As the screenshot shows, this specific kit of memory is composed of Samsung B-Die ICs arranged in a dual-rank configuration. This refers to the fact that there are ICs located on both sides of the PCB. In the case of our 16 GB module, there are 8 on each side for a total of 16 x 1 GB ICs. The SPD read also shows us that this PCB is running the B1 layout, which we confirmed with a physical inspection.

When purchasing DDR4 memory, the main factors to consider, other than memory size or physical features, are the operating frequency and timings. The XMP is a memory profile stored inside the actual memory, which allows the user to easily apply the rated frequency and timings. This kit of memory comes with a very fast XMP 2.0 profile of 4000MHz with primary timings of CL17-17-17.It's also possible, of course, that G.Skill could lower the price. But given that prestige and high prices often go hand-in-hand, if this Royal RAM were suddenly affordable to everyone, it would probably lose its appeal--at least to those looking to build a truly elite power rig. Lastly, we examined the performance using a few of the memory benchmark tests offered within the SiSoftware Sandra suite. The flagship product, known as Sandra, is a powerful suite of many different benchmarks used to evaluate the computer performance of all major components, including the processor, graphics, memory, and disk. Next, we used Geekbench 4 to test our memory profiles. It’s one of the best synthetic benchmarks at predicting the ‘real-world’ performance. This benchmark utilizes 25 unique sub-benchmarks of varying complexity and then collates them to create an overall picture of performance. W G.Skill recently released a few new special kits of DDR4 that feature super-fast XMP profiles and including one that is dual rank. Within the enthusiast PC community, there’s been a whole lot of buzz about dual-rank memory modules and how they offer superior performance for some benchmarks and games. Simply put, this means there are ICs on both sides of the memory PCB for better interleaving and thus better performance. We reached out to G.Skill and they sent us their new dual-rank flagship product, the unbelievably fast 2 x 16 GB 4000 CL16-19-19 Trident Z Royal. Specifications and Features

Whether you opt for the silver or gold finish, the modules will look great once installed on a motherboard, and the RGB lighting is but a bonus. I'm not one who usually finds RGB lighting on hardware like RAM and headsets appealing, but there's something about how G.SKILL designed the diffusers with the aluminum spreaders. For the next memory review, we are looking at a newly launched product from G.SKILL. We have seen over the last few years that DDR4 memory has been dressed up to make them stand out; however, G.SKILL has taken things to a new level. The Trident Z Royal is G.SKILL’s attempt at a high-end, premium RGB memory that is guaranteed to add a luxury element to your next build. There are several different XMP’s available and two different color options, but today we are looking a the DDR4 4000 CL17 kit in silver. Specifications and Features Below is the test system and resulting memory speeds that will be used to evaluate the memory and run the various benchmarks. Test Setup First up, I used AIDA64 Cache and Memory Benchmark. Specifically speaking, “Memory bandwidth benchmarks (Memory Read, Memory Write, Memory Copy) measure the maximum achievable memory data transfer bandwidth. The code behind these benchmark methods are written in Assembly and they are extremely optimized for every popular AMD, Intel, and VIA processor core variants by utilizing the appropriate x86/x64, x87, MMX, MMX+, 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE4.1, AVX, AVX2, and AVX-512 instruction set extension.” (source: www.aida64.com) Although the Z490 AQUA has been expressly verified to work with this memory, there is no guarantee that the XMP profile will work. However, despite the impressive speed and latency rating for 2 x 16 GB, we’re happy to report that we had absolutely no trouble with the XMP profile. With all of the bios settings on auto, we were able to simply boot the XMP profile without any tweaking needed.Recall above that we claimed AIDA64 scales the most with frequency, and not as much with kit density or timings, here is the proof. Simply put, nothing beats the D50 EXTREME kit because it comes with an XMP rating of 5000cl19. Our G.Skill test kit did show a surprising result in the copy test, this clearly takes advantage of the faster interleaving from dual-rank, but in the end, it was no match for raw frequency. We’d also like to point out that the XMP 5000 profile shown in the graphs here is incredibly loose, with some of the slowest timings our motherboard would allow. Next up is Geekbench 3, and it has proven itself to be an excellent tool for determining the real-world performance of the system being tested. This type of benchmark is purely 2D calculation-based and there is no graphical processing element, so it’s a great analytical tool to evaluate memory performance. Specifically speaking, “Geekbench 3 features new tests designed to simulate real-world scenarios. This helps make Geekbench an invaluable tool to determine how your current computer (or your next computer) will handle your tasks and applications.” (source: www.geekbench.com) The Trident Z Royal is compatible with Asus Aura software. This unique feature allows users with Asus Aura motherboards to sync both the memory and the motherboard. When paired with an Asus motherboard, the G.SKILL control software relinquishes control to the Asus Aura software to allow syncing of the various compatible hardware. This kit is the 4000MHz (CL15) kit, but G.SKILL sells its Trident Z Royal in an array of configurations. Starting at just 2666MHz, it's possible to save a little by going with slower modules (you can buy a 64GB 2666MHz kit for less than this 16GB review sample) or spend even more on up to 4800MHz DIMMs.