G.Skill 6GB PC3-12800 Triple Channel DDR3 Kit Review

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G.Skill 3x2GB PC3-12800
Triple Channel DDR3 Kit Review

Price: $200+ CND Price Comparison
Manufacturer Product Page: G.Skill
Manufacturer's Part Number: F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ
Warranty: Lifetime warranty


Among the general public G.Skill is perhaps not the most well-known brand on the market, but it is respected by those 'in the know'. G.Skill International Enterprise was founded in 1989 in Taipei, Taiwan by a group of devoted computer enthusiasts, and these origins would eventually shine through. While the company originally manufactured mainstream PC memory, flash cards and USB flash drives, in 2003 they sowed the seeds to their own success by debuting a line of high-quality, high-end overclocking-friendly memory kits. Since then, in a short 5-6 year span, G.Skill has leapt to the forefront of the memory industry by catering to the needs and wants of the enthusiasts community while their lifetime warranty certainly hasn't hurt their popularity either. Building upon the success of their memory kits, and wisely seeking to diversify, the company announced its first SATA II 2.5" solid state drives (SSDs) in May 2008, which we had the pleasure of exclusively reviewing.

As you all know, the highly anticipated Intel Core i7 processors were launched in November, and with these new processors came a new dynamic in the memory sector, at least when it comes to DDR3 memory. With its integrated memory controller and triple-channel memory interface, the Core i7 brought forth a whole slew of new product opportunities and technical challenges. On the one hand, memory manufacturers would now be able to create and sell new product lines based on triple-channel 3GB/6GB/12GB/24GB DDR3 memory kits. But on the other hand, with an Intel recommend maximum memory voltage of 1.65V, no longer could memory manufacturers go buck wild with the voltage in order to maximize frequencies and tighten timings. The result? Well, let's take a look at the product at hand.

The G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ is a 6GB (3 x 2GB) PC3-12800 memory kit featuring relatively mild 9-9-9-24 timings with a low recommend voltage of just 1.5-1.6 volts. This particularly model can be considered a mid-range offering in G.Skill's current triple-channel DDR3 product line, which is currently topped by a blistering [URL="http://newgskill.web-bi.net/bbs/view.php?id=g_ddr3&page=1&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=58]PC3-16000 7-8-7-20 model[/url] that will be available shortly. The memory kit that we are reviewing today can found for as low as $200CDN, which demonstrates how dramatically DDR3 prices have submarined in the last 6 months...almost mirroring the global economic decline. A coincidence or conspiracy? Neither, just a glut of production by the large IC manufacturers which ultimately benefits us consumers. Yes, this memory kit is affordable, but is is any good? Well that is what we are here to found out, read on...

 

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Package & Memory Overview

Package & Memory Overview

...but before we see exactly what we can do with it, let’s have a quick look at the package and modules.

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G.Skill has packaged the F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ in a standard plastic clamshell with cardboard insert, which is par for the course for a mainstream memory kit. We are sometimes wary to see this type of packaging because modules can sometimes become loose, but these modules were mounted snug and tight with zero indication that they could pop out. While solid, the packaging can thankfully be opened by hand, it does not require a knife to open, so the less dexterous among you will not have to worry about accidentaly severing one or multiple digits. Put your four-fingered hands up for G.Skill!

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As part of the NQ series, this memory kit is drapped in sleek bright red heatspreaders with a few mirror-like details. Although this heatspreader design is more conservative than the extragavant heatsinks we have grown accustomed to, they still look great in our eyes, especially when matched with the Rampage II Extreme. Obviously, we wouldn't mind seeing colour-coordinated PCB in this Day & Age, but that is an inconsequential gripe. The most notable and positive difference between these heatspreaders and the ones used on past NQ series products is that G.Skill have foregone the heatspreader clips, which keeps the overall look sleek and unblemished.

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In this close-up, we can see that the modules are double-sided and that the heatspreaders are making good contact with both sides of the ICs. Detaching one side of the heatspreader reveals that the thermal material used is simple thermal tape. It will be interesting to see whether this rudimentary material will do an adequate job at transferring heat from the ICs to the heatsinks during our intense overclocking tests.

