Introduction

With memory prices continuing to plummet, now is a great time to be looking for memory upgrades. There is competition from both Intel and AMD, and the Red brand has thoroughly fixed the memory issues of generations past. No longer do users have to worry about memory compatibility or shopping for expensive AMD-branded kits. With 3200 MHz natively supported on the new Ryzen platform, options for enthusiasts have never been more open. Thermaltake is best known for their cases and power supplies, but the brand has expanded a great deal to include both AIO and custom liquid coolers, peripherals, and even desks and chairs. The company has put a particular emphasis on developing comprehensive, user-friendly RGB solutions with broad compatibility and control options. Thermaltake brought that RGB expertise into the memory space with the Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB.

The Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB now comes in speeds of up to 4600 MHz and capacities of up to 64 GB (2x 32 GB). To aid in both appearance and performance, the Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB also features an aluminium heat spreader with either a brushed black finish or a sleek matte white. Finally, it boasts software certifications with all four major motherboard vendors, as well as Thermaltake's own comprehensive software. If you have ever wished you could synchronize your RGB memory with Alexa voice commands over a voice compatible controller, Thermaltake has you covered. With ever-increasing flexibility and control, this is an amazing time to be a lighting enthusiast.

The Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB kit I have for testing today features their new white finish along with a respectable XMP profile: 32 GB (2x 16 GB) of 3200 MHz memory at 16-18-18-36 and 1.35 V. With a new aesthetic and promising RGB from a well-known brand, all that is left is to see how it performs.

Specifications

Packaging

The Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB packaging is a sleek satin black cardboard box dominated by a picture of a TOUGHRAM RGB stick in the center. "Thermaltake" is in the top left, with the memory speed and capacity on a badge on the right. "TOUGHRAM RGB" is printed along the bottom with two badges for Thermaltake's RGB software. The back of the box has a bullet list of features, as well as more software compatibility badges and the full specification stickers.

The Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB packaging is well designed and has more information than most other memory kit packaging.


Inside a traditionally molded plastic tray, the memory sticks are held firmly and kept quite safe from all but the most careless handling.

A Closer Look

With the exception of two triangular cutouts along the top of each stick, the Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB sticks cut a perfectly rectangular profile.


The new white edition Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB sticks have a striking white heat spreader finish with two stripes of mirrored metal on the left side.


Combined with the white LED diffuser and two cutouts, the Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB sticks have a cleverly integrated Thermaltake logo. The specifications on this sample Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB are quite good, with a 3200 MHz XMP profile at 16-18-18-36 and 1.35 V.


"TOUGHRAM RGB" is printed on the top-right side of the LED diffuser, with the Thermaltake logo on the heat spreader just below it.


The Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB sticks are single-sided and use SK Hynix A-die 2 GB ICs on a 10-layer PCB for added stability.


I like to weigh a stick from each kit I get as the difference in mass can be pretty drastic between kits. Mass is not the best indicator of cooling efficiency because material can matter, and heat dissipation is of course reliant on surface area, not volume or mass. That said, it is still interesting to compare.

The Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB comes in at 80.99 g on my scale, which is on the high end. The aluminium heat spreader is thicker than most. For height, the Thermaltake TOUGHRAM RGB comes in at almost 48.53 mm with my calipers, which is right in the average of 45–50 mm.