Introduction

Every time a new platform launches, not only do we have new motherboards and CPUs, we also have new memory to support them. With the launch of Intel's Z170 platform, we have the introduction of dual-channel DDR4, our first taste of what we can look forward to in the future when it comes to mainstream DRAM technology. The company that more often than not brings such products into my test rigs is none other than G.Skill, a company started by performance enthusiasts. G.Skill is a company that seeks the ultimate in performance and stability, which is highlighted by their continual domination of the global HWBot ranking charts. At the same time, G.Skill also has you covered if you are on a budget. Since they are enthusiasts themselves, they know what everyone wants, and they strive to deliver it.

So, what DDR4 do we have? We have the G.Skill Ripjaws V, the fifth iteration of the Ripjaws product line, tuned for high-end performance in affordable products for those looking for the same look without having to pay the higher price. G.Skill's 3600 MHz kit I have here today is clocked much higher than what X99 Express supports since the platform tops out at just a wee bit over 3400 MHz, and while this kit is not the top-dog 3733 MHz kit pre-release marketing information showcased, I do hope to have my hands on one of those kits in the near future.

Since this is our first look at memory performance on Intel's Z170, I had a fair bit of testing to do, with all the past X99 Express kits I had each taking their turn in my test system. Every single one of G.Skill's kits worked well for me, although this particular 3600 MHz kit cannot run at its specifications with every motherboard at this time. That's how high-end this kit is. The same does hold true for some of those X99 Express kits - they don't work in all motherboards. I had to ask all board makers for updated BIOSes to support these new sticks as well as some of the older sticks, and still today, there are some boards that aren't capable of running such high speeds. Even 3000 MHz is an issue for some boards. So what do these 3600 MHz memory kits offer? Let's take a look.

Specifications