Money Shot

Now since we know you expect us at HWC to delve in deeper than other sites, we have risked life, limb, and property to remove the heatspreaders and reveal to you the secretive ICs that form the basis for this memory kit. So without further ado...

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At first glance it is evident that these chips have been relabeled/silk screened by G.Skill. This cleverly prevents us from determining who the true manufacturer is, and regrettably none of the provided markings shed any light on the origins of the ICs. You win this round G.Skill, for now...

 

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Specifications

Specifications

Now that he have taken a closer look at the memory, and literally ripped it apart itself, let's examine the specifications.

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</div>As mentioned previously, the G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ is a 6GB PC3-12800/DDR3-1600 memory kit rated for 9-9-9-24 timings at between 1.5-1.6 volts. This new low memory voltage requirement is a direct result of the integrated memory controller (IMC) that is a key feature of the new Intel Core i7 processors. Although the technical and performance benefits of an IMC are undeniable, the end-result is nevertheless a processor design that is more susceptible to failure when high vDIMM is utilized without proper precautions. Although we do not adhere to our own wisdom, we highly recommend that users abide by the recommended 1.65V memory voltage limit just to avoid accidental damage to these pricey new quad-core processors.

The memory kit we are reviewing is the 6GB (3 x 2GB) version of these modules, but as we can see on the left, G.Skill do offer a 3GB (3 x 1GB) kit with identical specifications, part # [url="http://hardwarecanucks.pricecanada.com/detail.php?product_id=583376&sku=F312800CL9T3GBNQ&matched_search=F3-12800CL9T-3GBNQ]F3-12800CL9T-3GBNQ"[/url], and which can be found for a remarkably low $120CDN.

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</div>Those planning on making the leap to Core i7 will need to purchase a new Intel X58 Express-based motherboard, and this particular kit has been tested with some of the best and most popular models on the market. We can personally attest that this memory kit works flawlessly on the ASUS Rampage II Extreme, Gigabyte EX58-UD5, and Intel DX58SO 'SmackOver', and we have no reason to believe that it would have any compatibilities issues with the [url="http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/13276-evga-x58-sli-lga-1366-motherboard-review.html]EVGA X58 SLI[/url] or Foxconn BloodRage.

CPU-Z allows us to see the various timings that have been set in the SPD. On our test platform, the Rampage II Extreme correctly recognized the memory's XMP profile, which is great since it automatically gets the system running at the rated settings without any user input.

 

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Memory Installation

Memory Installation

Given the low-profile nature of these memory modules we know with great certainty that installation should be problem-free on all current X58 motherboards. Therefore, feel free to consider these pictures gratuitous glam shots...at least they can serve to give a better sense of how these modules would look installed on your respective motherboard(s).

ASUS Rampage II Extreme​

Gigabyte EX58-UD5​

Intel DX58SO 'SmackOver'​

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The one common theme among all three motherboards is the fact that depending on how you install the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme 1366 RT CPU cooler it can overhang the first memory slot, making installation/removal of that particular module a little bit more difficult than it otherwise should be. This is obviously not a fault with the G.Skill memory kit though, just an observation.

 

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Test Setup & Methodologies

Test Setup & Methodologies

Test Platform:

Testing will occur on a Highspeed PC Standard Top Deck Tech Station, and not in a traditional case. This allows easier access to the motherboard for the constant poking and prodding that is required during the reviewing process. The setup remained as pictured during the duration of the benchmarking and stability overclocking process.

Overclocking Methodology

Although the F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ is not marketed as a hardcore-overclocking product, we still anticipate some solid results from this first-generation low voltage triple-channel DDR3 memory kit, and we are definitely going to find out what it is truly capable of. The overclocking section is the part of our reviews that we take the most pride in, and we spend an excessive number of hours testing, tweaking, failing, and succeeding in order to give you the best possible insight into each product's overclocking capabilities. After all, if you are anything like us, the overclocking section is the first (and often last!) part that you read when checking out a product review.

