GSKILL TridentX F3-2666C11D DDR3-2666 + ASUS M5G

So with the launch of Z77 comes this big jump in memory frequency over previous platforms (well previous Intel platforms at least) and the bandwidth gains that come with it.

So far it looks like there are three main schools of thought,

1) Insanely tight timings (7-10 perhaps 6-10/9 or maybe an Andre/Shamino special 5-9) with memory frequencies between 2400-2700
2) Reasonable timings (9-11/12 10-11/12) with frequencies 2600-2800
3) Loose timings and high frequencies 2800+

Let me just weigh in on my person thoughts real quick.

(1) Insanely tight timings and high frequency will give you the best result, but it does in most cases require LN2 on the memory and brings with it high risks. If you are going after the 3DMark01 or SuperPI 32m world record, yes this is the best option, but not for every day benching. This would be done with PSC or BBSE.

(2) The ideal option for most users. A good mix of bandwidth, reasonable timings and frequency will be optimal for most benchmarks. The risk is also very low with this option, as you can run this on air.

(3) So far in my testing I havn't found a time when this is the best option. In most cases to run memory this high you have to loosen off the secondary and tertiary (third) timings and you take a bandwidth hit.

When you bench Ivy Bridge, it is more than likely your chip will bench at full pot or close to full pot. Due to these cold temperatures and the fact your cold boot bug will require you to continually warm up/cool down means condensation/water will probably gravitate towards your memory slots, just like on AMD. Andre/Shamino need some serious props for running their memory on subzero for all their benching, that seriously isn't easy and adds another level of risk/troubleshooting into the benching. That aside, most benchers will want to run memory on air as it will be much easier to manage especially when ice/water is already impacting the memory slots, which is why for 99% of benching I choose options (2).

GSKILL have put out their TridentX series of kits, all of which look very strong. I have tested the F3-266611D and Dino is testing the 2600 and they both have strong performance. Here is some results that I have been able to achieve with probably the strongest memory clocker around the ASUS M5G.

The Rig
GSKILL F3-266611D rated at 2666 11-13-13-35 2N
ASUS ROG Maximus 5 Gene Z77
Intel 3570K E1
Combination of air cooler and single stage (not really any noticeable memory clocking difference)

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6294/img0506pl.jpg

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3821/img0503gh.jpg

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/7809/img0502xfi.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5705/img0513is.jpg

These sticks are designed specially for that (2) I was talking about, reasonable timings and good frequency. Please keep in mind on this platform TRCD doesn't really make much of a bandwidth difference, tightening CAS can be good for 32m, but timings as you might be familiar with them on Sandy Bridge/Gulftown act in totally different ways.


Performance Figures

Stock frequency, tightened up with 10-12-12-31 1T
http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/8...gskill1333.jpg

1350 MHz, 10-13-13-31 1T
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/161...gskill1350.jpg

1400 MHz 11-13-13-31 1T, 1.7v
http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/6...gskill1400.jpg

1423 11-13-13-31 1T, 1.74v
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/8...gskill1423.jpg

1443 11-13-13-31 1T, 1.74v, slightly looser subtimings
http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/5...gskill1449.jpg

As you can see from these results, the bandwidth is a little up and down. Some of that can be to do with the CPU frequency, but also some is the tightening/loosening of sub-timings to achieve specific frequencies. While this kit is designed specially to offer option 2 with good timings/good frequency, it also has the super high frequency there if you want it. For me benching day in day out I would be looking to sit it around 1333 10-12-12 or 1350 10-13-13 as this will give me plenty of bandwidth for 3D and also give strong 2D performance.

I am playing with this same setup right now but with SB. Came here to see some results and Bam! I get this. Thanks youngpro.

ah good man, yeah SB i dunno, you will be limited for sure, but should be able to tighten the primaries right up

is that the world record of latencies? sub 30ns yum

has anyone tested this kit?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231587
I still have my hyper bbse kits from the 1st batch gskill pi blacks and to this day they are my best benching kits.
its gonna be hard to beat those. lemme know what you think. I'm always happy to throw down on a great kit if they are the best of that era.
like the muskin black, ocz eb, ch5 kits, hypers.. you get what im saying.
are these the best thing after 1st run pi black kits?

http://hwbot.org/competition/gskill_cup/

yes gskill bbse/PSC are still great kits!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trans am

has anyone tested this kit?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231587
I still have my hyper bbse kits from the 1st batch gskill pi blacks and to this day they are my best benching kits.
its gonna be hard to beat those. lemme know what you think. I'm always happy to throw down on a great kit if they are the best of that era.
like the muskin black, ocz eb, ch5 kits, hypers.. you get what im saying.
are these the best thing after 1st run pi black kits?

