A Closer Look

The G.SKILL Trident Z5 modules in this review are a matte black design with a brushed aluminium finish. Those familiar with DDR4 Trident Z memory kits will see the similarities in design. The heatspreader covers the entire PCB for full coverage with the outward-protruding signature wing-like fins.


The G.SKILL Trident Z5 brand name has also been placed in the corner of each DIMM, in direct contrast to the black-brushed aluminium.


On one side of each DIMM module is the identification sticker listing the SKU and configuration. However, it lacks the voltage, timings, and XMP profile as its own line of text. If familiar with G.Skill formatting, both the CAS value and XMP profile can be found in the part number.


Laying the DIMMs on the side, you can see "G.SKILL" written in white lettering in the center.


The G.SKILL Trident Z5 DDR5-6400 CL32 kit weighs in at 58 grams on my scale. For Z-height, it is 43 mm rounding up with my calipers.


After taking the heatspreader off, we see that these are single-sided DIMMs with eight 2 GB ICs. This is as expected for a DDR5 32 GB kit since densities increased with DDR5. The thermal pad covers all the memory ICs. This particular kit does not have any coverage for the PMIC and surrounding components.


A closer look at the ICs shows that these are SK Hynix (H5CG48MEBDX014J). Currently, Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix are the three suppliers of DDR5 ICs. As the months have passed by, SK Hynix M-Die has emerged as the current leader for low-latency DDR5 kits. For the time being, M-Die is the IC you want if you plan to overclock.


With DDR5, one of the major changes is how the motherboard directly provides 5 V to the memory module's PMIC, which is then stepped down and split accordingly. No longer is the motherboard responsible for regulating the voltages seen with DDR4. The PMIC has the part number "APW8502C." A quick search has APENC come up as the manufacturer.