Question How to determine which SKU to pick? So many G.Skill 3600 MHz CL16 options!

[Bobsy]

I'm trying to select suitable RAM for a Gigabyte B550 motherboard and 5600X CPU. I'm gravitating towards G.Skill Trident Z RGB RAM because I'm a G.Skill fanboy (not really, but all I've ever purchased has been Ripjaws). I'm also going for 2x8GB @ 3600 MHz CL16 because Steve from Hardware Unboxed said it's the sweet spot for the Ryzen 5000 CPU.
I'm hitting a few roadblocks because I have never been on AMD before and it's been six years since I last bought RAM.

1. The RAM Configurator tool does not return any 3600 MHz kits when I input my mobo/chipset! The fastest kit displayed is 3200 MHz CL14. 🤨

2. When manually searching for RAM, I have the option between "Trident Z RGB" and "Trident Z RGB (For AMD)". If I picked "for AMD", none of the RAM shown is 3600 MHz CL16! 🤨



3. As if this was not enough, when I just look for Trident Z RGB or Z Neo, I'm offered two options at 3600 MHz CL16! This is so complicated... I don't know what to buy!




I'm lost. Wonderful community: "help!"

 

[Campy]

It's easier to use the QVL list for the motherboard, but virtually every 3600 CL16 kit should work anyhow, if not all of them.

 

[Bobsy]

The QVL list! Of course! Thank you Campy. In the absence of a list for Vermeer, I guess the list for Matisse (Ryzen 3000) will do?

 

[KentState]

I found that most of the time the sku that ends in GTZR or GTZN are the ones listed on the QVL list. Usually those are the lower latency models.

 

[Campy]

The QVL list! Of course! Thank you Campy. In the absence of a list for Vermeer, I guess the list for Matisse (Ryzen 3000) will do?

Yeah it's the same memory controller so I'd expect everything on the Matisse list to work.

I found that most of the time the sku that ends in GTZR or GTZN are the ones listed on the QVL list. Usually those are the lower latency models.

That indicates which product line it's in. GTZR is the regular Trident Z RGB line. GTZN is Trident Z Neo.

The Neo line is the one that's "engineered/optimized for AMD" according to GSkill. Lower latency kits are almost always B-die in both lines.

However only some 3600 C16 kits are B-die. If the timings are 16-16-16-36 it's B-die, if they're 16-19-19-39 it's not and the SKU will usually end with a C like GTZNC probably because it's some kind of Hynix C-die.
Of course you should double check the B-die list on Hardwareluxx before buying if B-die is important to you.

 

[KentState]

Yeah it's the same memory controller so I'd expect everything on the Matisse list to work.



That indicates which product line it's in. GTZR is the regular Trident Z RGB line. GTZN is Trident Z Neo.

The Neo line is the one that's "engineered/optimized for AMD" according to GSkill. Lower latency kits are almost always B-die in both lines.

However only some 3600 C16 kits are B-die. If the timings are 16-16-16-36 it's B-die, if they're 16-19-19-39 it's not and the SKU will usually end with a C like GTZNC probably because it's some kind of Hynix C-die.
Of course you should double check the B-die list on Hardwareluxx before buying if B-die is important to you.

Yes and no. I know it’s the product line but it’s usually the base sku with the best timings. They will add c or another letter to the end if it’s something like micron or Hynix and often requires more voltage.

 

[Bobsy]

Of course you should double check the B-die list on Hardwareluxx before buying if B-die is important to you.

Hopefully I can assume it's not important because I have no idea what the difference is between B-die and C-die!

 

[KentState]

Hopefully I can assume it's not important because I have no idea what the difference is between B-die and C-die!

Samsung B-die is know for it's consistent ability to run at the advertised speeds and timings. Micron and Hynix make E die and C die which have been known to overclock with looser timings. In theory, Samsung should just work with Zen 2/3 with their XMP configurations. The others may work, but not always on the QVL.