Hello and welcome to my short review of the 2x8GB G.Skill Trident Z Royal DDR4-4000 C17-17-17-37 1,35v memory kit

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1: First look
The G.Skill F4-4000C17D-16GTRS come in a newly designed package. Instead of the classic cardbox with tray we now have a black box with integrated foam inlay to protect the memory sticks. Up front we see the G.Skill Logo, on the back a label with model and serialnumbers shows what you just bought. Apart from the sticks, the box contains the inevitable sticker and a sheet to clean the mems.

The sticks themselves use the classical Trident Z heatspreader we all know – but only the shape. Instead of the normal brushed aluminium, we now have a polished mirrored silver surface and a top made of transparent, cystal-like shaped plastic. Other than the standard rgb sticks, these also use 8 instead of 5 led for the lighting effects and the newly designed top creates very unique effects.

The pcb is black, it comes at the so-called A2 or short trace layout, which means gap between ic 4 and 5 is much bigger than on A1 layout. About pros and cons of this layout we had enough discussion already, it is said to offer higher frequencies but causes problems for real benching at c12 on most mainboards. Used ICs are the infamous Samsung B-die, 8 ics are used on one side of the pcb as it is usual nowadays with high binned 8GB sticks.

Data:

Series Trident Z Royal

Memory Type DDR4

Capacity 16GB (8GBx2)

Multi-Channel Kit Dual Channel Kit

Tested Speed 4000MHz

Tested Latency 17-17-17-37

Tested Voltage 1.35v

Registered/Unbuffered Unbuffered

Error Checking Non-ECC

SPD Speed 2133MHz

SPD Voltage 1.20v

Fan lncluded No

Height 44 mm / 1.73 inch

Warranty Limited Lifetime

Features Intel XMP 2.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) Ready

Additional Notes Rated XMP frequency & stability depends on MB & CPU capability.

 

 

2. Tests and overclocking

Method and system

The memory was tested with geekbench3, Intel xtu and spi 32m. For daily useable settings we also checked stability with DOS memtest, on the windows 10 and 7x64 we used for daily oc no maxmem was set

Hardware
Asus Maximus Apex XI Z390
Intel Core i5-8600K/ Core i7-8086K on AIO-Kühlung
2x8GB G.Skill Trident Z Royal DDR4-4000C17-17-17-37 1,35v (F4-4000C17D-16GTRS)
Seasonic Focus 1050W

For the low cas pro benchmark tests, we used win 7 and 10x64 with maxmem set to 4000mb because at high volts and tight settings B-die lose stability at full memory available

Results 1,35-1,50v (24/7 overclocking)

After checking XMP, we moved on to do a varierty of tests at different settings. Moving up from 4133C17 1,35v to 4200, 4400 and 4500 we finally ended up at a stable DDR4-4600 C17-17-17-38 CR2 at 1,5v. 4700 C18-18-18-42 cr2 worked at same voltage, but already at 4600 and above we saw our memory controller starting to show weakness with stable settings, so at 4800 we had memtest errors due to this no matter what volts or settings. On a side note, we used mainly auto subs for these tests for better comparability, but tightening the subs was easy and will not even need considerably more voltage.

Pro benchmark tests

 

As mentioned, the Royals use short trace layout. This is becoming more and more popular with vendors, but it also means at 4000c12 and above our system could not run as tight settings as A1 layout can for known reasons, nontheless we managed 4133 12-11 gb3, xtu and spi32m and also could run 4266 12-11 CB15 and 11,5 but failed GB3 for example. This is most likely a platform issue, as well as the slightly worse subtimings and CR2 we had to use, we have this on all sets at A2 layout from all vendors we tested so far. It is quite impressive they do 4266c12 anyway, heaps of kits fail this no matter which voltage.

Afterwards I did relucantly a few tests on the super-hyped DDR4-4800c14 setting, Geekbench 3 and Super Pi 32m worked easy, with lots of headroom on Vdimm left, but I passed on more tests as my IMC already needed tons of volts and I don´t like to kill hardware for something I see as useless.

