G.Skill Trident 6GB PC3-16000 CL9 Tri Channel Memory Kit Review

Package & Memory Overview

A little attention to packaging and design goes a long way towards creating a positive impression of a product, so let's see what G.Skill have done with this triple-channel DDR3 memory kit.


G.Skill have packaged the F3-16000CL9T-6GBTD in a standard plastic clamshell with a cardboard insert, which is the usual packaging method for most mainstream memory kits. We used to be wary to see this type of packaging because modules can occasionally become loose, but these modules were mounted snugly with no wiggle room. Thankfully, the plastic packaging can be opened / pulled apart by hand and it does not require a knife or scissors to open, which means that it is also resealable.


For the new Trident series, G.Skill have rolled out a brand new, eye-catching heatspreader design. This heatspreader is more extravagant than past G.Skill designs and they look great in our eyes, especially when matched with the similarly black & red Rampage II Extreme. We would have liked to see a colour-coordinated PCB though, since the green look is way past its prime.

These heatspreaders are made of one fairly substantial piece of aluminium and an aluminium backplate. Despite its impressive design, this is still a traditional finned heatsink design so there are no heatpipes or other convection elements. Nevertheless, when you hold these modules in your hand you can feel that these are top-notch heatspreaders by any measure.


As you can see, there are no clips or bolts holding the heatsink together. G.Skill have instead opted for a particularly adhesive type of thermal tape. It was so sticky in fact that we chickened out in our attempt to remove the heatspreaders and reveal the ICs. Having said that, based on our overclocking experiences and various forum posts, we can state with a great deal of certainty that our sample featured Elpida J1108BBSE-DJ-F ICs, which are effectively the little brother to the world-renowned Elpida Hyper J1108BASE-MNH-E.

As you can see in the last image, the heatspreader is approximately 2.25" tall and makes perfect contact with the memory chips.