We have reached the end of another review, so it is once again time to consolidate everything and get straight to the major talking points. Does XPG have a product worth consideration or does it miss the mark completely?

First, let's talk about the general idea behind ROG Certified memory. In the most basic terms, it is in this case a partnership between XPG and ASUS. XPG called this "Plug n' Play overclocking" and put a statement on the product page: "stable overclocking without the need to go into BIOS." In layman terms, this simply means Intel does not officially support anything over 3200 MT/s for 11th and 12th generation Intel Core processor, which leads to such marketing terms as Extreme Memory Profile, or XMP for short. It acts as the gateway memory profile to anything considered a memory overclock by Intel. Having memory run over the platform's specifications was a big deal at one point. Now, it seems to have become synonymous with gaming PCs and anything generally outside of a barebones desktop computer.

Using this memory kit on motherboards not on the ASUS certified list, the 3600 MT/s isn't guaranteed, but I would say the likelihood of it working as intended is about the same as with any other 3600 MT/s memory kit on the market today. However, counter-arguments can easily be made for why such a kit even exists. For one, it will pair nicely with ASUS-branded gear visually. The other is XPG guaranteeing support on certain motherboards, though this information is a little out of the way on the XPG website, and only Intel ASUS Z490 and Z590 based ROG motherboards are listed. That said, you as a buyer will at least have the peace of mind of knowing this memory kit will in fact run without issues when paired with a motherboard on that list. For those strictly going by memory QVL lists from motherboard vendors, it is in fact nice to have some renaissance.

I do not like to be taken advantage of with marketing non-sense, something I generally do not stand for. However, to XPG's credit, it is kept within reason, though I did find a press article stating "5% clock boost without fretting over compatibility." It isn't contextualized, either, and I suppose a comparison is being made between 3200 MT/s and 3600 MT/s, but it is unclear with what benchmarks and settings. I still don't know how XMP can be enabled without entering the BIOS. Without a ROG-compatible motherboard to test with, I can only speculate, which means I can't give a solid answer about whether this is actually possible. The conflicting information continues on sites like Amazon, where it states XMP must be enabled through the BIOS and this memory is in fact certified on ASUS ROG AMD platforms. I am giving XPG a hard time here because the company is essentially charging more for the ASUS name. Once again, being certified on a particular product has its share of benefits, but the information provided to the consumer needs to be updated to better represent the product. Otherwise, you are essentially buying a SPECTRIX D50 memory kit with a ROG logo on it.

Now with the "certification" portion out of the way, I am still fond of the build quality and choice of memory ICs. If you are the type of person who likes to tinker with overclocking above the rated XMP profile, you will be happy to know that this memory kit can in fact perform with the best in terms of maximum bandwidth. Being that this memory kit is using Hynix DJR ICs, the lowest primary timings will be higher than with well-binned Samsung B-Die ICs; those are generally reserved for more premium enthusiast-grade memory kits. Arguments can be made that the performance difference in games between a CAS value of 14 and 17 isn't enough to warrant the price increase. To that I say it just depends on the user's system configuration.

While on the topic of people's system builds, this memory kit is aesthetically quite pleasing with unified RGB lighting and a sharp design that plays well with both boutique-style and casual gaming PCs. My recommendation to purchase this memory kit is mainly for those who already have ASUS ROG hardware. XPG sells plenty of other Spectrix DDR4-3600 memory kits in various designs and configurations. It does not seem practical to buy this memory kit without an ASUS-based system in the first place.

That being said, whether you just like the design or in fact are planing to build an ASUS system or have one, DDR4-3600 is still ideal for AMD and Intel systems. This is my general recommendation if you do not want to deal with high-frequency memory kits that potentially come with stability issues or require hands-on tuning. The great thing about a 3600 MT/s XMP profile is that it can be enabled and completely left alone if desired. XPG is in a unique position by partnering with ASUS, and as part of the already established Spectrix memory line, this is a unique product that is excellent on its own. Now that it is ROG Certified, it becomes just that much more appealing for those who do not want to deal with all the potential nuances and issues that may arise when using other brands, or higher-speed memory kits.