Final Thoughts

My conclusion is quite easy. I know these mems will divide users into two groups, some will love them and others hate them because of optics and rgb. What you can´t discuss about though is performance, and they are excellent workmanship with top performance for daily and also bench use. 4600C17 and 4700C18 on an average imc are excellent, easy 4133 up to 4266 C12 platform-limited are something you will not find easily, and on top they also did the 4800c14 so many people think is useful. The mirror finish and the new lighting effects do not come cheap though, but currently these are listed around 325 Euros at European price comparos of geizhals.at, which is around 15 Euros more than only other kit rated 4000c17, the rgb by G.Skill, and around 30-50 Euros more than 4000C18-19 and 18-20 kits listed by various vendors. If you ask if it the premium is worth it, I will simply answer with a yes, but taste is something you cannot discuss about, so make up your own mind. On performance though it is easy to have an opinion, and I can recommend these with good conscience.

 

Pro:

-very good craftmanship

-great overclocking potential

-unique looks in combination of heatspreader design and lighting effects

-Top warranty by vendor

 

Kontra:

-Quality and performance don´t come cheap

 

Thanks to G.Skill for he sample and G.Skill Deutschland, and also many thanks for reading

 

325E is a huge price, expecially considering DRAM price has gone down on lower frequency modules by a big margin compared to last summer. There are kits at 4133-4266 that will do what these do more or less but at 200-250E. Obviously a sample is in most cases better than retail, so everyone should know, ymmv. 

Good review, you show exactly what a overclocker is looking after and you have good results but royal line is overrated and way overpriced.

For benching I think there should be better choices, especially when you don´t believe in 4800c14 voodoo and have to use asus since asrock, who were able to run a2 layout a lot tighter and classes better than apex IX,X and even XI now is out of business apart from old MOCF which is divider limited. Kits like the Royals aim for high daily overclock with decent timings and modding at same time. If I would have to recommend bench mems atm, I agree that 4000+ GSkills would be best because they are the only brand who still produces benching mems at A1 layout at these regions with their non rgb series

Hello

Thanks so much for these tests

I wanted to take this kit, but not yet available where I am.
You think the 4600 C18 1.45v kit is as good for overclocking as this kit (4000 C17) ?

For now, I'd like to have 4000 17-17-17-37 at 1.35, 1.36v (with Skylake-X and R6E)
And a higher frequency on a next configuration

 

I think it's an A2 kit, no problem with Asus Rampage VI Extreme ?
Currently, I have Trident Z 4400 C19 @ 4000 17-17-17-37-1T 400 at 1.37v

 

Thanks so much for help

Hi,

Asus has the 4000c18 RGB on the QVL which are A2 layout as well, so I see no reason the A2 4000c17 Royals shouldn´t work, but of course ymmv. I tested the 4600c18 RGB which were really strong kit, but for X299 I would prefer to take the 4000s because of compability and handling, should be easier for you, and overclock is really good especially given timings/frequency/voltage ratio.

Hi

Ok thanks so much for your feedback

Currently 4000 C17 kit is not available in my usual stores
The 4600 C18 (2 kits 2x8GB) is 100€ (~ $110) more than the 4000 C17 (4x8GB) anyway
But if with the 4600 C18 I can do the "same OC" with the 4000 C17, it would suit me

 

Thanks

Edited February 14, 20196 yr by tistou77

4600C18 is highest bin, they should not disappoint you as well. Might need a bit more manual tuning but if you already had 4400s tuned, you will also get these to work at desired settings.

Hey Michael!

Nice detailed review, I like it. What SA and IO voltages did you typically use for the daily stable and then for the xoc settings on your particular CPU sample? TIA.

nice read, thanks for posting

33 minutes ago, kicsipapucs said:

Hey Michael!

Nice detailed review, I like it. What SA and IO voltages did you typically use for the daily stable and then for the xoc settings on your particular CPU sample? TIA.

Thanks - 1,3v/1,35v io and sa for 4600c17 and 4700c18, 4800 need around 1,37 io and 1,43v sa - wouldn´t recommend this for water use - c12 settings were max at 1,3/1,35v at 4266

Great review, can I ask you for your settings IO and SA? Thank you.

I got worse scores than you, but I laso used 4096MB Win settings for memory size...

 

updated after 3hours:   lol. The answer on my question is one post higher ? ?

