light sync modes are all supported. In other words, you are covered if you’re using a motherboard from one of the ‘Big 4’.

This same approach is used by competing vendors, such as G.SKILL, and it is an approach that I am personally happy with. While the lack of a software application with specific control modes may be a disappointment to some, it also has strengths in my opinion.

You have to download one less RGB package, which is a good thing. More importantly, perhaps, is that it ensures better synchronisation between the motherboard and partnering hardware controlled under the single RGB software umbrella. This does, however, leave the capability of any ‘smart’ or ‘boutique’ lighting modes at the mercy of the motherboard vendor.

Compared to something like Corsair’s iCUE ecosystem, Team Group’s modules are probably at an overall disadvantage in terms of smart lighting modes. However, the motherboard software control for the Xtreem modules does enable easier synchronisation for many users compared to Corsair’s dedicated alternative.

And if you’re not particularly fond of RGB lighting or simply want to go without it from time to time, the heatspreaders have an appealing aesthetic with the lights switched off. A blue tint to the mirror-finish style heatspreader looks appealing. It is also unlikely to clash with specific colour schemes given its extremely dark blue tint that is more towards a neutral black scheme.

But if you’re going for the no-lighting approach with the memory kit, make sure you whip out the included cloth as the mirror-style light diffuser section is an absolute fingerprint magnet.

When it comes to physical sizing, the Xtreem modules are large. The chunky light diffuser wraps around the entirety of Team Group’s black PCB and extends module height to 49mm.

That will undeniably cause interference with some large air coolers, but we often see similarly sized modules from competing vendors and even taller and more intrusive modules from the likes of Corsair.

Shown in the picture above is (from left to right): Team Group T-Force Xtreem ARGB, Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB, Team Group T-Force Xtreem ARGB, G.SKILL Trident Z RGB.

Lighting and appearances are great, but the performance justification is also an irrefutable necessity. Team Group delivers strongly on this front.

The specific 2x8GB Xtreem ARGB kit that we have for review runs at 3600MHz clock speed with 14-15-15-35 timings. The clock speed is somewhat mediocre in today’s marketplace, but the timings are incredibly tight even for a 3.6GHz DRAM clock.

The key benefit of DDR4-3600MHz is out-of-the-box usage on Zen 2 processors with a 1:1 Memory Controller: Infinity Fabric divider. Higher RAM speeds such as 4000MHz force a 2:1 divider that imparts a significant, undesirable latency penalty.

Team Group achieves these specifications by taking the very well-respected Samsung B-die memory ICs and running them at 1.45V. That’s a little higher than some people are comfortable with from a voltage perspective, but the rated frequency and timings point clearly towards strong performance on the AMD platform.

3600MHz and CL14 with Samsung B-die ICs sounds like a dream memory kit for AMD Zen 2 users, despite the relatively high operating voltage. Let’s see if that is indeed the outcome.

Specifications:

  • Model Number: TF10D416G3600HC14CDC01
  • Capacity: 16GB (2x 8GB)
  • Rated Frequency: DDR4-3600MHz
  • Rated Timings: 14-15-15-35
  • Voltage: 1.45V
  • Format: Non-ECC Unbuffered 288-pin DIMM
  • RGB Lighting: 15 individually controllable ARGB LED zones

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