A Closer Look

Similar to the Neo Forza TRINITY series, modules are only available in black with the MK5 series lacking an RGB choice. These are also a complete redesign and bear no resemblance to their DDR4 siblings.


Unlike many brands, the logo here is off centered to accommodate the heat spreader design. Each side of the DIMM is different. One side has the Neo Forza logo and MK5 series branding, while the other just has "Neo Forza" written in plain text above the identification sticker.


Each DIMM module has an identification sticker listing the SKU, rated XMP operating frequency, and CAS value. These specifications are a bit harder to read without prior understanding of the formatting. The first two lines of text generally contain technical specifications useful to the buyer. Missing here, however, is the operating voltage, which is helpful to have for reference, but should not be overly concerning due to the DDR5-6000 XMP profile only needing 1.30 V.


Laying the DIMMs on the side, we see that Neo Forza does not have any sort of branding on top.


This Neo Forza MK5 DDR5-6000 2x 48 GB kit weighs in at 36 grams on the scale. For Z-height, it comes in at 38 mm, rounding down. Very close in height to bare DIMMs (Green PCB). This is good news for people with lower profile CPU fans or compact cases that often have issues with DIMM height.


After removing the heat spreader, a double-sided PCB is revealed, with eight 3 GB ICs per side for a total of 48 GB for each DIMM. One thing that stands out here is that some of the components that surround the PMIC on single-sided PCB layouts have been moved to the other side for these dual-rank PCBs. These also have a thermal pad for the PMIC and bucks as well.


A closer inspection of the ICs doesn't tell us much. These are Neo Forza branded, which is disappointing from a overclockers perspective. This is mainly due to not knowing the exact revision, which results in extra time spent trying narrow down the manufacturer and IC revision it could be. Luckily for the end user, currently only Micron / Spectek and SK Hynix have released Non-binary 3 GB ICs to the consumer market with one revision each. At 6000 MT/s and "looser" primary timings, knowing which one it could be isn't easy to tell just by those values alone. Nonetheless, we do have SK Hynix (H5CGD8MGBD-X021), which can be abbreviated to SK Hynix 3 GB M-Die, not to be confused with SK Hynix's first DDR5 M-Die (2 GB) in 2021.


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, as with DDR4. The PMIC has the part number "0P=AD 7G1" of which software reports Richtek as the manufacturer. An internet investigation provides no additional information.