For the purposes of this review, our overclocking efforts will primarily focus on four different timings configurations (7-7-7/8-8-8/9-9-9/10-10-10) and three different voltage settings (1.55V-1.65V-1.75V). The CPU frequency will be kept as close as possible to the stock 3200Mhz, while the Uncore and QPI Link near 3200Mhz and 6400Mhz, respectively. Due multiplier limitations, when running at DDR3-1866 10-10-10 the lowest selectable Uncore/Integrated Memory Controller (IMC) speed is 3733Mhz, so that is what we used throughout our testing. The QPI/DRAM voltage was kept at a relatively high 1.45V throughout our tests, in order to ensure (as best as possible) that the integrated memory controller would not be a bottleneck.

During our overclocking adventures we put an emphasis on stability. While the question “What is stable?” could be debated endlessly, we have devised a methodology that combines a wide range of programs that test the stability of the entire system.

Here is the suite of applications that will be run in order to validate each of the overclocks:

• Eight 32MB runs of SuperPi Mod 1.5 (ran at the same time)
• 1+ hours of Eight-Threaded Prime 95 v25.7 using the Stress Testing Blend
• 3+ hours of Quad HCI MemTest in Windows using all available memory
• Multiple loops of 3DMark 06 (30 minutes of looping the full tests each)
• 1 hour of game play in Team Fortress 2 & Crysis @ 1680x1050

Altogether, the above suite should provide enough stress testing to ensure a completely stable overclock, however we are always up for new suggestions. As always, no two systems are ever alike, so your results may vary. Also, <b>overclock at your own risk!</b> The Core i7 platform is brand new, and if you try to mimic our results there is always the possibility that you could damage any and all of your components. If you aren’t fully confident in what you are doing, feel free to stop by our forums and our helpful community will be glad to offer some assistance.

Benchmark Methodology

For this review, our benchmarking section will focus solely on the G.Skill kit, in stock and overclocked configurations. The reasoning behind this approach is that there is an infinitesimal clock-for-clock performance difference between two memory kits that are equally-clocked and with identical timings, thus declaring one product a winner based on a 1% performance advantages seems pointless to us. Since the Core i7 platform and triple-channel memory kits are quite new, we have decided to test the memory at various clock speeds and timings in order to demonstrate the effect they have on overall system performance.

We have outlined the four setups in the sample graph above. The blue results will indicate the performance at the XMP default timings. The only changes that will be made are to the memory multiplier and timings in order to get it running at the desired frequency and timings. Every other setting will be at the defaults that the BIOS sets.

These overclock results are again, the best overall overclock we could manage with this motherboard and the hardware used in the review. As was mentioned in the overclocking section, we used Everest bandwidth benchmarks and a few other performance tests to determine which settings were ultimately faster, not just higher. For all of the benchmarks, appropriate lengths are taken to ensure an equal comparison through methodical setup, installation, and testing. The following outlines our testing methodology:

A) Windows is installed using a full format.

B) Intel Chipset drivers and accessory hardware drivers (audio, network, GPU) are installed followed by a defragment and a reboot.

C) Programs and games are then installed followed by another defragment.

D) Windows updates are then completed installing all available updates followed by a defragment.

E) Benchmarks are each ran three times after a clean reboot for every iteration of the benchmark unless otherwise stated, the results are then averaged.

We have listed the benchmark versions on each graph as results can vary between updates. That is about all you need to know methodology wise, so let's see what kind of numbers this memory kit has achieved in our overclocking section and in our benchmarking suite.

 

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Overclocking Results

Overclocking Results

For our overclocking tests we are interested in two main elements, how well the memory scales with additional voltage and how versatile it is at overclocking with different timings. As mentioned in the methodology, our overclocking efforts will primarily focus on four basic timings configurations (7-7-7 / 8-8-8 / 9-9-9 / 10-10-10) and three different voltage settings (1.55V / 1.65V / 1.75V). The CPU frequency will be kept as close as possible to the stock 3.2Ghz, while the Uncore and QPI Link will be kept near 3200Mhz and 6400Mhz respectively, multipliers permitting. The QPI/DRAM voltage was kept at a relatively high 1.45V throughout our tests, in order to ensure (as best as possible) that the integrated memory controller would not bottleneck our memory overclocks. The IMC is without a doubt the determining factor in achieving high memory clocks, and every single Core i7 processor will have different headroom when it comes to memory clocks it can achieve.

