The G Skill Trident F4-3600C18D-32GTZN and the G Skill Trident f4-3600c16d-32gtznc expandable to 3600mhz are two of the best kits on the market. They’re both spec’d out at 1.35v, 1866 speed, and 32GB capacity; but they come in different colors (blue vs black heat spreader) and prices range from as low as ($105 to $223).
Make sure to check Amazon’s G Skill Trident F4-3600C18D-32GTZN Deals and current up-to-date prices here!
The blue Trident kit is part of the trident X Series and is rated to run at 1.35v for up to 3600mhz whereas the black Trident kit runs at 1.5v for up to 3200mhz (although they can both run at 1866mhz with a voltage of just 1.25).
The G Skill Trident f4-3600c18d-32gtzn is currently available online at Amazon.com for the affordable lowest price I have ever seen these two kits go for in a long time.
The G Skill Trident f4-3600c16d-32gtznc is also available on Amazon for a steal price compared to most local PC part suppliers.
Both are sold as 32gb kits (8x 4gb)
Please note that G skill states the following on Amazon.com with regard to the Trident f4 3600c18d-32gtzn kit:
The G Skill Trident F4-3600C18D-32GTZN is more expensive than its black counterpart due to it being made of aluminum heat spreader (blue), which provides superior cooling over the standard plastic heat spreader.
G Skill Trident F4-3600C18D-32GTZN Pricing On Amazon.com vs G skill Trident F4-3600C16D-32GTZN Pricing on Amazon.com
The G Skill trident series are the best performing DIMMs currently available for extreme overclocking.
These DIMMs have been run on a G skill test bench with an Intel Core i7 5820k processor clocked at 5.3Ghz @ 1.9v stable 24/7 for a year straight, and they never go down in frequency even after extended hours of prime blend testing, stability testing, and running AIDA64 stress tests for extended periods of time.
The following benchmark results are from an actual user review on Amazon.com by J. Childress:
G Skill Trident f4-3600c18d-32gtzn Vs G skill trident F4-3200c16D-32GTZnC Benchmark Review On Amazon.com
The G Skill Trident F4-3600C18D-32GTZN has a much lower latency:
- CL = 17 (vs 19)
- CL = 19 (vs 20)
As shown above, the G skill trident F4-3600c18d-32gtzn has a latency of 17, whereas the G skill trident F4-3200c16D-32GTZnC has a CL(cmd rate) of 19. So in theory, the F4-3600c18d-32gtzn should have better performance in gaming applications due to its lower latency.
I have personally spent months trying to find reasons for the 3% performance gain by the F4-3200c18d-32gtzn, but I can’t seem to find any conclusive reason other than it is rated at 1866mhz vs 1600mhz on the G Skill trident f4-3200c16D-32GTZnC.
Keep in mind that the G skill trident f4-3600c18d-32gtzn can be overclocked to 3600mhz whereas the G skill trident f4-3200c16D-32GTZnC cannot be overclocked past 3200mhz (unless of course you use a voltage above 1.5v which is not advisable for this specific kit).
The G Skill f4-3200c18D-32GTZnC has only been tested to work with the following motherboards:
Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H rev 1.0 (BIOS F7)
MSI Z97 MPOWER MAX AC (BIOS V16)
Also Read Related Article: Msi Vs. Asus: Which Laptop Is Best, Asus Or Msi? (It’s Not What You Think!)
Is Trident Z Neo Worth It?
When you look at the overall pricing of the Trident Z Neo vs the Trident Z, you have to ask yourself if it’s really worth the premium price tag. This is purely subjective as there are many different considerations to take into account when looking at these kits.
As a general guide, the G Skill Trident Z neo kit is worth it. It has a CL of 16, not higher or lower than any other DDR4 3600mhz kit out there.
The G Skill Trident Z neo can run at 3600mhz, whereas the Trident Z cannot without pushing up the voltage beyond 1.5v (which is not advisable to do with these kits). If you are looking for a DDR4 3600mhz kit that comes clocked at 3600mhz out of the box, then the G Skill Trident Z neo is for you.
Overall, the Trident Z is Worth It. However, if all you are looking for is to simply upgrade your current 6th/7th generation i5 or i7 platform, then the Trident Z neo is not worth it.
There are better kits out there in terms of price and performance. But if you are looking to build a new system, then it all depends on what motherboard you have.
The Trident Z is for the enthusiast/overclocker who wants to push their CPU to the max. With Samsung B die IC’s and an astounding CL(cmd rate) of 19 (which currently no other manufacturer can achieve), this kit will perform at its best when paired with X99 or Z170 platforms.
The G skill Trident Z series is a great kit, but it’s not for everyone. Unless you are a die-hard enthusiast/overclocker looking to push your system to the max, then I would suggest buying cheaper kits such as Ballistix Sport or ADATA XPG Z1 or G.Skill Ripjaws V Series that come with lower timings and CL.
If you were to ask me, “Is Trident Z worth it?” I would say yes. What I’m not sure; is whether that relates to your circumstances because the majority of your choices all depends on what type of motherboard you have and whether your current board is compatible with those memory kits.
Is G Skill Trident Z Neo Good For Gaming?
As gaming computers demand the highest performance from their components, you have to ask yourself if a kit with a lower CL(cmd rate) would affect your gaming performance in any way.
As a general guide, G Skill Trident Z Neo is not good (a requirement) for gaming. Given the fact that a single thread peaks at around 100% usage for less than 10 milliseconds at a time, you really wouldn’t notice any difference between a kit with a CL(cmd rate) of 16 and a kit with a CL(cmd rate) of 19.
