G.Skill Ripjaws Z 2133 MHz DDR3 CL9 16 GB Kit Review 46

G.Skill Ripjaws Z 2133 MHz DDR3 CL9 16 GB Kit Review

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Value & Conclusion

  • The G.Skill Ripjaws Z F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH is available now, with a MRSP $189.99.
  • Fully working XMP v1.3 profile for X79
  • Low price considering total size of 16 GB, and the default speed of 2133 MHz
  • Fantastic overclockability combined with lots of flexibility for timing adjustment at lower speeds.
  • Short heatspeader size for maximum compatibility with aftermarket cooling.
  • Certified and pre-tested to be compatible with the majority of motherboards on the market, including other AMD and Intel platforms.
  • 1600 MHz JEDEC profile for the best performance on the Intel X79 Express platform, even when XMP is not enabled
  • Requires 1.65 V for 2133 MHz, while there are several other kits on the market that only require 1.5 V with similar performance.
  • 2133 MHz operation only certified for X79, with 2000 MHz/1866 MHz for other platforms.
  • Only available in blue/black, which will not aesthetically match all system builds, although other kits in the same product line do come in other colors.
We spent well over a month playing with the G.Skill Ripjaws Z F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH kit. We tried all existing current platforms, including AM3+, FM1, SKT 1155, and when it was released, the Intel X79 Express platform, it was intended for. We had no issues getting the sticks to work on the other platforms, albeit at lowered speeds, but at the same time, those lowered speeds were programmed into the XMP profile with less voltage, too. Running 16 GB on other platforms is nothing to ignore, but the G.Skill Ripjaws Z F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH did it easily, and when put on its intended platform, the kit overclocked pretty well too, with very little tweaking required.
Our testing even proved to show that there are significant gains to be had using XMP-certified memory on the Intel X79 Express platform. We really have to give G.Skill kudos for making sure motherboard makers had samples too, to make sure that end users have the best and easiest experience possible. For normal users, and for those looking to hit the extreme end of performance, the G.Skill Ripjaws Z F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH kit has a lot to offer, that many other kits cannot say as easily. And with that in mind, we can easily give the G.Skill Ripjaws Z F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH a "Recommended" award. Don't forget to hit us up in the forums for help getting your kit running the best it can!
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Nov 6th, 2024 16:06 EST change timezone

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