Name: G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo Series (32GB, 6000MT/s, CL30)
Brand: Corsair

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On quite a different tier of DDR5 RAM compared to our previous review of the Corsair Dominator Titanium, the G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo on the other hand is a bit more simple and goes for value rather than looks. But such is the spectrum of choosing your components to build out your system and the new generation of RAM that came with the dawn of AM5 has got a lot to offer and a range of choices to go for.

This set in particular is a 32GB set consisting of two 16GB sticks. With an overclock speed capable of reaching 6000MT/s it is designed specifically for AMD’s platform tuned to work with EXPO specifically. But that doesn’t prevent it from being used on an Intel platform either. In any case, we find what it’s capable of and evaluate its design.

G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo Series (32GB, 6000MT/s, CL30)

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

Capacity: 32GB (2×16)
Generation: DDR5
Speed: 6000MT/s
Cas Latency: CL30

What We Think

The Trident Z5 Neo series is a more basic choice of DDR5 RAM out there. Keeping the value strong and all about the specs rather than flashy looks. But that doesn’t detract from its performance as it’s still well-cooled and doesn’t hold back anything really. Keeping a low latency, it might not be the fastest overclock out there but that doesn’t take away from its achievements. Instead, it is a good starting point for a memory choice.

Reasons to Buy

Strong value option for the capacity and latency on offer
Great performance and cooling capabilities
Simple and effective design with good quality

Reasons to Avoid

Not the best all-rounder anymore for DDR5

Design

The G.Skill RAM keeps things simple, of course, there are RGB models available of the same Z5 Neo but we have got the non-lighting option. Instead, all you have is metal plates rising up the sides and combining at the top to create a mountain ridge of a heat sink.

That certainly helps with the cooling of the modules. These increase the surface area and give off the heat that comes from within. As there’s quite a lot being generated from the speeds running inside. That’s where the thermal pads come in, coalescing the components to the metallic surface moves it up and away from the key areas.

There’s not much more to it, as the RAM keeps it simple. The black plates just run a couple of silver streaks across the center of the modules. There is also the name of the memory on the right side across the middle. With the spec sticker on just one side of each stick as well. What else could you expect from your RAM if not getting the job done? Unless you went for the more premium Z5 Royal from G.Skill that has a bit more pizzazz to it.

Price

Looking around for the same model we have was a bit harder, seeing as we got this set as a top RAM for Ryzen 7000 when it launched, there have been plenty of iterations since then. But there are a few options here and there, as Newegg lists it available for $114.99 and in the UK at Overclockers for £119.99. Although listed on Amazon there seem to be no options available currently and maybe it is an EOL product as G.Skill has other options out there to pick from.

When comparing it to other models with the same capacity, speed, and latency, it sort of sits in the middle of the value spectrum. Above the likes of Teamgroups cheap options but below the force of Corsair’s product range. But with RAM there’s not much that makes it so different apart from design, although the speeds can have an effect as we see in the performance next.

Performance

Of course, performance is kind of key when you’re planning out your gaming PC. For that, we put the G.Skill RAM into our testing rig and ran a variety of tests. Ranging both gaming and productivity tasks we can then evaluate how good it is for the job. We also tested three different sets to use as a comparison tool, with the Corsair Vengeance 32GB 6400MT/s and Corsair Dominator Titanium 64GB 6400MT/s as the other options. Although these are faster and one is a higher capacity so it might not be directly comparable.

Our testing setup:

Ryzen 9 7950X CPU
ASUS ProArt X670E-CREATOR WIFI
MSI Gaming X Trio RTX 3090
Phanteks 1000W PSU
ROG Ryujin II 360 AIO CPU cooler

Starting off with a couple of games with both Cyberpunk 2077 and F1 23 put to the test. These are both rather demanding games with ray-tracing features. But for memory testing it’s only at CPU loads that it really matters and so at the lower resolutions where you’re more CPU limited. In both, we see the Trident hold up well matching and even outperforming the other models in the tests. Although there are a few frame differences here and there, that might not be as significant considering the error and run-to-run differences that come with testing.

Then we took to more productivity-based benchmarks and tools. Starting off with 3DMark with a variety of tests undergone, there the overall scores show the Trident leads the way in the standard options like Fire Strike Ultra, Time Spy Extreme, and Port Royal by just a bit each time. Possibly down to variance, but then the CPU profile does see it fall behind the other more speedy choices.

Cinebench is once again a close tight-knit race as the various memories trade blows with each other with only a couple of points between them. Blender is in the same situation as with the CPU-based renders. Handbrake does offer some variance on software-based encoding as the Trident does take a few seconds longer and averages a lower FPS.

In SuperPi on the other hand it’s a few milliseconds faster in calculating a million digits of Pi. So it’s only in the Aida64 benchmark that we see the true comparison between the lot. There we see the slower G.Skill RAM get a worse read, write, and copy speed, dropping a few thousand MB/s. Although it’s still plenty fast and does come with a lower latency for it, so can be quicker in its own right.

Final word

Overall, the G.Skill Trident Z5 is a handy piece of kit. Providing a strong value choice while keeping it simple and fast. It does provide a strong DDR5 option as prices have dropped since the initial launch although there may be alternatives since its release, it still has a low latency in comparison to most. Either way, without a lot of unnecessary lighting and additions it’s a plain get the job done option that will easily fit most use cases.