Initial Setup

Water-Cooled System Install

Installation of the G.Skill F3-2666C11Q-16GTXD kit into a system cooled with an AIO watercooler is very simple. Simply slide all four sticks into a slot. Be careful not to forget that these are pokey weapons of the Maritimes! The middle of the stick has a flat part you can push down on to make sure the DIMM is secure.


Now, clip the fan into place. I, as you can see, don't have a graphics card installed yet, and for good reason. There might not be a lot of clearance on some motherboards, and although it may seem to be tight, most motherboards will not run into the issue of the fan and installed expansion cards hitting each other. However, that's not always the case, so it's best to fit the fan before installing your VGA.

Air-Cooled System Install

My memory testbench is now based around the ASUS Maximus V Extreme motherboard I reviewed a short time ago. These DIMMS need airflow, but the close proximity of the uppermost PCIe slot to the DIMM slots just wouldn't allow the fan to fit. Air cooling it is then. Unfortunately, the DIMM's 53.51mm height poses a problem with the CPU cooler's fan in the proper position.


Like a mermaid come ashore, these TridentX sticks can shed their fins! Simply use a properly-sized screwdriver to remove the screws at both ends and you can slide the top red heatsink right off. It might be a good idea to put these back into the box in case you need them later! ;)


Their lowered height of 39.56mm allows me to put the CPU fan in place. I left the other two fins in place because the fan only hangs over two of the DIMMs, although I installed them after the fan was in place. As you can see above, removing this heatsink is quick and easy, which allows for an installation in a situation where other memory sticks with tall heatsinks won't fit. Yes, I'm talking to you, Dominator Platinums!


This functionality is something that sets these sticks apart from other high-end enthusiast DIMMs, since they nearly always have very large heatsinks. What amazes me more is that heat is actually transferred from the main DIMM heatsink to the upper portion quite effectively, even after re-installation. All those ridges and valleys that hold the fin in place also add surface area for the DIMM to transfer heat with.