Edited February 26, 20196 yr by flanker

- well, this can happen, I saw your results and I think they are decent, good work

But Im sure, I have issue somewhere in tercial or RTL/IOL settings...

Working your RAM on Fredyama 3866 MHz profile? At my side not  I can not post (SA, IO 1.22V, I tried also 1.3V)

 

Sorry, I am out of business now as this was most likely my last review for a long time, I already gave away the Royals and the cpu so I will not be able to test this. For 4133 and above I had to customize settings because of layout not being asus` prefered stuff, and had to use 2T, but it worked this way

Hi OCers

I just can't get along with my DDR4 RAM at Taichi XE and i7 7740x 

I have G.Skill Trident Z : 

4600 18-22-22-42 (RGB)

4400 19-19-19-39 

3600 15-15-15-35

All of them are capable of running 14-14-14-28 at 1.42 vDRAM , 1.22 VCCIO and 1.24 VCCSA

4600 and 4400 will run at 4133 19-19-19-39 at 1.45 vDRAM , 1.22 VCCIO and 1.24 VCCSA

But I've tried every voltage from 1.5 till 2.0V ( about 0.03 step)
and voltages from 1.26 VCCIO ->> 1.4 
and voltages from 1.28 VCCSA->> 1.35

Nothing works. 3866 17-17-(17)-34 at any voltage point is no go either. 
CPU is at 5.2GHz 1.38V 4.8GHz Cache. 
It's rock solid with 3600 14-14-(14)-28 in any bechmark.
12-12-(12)-28  is impossible with any voltage ..
Mostly at lower voltage RIG is resetting till failure and F1 or F2.
At higher voltages I will get QC 78 for 3 second and then QC 91 - the RIG is fully blocked and have to be turned of with PSU switch.
68-91 is Chipset.

Am I missing something or am I just one unlucky bastard? 
Some PLL tricks? 
Maybe You know some kind of solution/instruction "How to overclock DDR4 at x299 - extremely extreme version"  

I know it's a long post. I'm sorry. Thank you for your time. 

Peter

What maxmem are you running?

On 2/14/2019 at 5:41 PM, websmile said:

Thanks - 1,3v/1,35v io and sa for 4600c17 and 4700c18, 4800 need around 1,37 io and 1,43v sa - wouldn´t recommend this for water use - c12 settings were max at 1,3/1,35v at 4266

1.3/1.35 would yous say it's safa for daily with cpu on water?

OK for me, but no idea what Intel would consider safe

@miker2ka I'm not sure, but I don't think the Taichi XE is amazing for memory clocking. You'd probably want an OCF, Dark, Apex, or Extreme Omega.

Taichi?  I have apex 11

@websmile from your experince what would be the average mv needed to drop 1 latency?  I mean going from 4400 19-19-19 to 4400 18-18-18 what shoud i expect in voltage raise?

I know it depends from kit to kit from your test you should  have an average.

On B-die maybe 0.1v, this is nothing you can easily rate because it varies from boards and kit characteristics

On 2/14/2019 at 10:41 PM, websmile said:

Thanks - 1,3v/1,35v io and sa for 4600c17 and 4700c18, 4800 need around 1,37 io and 1,43v sa - wouldn´t recommend this for water use - c12 settings were max at 1,3/1,35v at 4266

Then my IMC feeling weaker.

My 8700K take IO 1.35 , SA 1.40 for 4600 C18.

but 4700 C18 not stable

4800 C18 will not enter Windows desktop sometime i boot.

 

i7 8700K

Maximus XI Gene

G.Skill RGB TridentZ 4400C18 8x2

Custom water cooling. (360 rads. ek waterblock)

Edited March 23, 20196 yr by ps000000

Seems to be imc then, at least 4600 is already much better than I saw on some other CPUs

I am a happy owner of this memory.
In conjunction with the Ryzen R9 3900X I achieved these results.

Its lovely my Ryzen R9 3900X ?

Its lovely Lisa Su ?

 

4 hours ago, evilhf said:

I am a happy owner of this memory.
In conjunction with the Ryzen R9 3900X I achieved these results.

Its lovely my Ryzen R9 3900X ?

Its lovely Lisa Su ?

latency is bugged. edge of stability

Edited August 7, 20195 yr by Leeghoofd