Tuesday, December 18th 2018
GIGABYTE Intros Aorus RGB Memory DDR4-3200 16GB Kit without Dummies
When GIGABYTE originally launched the Aorus RGB Memory DDR4-3200 16GB dual-channel memory kit, it included a pair of dummy modules that resemble the real thing, and let you fill up the blank memory slots of your motherboard. Dummy modules add to the cost, and some users simply don't prefer them, and so the company introduced a new kit bearing the SKU "GP-AR32C16S8K2HU416R," which lacks these dummies.
You get two 8 GB memory modules making up the 16 GB dual-channel kit, each with a chunky 2 mm-thick aluminium heatspreader capped by an acrylic diffuser that puts out light from five addressable RGB LEDs. These modules pack an XMP 2.0 profile that runs them at DDR4-3200 with 16-18-18-38 timings, at 1.35 V. Although the company doesn't specify which brand of DRAM chips it's using, it mentions support for both Intel and AMD platforms.
You get two 8 GB memory modules making up the 16 GB dual-channel kit, each with a chunky 2 mm-thick aluminium heatspreader capped by an acrylic diffuser that puts out light from five addressable RGB LEDs. These modules pack an XMP 2.0 profile that runs them at DDR4-3200 with 16-18-18-38 timings, at 1.35 V. Although the company doesn't specify which brand of DRAM chips it's using, it mentions support for both Intel and AMD platforms.
6 Comments on GIGABYTE Intros Aorus RGB Memory DDR4-3200 16GB Kit without Dummies
I think it's probably more due to the fact that they are all around not good for the money. Sure they look cool and have RGB or whatever. But they're not b-die and I haven't looked lately, but these, with the dummy sticks are $200 on Amazon. I got my 16GB TridentZ RGB sticks for that earlier this year, and they ARE b-die. Or you could get TridentZ RGB that has the same 3200 16-18-18 profile for $40 less...
Do the dummy sticks really add that much to the overall cost?
I guess it's just one of those things where people talk about it being a problem all of the time, but actually nobody cares enough to buy something that fixes it.
Maybe if prices weren't already bad without that level of extravagance they'd have done better. But I'm really betting if they had used better DRAM and sold these as true top of the line enthusiast stuff with the dummy sticks, people would pay, even if they cost a little more. At that point, you're going the extra mile as-is so you may as well flaunt the fact that you are. Not my mindset, but definitely one that's prevalent enough. If I bought them, it'd be for OCD, which you'd think a good number of folks would go for in this hobby. It's just that the people who would buy this still know they can have similar style and likely better performance for the same money, or even less. The dummy sticks alone aren't enough to justify it. They would have to be really, truly premium to sell. Not "pretty good with extra dazzle." The added cost doesn't hurt so much when it's on a higher ticket item. These on the other hand attempted to elevate themselves above their actual price point.
With Corsair's LPX 3200 2X8 series selling for 135$ being pretty much the consistently cheapest kit around, what makes you think that this RGB kit could ever, ever come even close to 99$? are you out of your mind?