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It's here http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...t-and-cheap-99

yeh i think a comparison between these kits and the 2400C10 and 2600C10's tridents will be a good read.

@youngpro they are the 1st run F3-17600CL7D-4GPIS 7-10-10-28 1.65v 2x2gb from 2 years ago. BBSE?
I think that 99 kit is going to be closest to the kit I already have. I'm going to splurge for the $199 kit.
It looks like it will be more exciting in the end. I would rather have a corvette and a Lamborghini countach than 2 similar corvettes in different colors. you know?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trans am

@youngpro they are the 1st run F3-17600CL7D-4GPIS 7-10-10-28 1.65v 2x2gb from 2 years ago. BBSE?
I think that 99 kit is going to be closest to the kit I already have. I'm going to splurge for the $199 kit.
It looks like it will be more exciting in the end. I would rather have a corvette and a Lamborghini countach than 2 similar corvettes in different colors. you know?

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I bet it's PSC. I don't think BBSE can do CL7 at 2133.

I think you're right man. They would do 6-9-6- 1t at 2050 on crappy clarksdale imc. I ran up to 2.2V into them.

F3-17600CL7D-4GPIS are 100% PSC.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by theix

I bet it's PSC. I don't think BBSE can do CL7 at 2133.

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All BBSE should be able to do 2133 7-9-7-20 with 1.65v if they are not crap. Every set of BBSE IC based kit I have can run that and 2133 6-9-6-20 at 1.8v.

But ta's kit is most definitely a PSC based kit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by l0ud_sil3nc3

All BBSE should be able to do 2133 7-9-7-20 with 1.65v if they are not crap. Every set of BBSE IC based kit I have can run that and 2133 6-9-6-20 at 1.8v.

But ta's kit is most definitely a PSC based kit.

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yeah its the 1st run of the pi blacks. which are better? for example I have a hyperx kit from the same hardware era and they couldn't do the timings and speed as the pi blacks. I think those are psc and the gskills are bbse.
or the hypers were something else altogether. they were just strange. were the 1st pi black kits bbse and then they switched to psc? Id love to rip them off and figure this out. Ive derailed this thread so badly now I just feel bad. sorry guys.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by l0ud_sil3nc3

All BBSE should be able to do 2133 7-9-7-20 with 1.65v if they are not crap. Every set of BBSE IC based kit I have can run that and 2133 6-9-6-20 at 1.8v.

But ta's kit is most definitely a PSC based kit.

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I totally forgot about my previous owned 17000CL8D-4GBXMD. It's BBSE and it could do 2133/7-9-7-20 at 1.63v :p:

The 16000CL9D-4GBRHD was also BBSE (some of them was EBSE) but the best it could do was 2200/9-9-9-27 at 1.65v. 2133/7-9-7-20 was no go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trans am

@youngpro they are the 1st run F3-17600CL7D-4GPIS 7-10-10-28 1.65v 2x2gb from 2 years ago. BBSE?

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yeah dude PSC, those first run PIS kits that we thought were a bit loose when they first came out are all of a sudden one of the best kits to have!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by l0ud_sil3nc3

All BBSE should be able to do 2133 7-9-7-20 with 1.65v if they are not crap. Every set of BBSE IC based kit I have can run that and 2133 6-9-6-20 at 1.8v.

But ta's kit is most definitely a PSC based kit.

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yeah your right and from testing so far BBSE might be able to do the cas5 easier than PSC, but a good kit of either will give you similar 32m results,

for my personal benching i will use a TridentX kit for everything except 32m and use PSC subzero for that..

hey pro. whats a decent BBSE kit to keep an eye out for?
only kits ive seen available are the Trident 2000 9-9-9-27's and some Ripjaws in the same spec.

im not really sure to be honest, i havnt worked out what the best ones are, the trident 9-9-9 for sure and probably the perfect storm 9-9-9, when i know ill let you know

Haven't seen either of those for sale around. You probably have a better idea where to look.
Oh well.
Just need to figure out why my pis clock easily and my tridents won't boot.

