G.SKILL has announced some new DDR5 memory for AMD AM5 platforms, just in time for the arrival of Zen 5 and the new Ryzen 9000 Series of CPUs. These fall under the shiny and sparkly Trident Z5 Royal Neo series and feature "ultra-low latency specifications" and the speed of DDR5-6000.
These new Trident Z5 Royal Neo series kits arrive in DDR5-6000 CL28-36-36-96 and DDR5-6000 CL28-38-38-96 kits, with capacities of 32GB (2x16GB) and 64GB (2x32GB) for the former and 48GB (2x24GB) and 96GB (2x48GB) for the latter. As expected, they support AMD EXPO technology for overclocking, with G.SKILL describing low timing as an "ideal DDR5 memory solution for enthusiasts and overclockers."
This announcement follows from the new Trident Z5 Royal Neo DDR5-8000 memory for AMD AM5 platforms we reported on last week; however, the "ultra-low latency specifications" make these new kits stand out. The lower the CL number, the better.
CL Timings Explained
When it comes to DDR5 memory, and DDR4 for that matter, the number most people look at or even talk about when it comes to performance is the overall speed or frequency measured in MHz of MT/s, the 8000 or 6000 that comes after DDR5. The CL stuff or CAS latency refers to how many clock cycles it takes for the memory to access a data set. Often referred to as memory timing, the first number after CL is the one you need to look out for; the lower, the better.
Lower timings can also lead to better results when overclocking. "For enthusiasts and overclockers, memory timing or latency is a key factor in squeezing performance out of a memory kit," G.SKILL explains. "Since memory timing is the delay between specific actions, a lower latency is desired, and performance may be improved by finding the best mix of memory speed and latency."
So yeah, these new kits look and sound impressive. Granted, it's hard not to be distracted by the "luxury-class" design of the Trident Z5 Royal Neo series, with its mirror finish and RGB crystalline light bar.