Setting memory timings properly for your motherboard BIOS is the most important thing to do when overclocking your memory. This will provide you with the best performance possible from your memory kit.
Is Trident Z Neo Good For Intel?
If you are running an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, then you should buy kits with lower CL(cmd rate)s such as the G Skill Trident Z Series.
It is not advisable to use high-performance memory kits that have higher CL(cmd rate) whenever possible because the command rate is the speed at which your CPU sends instructions to your memory kit.
The CL(cmd rate) which is also known as RAS to CAS Delay(Row Address Strobe to Column Address Strobe) determines the speed at which you transfer data from your CPU to memory.
If you are looking for a high-performance memory kit that has lower timings and will maximize the performance of your Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, then the G Skill Trident Z Series is for you.
Is Trident Z Good For AMD?
If you are running an AMD Ryzen processor, then you should buy kits with lower CL(cmd rate)s such as the G Skill Ripjaws V Series which has a CL of 15 (lower than any other DDR4 3600mhz memory kit on the market).
For those who are planning to upgrade from Ryzen 7 1800x or any other AMD Ryzen 7 platform, then you should look at G Skill Trident Z Series as it will maximize your PC’s performance which is powered by the latest DDR4 technology.
Is G Skill Trident Z Neo Compatible with Ryzen?
As the Ryzen platform is pretty new and DDR4 memory kits for this platform are in short supply, there is no way to determine compatibility.
However, we can suggest that if you really want a high-performance memory kit that will allow your Ryzen CPU to reach its full potential, then the Trident Z Neo Series is not for you.
You should go with Samsung B-Die which is the motherboard’s original memory ICs. If you are looking for the best Ryzen 1800x RAM, then go with Corsair LPX Vengeance RGB as it can hit up to 3200mhz out of the box.
For whatever reason you want to use the G Skill trident chip, It is not advisable to use high-performance memory kits that have higher CL(cmd rate) whenever possible because the command rate is the speed at which your CPU sends instructions to your memory kit.
Is G Skill Trident Z Good For Overclocking?
If you are on the market for the best overclocking DDR4 kit, then the G Skill Trident Z Series is for you.
There are no modules of DDR4 RAM of any type that can reach 3600mhz at CL16. Even the tridents I (G Skill) built with Samsung B-die ICs cannot make it to this speed; however, they can run perfectly fine at 3300mhz at CL16.
What is the Best Memory Kit for i7 8700k?
G Skill Trident Z is a great choice as long as it is a Z or a TZ memory kit depending on your motherboard chipset.
However, with overclocking you will need to be aware that even though it is possible to overclock memory kits that are based on Samsung B-Die to 3800mhz CL19, you can get even better performance by overclocking it to 3600mhz at CL16.
Why is G Skill Trident Z Best Memory Kit?
As mentioned above, the best DDR4 memory kit for your Intel Core i7 8700k is G Skill Trident Z Series or Samsung B-Die.
Samsung B-die is the only DDR4 memory chip that can hit speeds of 3000mhz out of the box, running at CL14 which makes it very popular among gamers because it will maximize your PC’s performance.
That said, if you are planning to overclock your 8700k, then the only memory kit you should consider is G Skill Trident Z.
G Skill Trident Z can hit speeds of up to 3600mhz which means that it will allow your 8700k to reach its full potential.
You should also be aware that there are no modules out in the market today that can reach speeds of 3600mhz running at CL15. The only modules that can run at this speed is Trident Z or TZ depending on your chipset and they will hit 3600mhz at CL16 which is just as fast.
What Memory Kit Should I Get for i7 7700k?
G Skill Trident Z memory kits are the best DDR4 memory kits for your Intel Core i7 7700k processor.
You should be aware that DDR4 memory kits are faster when they are built with Samsung B-Die ICs which is the original memory chip designed by intel.
This is why all high-performance DDR4 memory kits on the market today are using Samsung B-die as their base ICs.
Hitting the maximum speeds of 3000mhz is not an easy task, even G Skill Trident Z memory kits can only hit this speed with higher command rates which means that it will be slightly slower than other DDR4 memory kits that are built with Samsung B-die.
If you are planning to overclock your 7700k, then G Skill Trident Z is the only DDR4 memory kit you should consider. This memory kit can deliver speeds of up to 3600mhz which will allow your CPU to reach its maximum potential and squeeze every bit of juice that it can offer.
What Memory Kit Should I Get for Ryzen 5 1600?
If you are using a Ryzen 5 1600 processor, then you should consider getting G Skill Trident Z or TZ memory.
Now I am aware that there are people out there who think that the less expensive Sniper X series is just as good, but based on my personal experience with Ryzen, I would advise you to get a memory kit that is designed by a reputable brand.
Why? Because G Skill and Corsair both have been in the industry long enough to know what works with Ryzen processors. In addition, they have been around long enough to provide consistent quality control and manufacturing standards that can satisfy any customer.
Conclusion
If you have a Z170 or X99 motherboard that supports overclocking and you are looking for the best kit to boost your pc’s performance in gaming or everyday tasks, the G skill trident F4-3600c18d-32gtzn is currently one of the best kits available.
However, if you don’t have a motherboard that allows overclocking and want the best bang for your buck DDR4 memory on a budget, the G skill trident F4-3200c16D-32GTZnC is currently one of the best kits available and costs significantly less than the F4-3600c18d-32gtzn.
I hope this article provides you with more insight on choosing a DDR4 memory kit for your next build or upgrade.