I'm waiting that i can buy them :D ^^

haha awesome dude, throw some results up when you get them

Quote:

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Originally Posted by youngpro

yeah your right and from testing so far BBSE might be able to do the cas5 easier than PSC, but a good kit of either will give you similar 32m results,

for my personal benching i will use a TridentX kit for everything except 32m and use PSC subzero for that..

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I would love one of those ultra bin covered in special sauce 2800 Trident kits but I think good PSC or BBSE under cold for 2D will be fine as you have stated.

However running 2800-3000 benchable is:cool:

and not mention one less variable to worry about especially if cpu and vga are cold.

exactly mate

as i said above, i think the way to go for 95% of benching is a kit like youve got, a high rated tridentx or similar it, that gives similar bandwidth to the PSC kits, that PSC/BBSE kit is just for your serious 32m or similar bench

how would you rate these against the 2400 cas 9 kit team LV's ?

i wish i could tell you man but I havnt played with them,

I think fester has one of the kits and he is also getting some nice clocks with them

Very nice review as always, James-san:clap::clap::clap:

Yes, indeed this TridentX memory has very strong SPi performnance even at CL10 basically using M5G's memory profile...
Don't be fooled by its looks, I guess:D

Thank you G.Skill & ASUS ROG team to realise the results:up:

Benching reference based on 50GP at tanuki:http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~yok/50GP-32nm/50GP-32nm.html

TridentX F3-2666C11D-8GTXD @CL10
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1...66cl10modp.jpg

RipjawsX F3-17000CL8D-4GBXMD @CL8
http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/8...8modpi8m1m.jpg

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8...dentxphoto.jpg

look at all you folks playing with nice memory :slobber: :D

fredyama, lol love that cpu mounting mechanism :)

my Gskill 2600 kit goes like a man possessed. I've benched them with a better IMC around 1420MHz cas10-12-12 (giga sets pretty tight subtimings)
cas9 also goes high, reasonably efficient also!

Attachment 126789

@eva2000
Thanks very much.
It's the most popular mounting mechanism for extreme cooling so can be applied to air cooling as well:D

@dinos22
Whoa, very fast time & awesome G.Skill memory you have:D:clap::clap::clap:

Thank you fredyama-san

thanks fredyama-san for your contribution, there is a low clock 5ghz modpi 32 thread here on XS, i hope to see your involved ;)

very tight there also Dino, thanks for the input!

would these be good on x79? say with a 3930?

yeah for sure, but you will be much more limited by the capabilities of your IMC,

even though this kit is rated at 2666, you may struggle to get past 2400, but with the right CPU, 2550+ is possible, but totally depends on the quality of your memory controller

Quote:

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Originally Posted by youngpro

yeah for sure, but you will be much more limited by the capabilities of your IMC,

even though this kit is rated at 2666, you may struggle to get past 2400, but with the right CPU, 2550+ is possible, but totally depends on the quality of your memory controller

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+1 On this. My previously owned 3570K + G.Skill 2600C10 kit won't do 2666 stable and won't even boot at 2800 .My new 3770K can do 2666C10 stable and managed to pass SuperPI 1m at 2800. 2933 is still no go (POST code 55, maybe the ram itself).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by youngpro

yeah for sure, but you will be much more limited by the capabilities of your IMC,

even though this kit is rated at 2666, you may struggle to get past 2400, but with the right CPU, 2550+ is possible, but totally depends on the quality of your memory controller

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in that case if i dont know how well well my imc is, should i look at the kit you reviewed or one of these would be better?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...233%2D256%2DTS


in case my link doesnt work
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory - F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH - 9-11-10-28 1.65v
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 Desktop Memory - CMZ16GX3M4X2133C11R - 11-11-11-27 - 1.5v
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory - F3-2400C10Q-16GZH - 10-12-12-31 - 1.65v
G.SKILL Trident X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory - F3-2400C10Q-16GTX - 10-12-12-31 - 1.65v

difficult for me to definitivly say mate but i can say the better kit you buy, the more chance you have of reaching the clocks, if you buy 2133/2400, they are only guaranteed for that frequency