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 PC3-16000 7-8-7-20 model 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...