With the pleasantries out of the way, let's get to the fun stuff.

As you can see by this chart, this particular memory kit was really not responsive to voltage increases. Assuming our sample is indicative of all F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ kits, is it clear that G.Skill have selected ICs that are specifically designed for low-voltage applications and have a narrow sweet spot in the 1.65-1.75V range. Generally speaking, the voltage increases did not yield the overclocking improvements that we had expected.

Nevertheless, at first glance these results are quite good for a first generation triple-channel DDR3 memory kit, especially one as affordable as this one. With the default 9-9-9 timings, we were able to achieve a very respectable 164Mhz increase, boosting the frequency from DDR3-1600 to DDR3-1764. When we loosened the timings to CL 10, these modules really took off and we achieved oh so close to the DDR3-1900 mark with a healthy 1.75V. We found the CL 7 and CL 8 overclocking to be a little weak, but this is to be expected from a value product.

Since this is the first triple-channel DDR3 memory kit that we have reviewed, we didn't really have any preconceived expectations regarding what kind of overclocking results we would achieve, especially given the anonymous origins of the ICs. With this in mind, we were quite satisfied with the results, especially since this is a mainstream budget-friendly kit. Although voltage doesn't really come into play as much as we would like, the modules did a exhibit a good deal of headroom at higher latencies, and as you will see below we managed to post some impressive benchmarking numbers.


Since we like to provide our readers with ample proof of our overclocking achievements, feel free to peruse the four screenshots below:

<table align="center" bgcolor="#666666" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="1" width="90%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="4" align="center"><b>Highest Stable Overclocks</b></td></tr><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#ececec" valign="top" width="50%">7-7-7
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</td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ececec" valign="top" width="50%">8-8-8
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</td></tr><tr><td align="center" bgcolor="#ececec" valign="top" width="50%">9-9-9
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</td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ececec" valign="top" width="50%">10-10-10
click for full size...
</td></tr></table>

While we have established that this memory kit can operate at a broad range of settings and timings, is this relevant nowadays? Does the Core i7 platform benefit from low latencies or high memory bandwidth? That is what we will be examining next in our benchmarking section.

 

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Memory Benchmarks

Memory Benchmarks

Everest Ultimate v4.50​

Everest Ultimate is the most useful tool for any and all benchmarkers or overclockers. With the ability to pick up most voltage, temperature, and fan sensors on almost every motherboard available, Everest provides the ability to customize the outputs in a number of forms on your desktop. In addition to this, the memory benchmarking utility provides a useful tool of measuring the changes to your memory sub-system.

In the Everest Bandwidth test it should come as no surprise that the CL10 result leads the way, but the slightly disproportionally high CL10 result is due to the fact that the Uncore/Integrated Memory Controller is running at 3733Mhz, which is the minimum selectable speed when running at DDR3-1866, while the other configurations are held back a bit by the stock 3200Mhz Uncore frequency. In the other results, we see quite linear read and copy speeds, and nearly identical write speeds due to the fact that they all share the same Uncore frequency.

We were surprised to see the CL10 achieve such a lower latency than CL7, the massive clock speed difference overcomes the inherently loose timings, and evidently the Core i7 processors respond very well to increased memory frequency.

ScienceMark v2.0​

Although last updated almost 3 years ago, and despite its rudimentary interface, ScienceMark v2.0 remains a favorite for accurately calculating bandwidth on even the newest chipsets.

As in Everest, we see a very linear bandwidth increase across the board, with a slightly disproportional CL10 result due to the aforementioned higher Uncore frequency. These synthetic benchmarks do suggest that the Core i7 processor can achieve some remarkable numbers with highly-clocked triple-channel DDR3 memory kit, but does actually translate into faster real-life performance? That is what we are going to find out next.

 

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System Benchmarks

System Benchmarks

SuperPi Mod v1.5​

When running the SuperPI 32MB benchmark, we are calculating Pi to 32 million digits and timing the process. Obviously more CPU power helps in this intense calculation, but the memory sub-system also plays an important role, as does the operating system.

We have always been quite fond of this application because it provides excellent insight as how to the processing and memory sub-systems are performing, and it is also perfect for demonstrating the slightest performance variances. With the processor locked to 3.2Ghz, we can clearly isolate how SuperPI scales with the increase in bandwidth. Evidently the more MB/s the merrier in SPi, as demonstrated by the massive 22 second gap between the CL7 and CL10. Clearly, if you want to post impressive SuperPI 32M results, memory frequency is your friend.

PCMark Vantage x64​

The latest iteration of the popular system benchmark is PCMark Vantage from the Futuremark crew. The PCMark series has always been a great way to either test specific areas of a system or to get a general overview of how your system is performing. For our results, we simply run the basic benchmark suite which consists of a wide range of tests involving all the sub-systems of the computer.

Much to our surprise, the Memory Suite suggested that performance gap between the CL7 and CL10 memory speeds was a microscopic 0.004%. We were quite puzzled by this result to be honest, and it seems like the Memory Suite is significantly CPU dependent. Since our Core i7 965 was clocked at 3.2Ghz for all four memory configurations, this hypothesis would explain the seemingly identical scores.

Cinebench R10​

Developed by MAXON, creators of Cinema 4D, Cinebench 10 is designed using the popular Cinema software and created to compare system performance in 3D Animation and Photo applications. There are two parts to the test; the first stresses only the primary CPU or Core, the second, makes use of up to 16 CPUs/Cores. Both are done rendering a realistic photo while utilizing various CPU-intensive features such as reflection, ambient occlusion, area lights and procedural shaders.

Cinebench is a phenomenal CPU benchmark and the Intel Core i7 absolutely dominates in this test, but as this chart indicates the memory sub-system had truly minimal impact on the results.

Lame Front End​

Unlike many audio conversion programs, Lame Front End is not multi-threaded and only utilizes a single processor core. This will obviously limit performance but we should still achieve significant time savings going from the stock to the overclocked settings. We will be encoding a WAV rip of Santana’s Supernatural album and converting it to MP3 using the VBR 0 quality preset.

A second here, a second there, LFE does not appear to gain much of a performance boost from the increased bandwidth. We can't really complain though, since we are able to rip and convert an entire CD album to high-quality MP3s in under 2 minutes 40 seconds.

Photoshop CS3​

For the image editing portion of this review, we will use Photoshop CS3 in coordination with our very own HWC Speed Test, which is an excellent measure of CPU power and memory bandwidth. This is a scripted benchmark that individually applies 12 different actions and filters to a 3.72MB JPEG, and uses Photoshop’s built-in timing feature to provide a result at each test stage. Then it’s simply a matter of adding up the 12 results to reach a final figure.

Photoshop demonstrates some worthwhile performance scaling with the increase in memory bandwidth. A 7% gain with no increase in CPU clocks is definitely nothing to scoff at, and should convince image-editing enthusiasts not to short-change themselves with low-clocked memory kits.

WinRAR 3.7.1​

The last of our real-life tests will be with the highly popular & multi-threaded WinRAR 3.71 tool, in which we take a 1GB batch of assorted files and archive them, timing the task until completion.

WinRAR compression is a heavily memory bandwidth bound workload, therefore it is no surprise that the DDR3-1866 CL10 setting outperforms the DDR3-1066 CL7 by a healthy 5% margin.

 

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Gaming Benchmarks

Gaming Benchmarks

Futuremark 3DMark Vantage​

You asked for it, so we have finally included 3DMark Vantage, Futuremark’s latest release in their renowned line of 3D benchmarking software. This latest DX10-only 3DMark comes with a variety of presets, but for our tests will be use the standard Performance preset which is suitable for a much greater range of system specifications than the other more demanding presets.

Although there is slight evidence of scaling in 3DMark Vantage, generally speaking the memory is not having a significant impact on the results, at least not at these clock speeds. This is to be expected though, since 3DMV places a considerable amount more emphasis on GPU performance than the other various sub-systems.

Far Cry 2​

Far Cry 2 is the hot new new first-person shooter from Ubisoft's Montreal studio, and the first game to utilize the new visually stunning Dunia Engine, which will undoubtedly be used by numerous future games. Using the provided Benchmarking Tool, we ran the Ranch Small demo in DX10 mode at 1680x1050 with all settings set to very high.

Finally, a concrete example of increased memory bandwidth having a sizeable performance impact. Across the board, we can see that the CL10 setting is achieving noticeably better frame rates than the CL7 setting. A 6FPS increase in average is excellent, especially considering the fact that all other system settings are equal (aside from the Uncore, of course).

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts​

This test consists of actual gameplay using a single mission (Authie: Boudica's Boys from the British Campaign) since it holds a bit of everything the game has to offer: vehicle battles, artillery barrages and house-to-house fighting. We recorded framerates using FRAPS up until the 15 minute mark of the mission and excluding any in-game briefings / cut scenes. The game was run in DirectX 10 mode at 1680x1050 with all settings maxed out.

When it comes maximum and average frame rates, DDR3-1600 and above certainly appears to be a sweet spot in COH: OP, which DDR3-1066 being left in the dust. Since this test does consist of actual gameplay, and thus the performance can be somewhat erratic even when averaged out, we can disregard the peak maximum frame rate figures, but the average numbers don't lie, and this certainly appears to benefit from the additional memory bandwidth.

Left 4 Dead​

Left 4 Dead is the latest disorienting, fast-paced zombie apocalypse mega-hit from Valve. L4D uses the latest version of the Source engine with enhancements such as multi-core processor support and physics-based animation. We test here with in-game details at their highest levels, with MSAA 4X and AF 8X. For benching, we used a pre-recorded 20 minute timedemo taken on the No Mercy campaign during The Apartments mission.

We see a similar trend in L4D, which is to say that the higher bandwidth afforded by the DDR3-1866 10-10-10 setting does appear to contribute to improved overall performance, and this translates into solid average frame rate improvements. CPU and memory bandwidth scaling has excellent been a strong point of the versatile Source engine, and we are glad to see this aspect maintained in this latest iteration of the engine.

 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

When we first heard that Core i7 processors would require new triple-channel memory kits, we couldn't help but feel that upgrading to this latest generation would create an unprecedented drain on the bank accounts of enthusiasts the world over. Thankfully, during the last few months DDR3 prices have taken a nose dive, and the end result is that what previously seemed out of reach for most is now absolutely affordable.

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Case in point, the 6GB PC3-12800 CL9 DDR3 memory kit that we have reviewed today can be had for as low as $200CDN, which makes it the cheapest 6GB DDR3-1600 memory kit on the market at the time of this review. Cheap certainly doesn't mean bad in this case, since we really don't have any serious gripes about this product. Sure, we would have liked to see tighter timings, but G.Skill does offer quite a few lower latency triple-channel memory kits. From a strictly functional point-of-view, the F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ would be an ideal match for just about any Core i7 system, since it looks great, it is stable, it runs cool, and it has enough overclocking headroom to ensure that it will not be the factor that limits your CPU overclocking endeavours.

In summary, this is not a memory kit that will necessarily dazzle you with its timings, but since it excels in most other areas and at such an undeniably attractive price, we cannot help but give this product our Dam Good Value award.

Pros

• Excellent price
• Great looking heatspreaders
• Fully functional XMP profile
• Good overclocking headroom
• Runs cool under load
• Lifetime warranty

Cons

• 7-7-7 / 8-8-8 overclocking could be better

Thanks to G.Skill for making this review possible!

G.Skill 6GB PC3-12800 Triple Channel DDR3 Kit Comment Thread​