INTRODUCTION

     Even though some PC game titles benefit quite a bit either from higher-clocked or lower CAS latency RAM the truth of the matter is that the majority of games will not see any significant gains between different kits. This of course doesn't apply with applications, at least not in the same degree since the vast majority does benefit so that's what you always need to be aware when out to buy either a new system or a new RAM kit. Right now some DDR5 RAM kits may have surpassed 8000MHz (and faster ones are on the way) but the sweet spot for most motherboards (again, low/mid-end Intel and AMD ones) still sits between 6000-6400MHz and so the latest Ripjaws S5 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual-Channel kit by G.SKILL should really be on your radar.

   Established in 1989, G.SKILL specializes in high-performance memory and provides PC component and peripheral products designed for PC gamers, professionals, overclockers, and enthusiasts around the world. Combining technical innovation and rock solid quality through our in-house memory testing lab and talented R&D team, G.SKILL continues to create ultra-performance overclock memory for each platform generation.

   The Ripjaws S5 series of DDR5 RAM by G.SKILL is a low-profile one (33mm in height total) offered in two different color combinations (black and white) and currently available in dual (2x16/24/32GB) channel kits with frequencies going all the way up to 6400MHz (5200/5600/6000/6400MHz), timings as low as CL28 (5200/5600MHz CL28 - 5600/6000MHz CL30 - 6400MHz CL32 - 5200/5600/6000MHz CL36 - 5200/5600/6400MHz CL40) and voltages ranging from 1.1V and all the way up to 1.4V (5200MHz 1.1/1.2/1.25/1.35V - 5600MHz 1.2/1.25/1.35V - 6400MHz 1.35V/1.4V). Under the aluminum heatsinks of the Ripjaws S5 6400MHz CL32 modules G.SKILL has placed single die modules by SK Hynix (still at 1.4V stock voltage i don't expect a huge overclocking headroom). Last but not least the Ripjaws S5 are XMP 3.0 compatible and as with most other RAM lines by G.SKILL all kits are covered by a limited lifetime warranty. It's been a long time since we had something from G.SKILL here so let's see how the Ripjaws S5 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 kit performs.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

G.SKILL ships their Ripjaws S5 RAM kit inside a blister package which allows you to see both modules from the front.

At the rear of the package, we find a few words about the kit just over a sticker with its serial number and barcode.

Along with the kit inside the blister package you'll also find a warranty information card and a case sticker.

THE RIPJAWS S5 32GB 6400MHZ CL32

The Ripjaws S5 series may not feature RGB lighting but the low-profile and slim heatspreaders do look nice.

With a height of just 33mm these modules are ideal for mATX/mITX systems.

As always at the rear of both modules we find a sticker with the speed, timings, voltage, capacity, serial number and barcode.

G.SKILL has placed their logo on top of the heatspreaders.

Here you can see just how the Ripjaws S5 compares in size against the FURY Renegade RGB by Kingston and the Trinity RGB JetBlack by Neo Forza.

As mentioned already the Ripjaws S5 lack RGB lighting so they don’t really stand out.

Thanks to AIDA64 we have more detailed information on the kit (F5 is part of the serial).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Thanks to XMP 3.0 and EXPO profiles the only thing one needs to do in order to run a brand new RAM kit at its advertised frequency, timings and voltages is to choose/enable it from within the BIOS and reboot. That being said if you're into overclocking you may not wish to use the main XMP/EXPO profile but instead to choose your very own frequency, timings and voltages to achieve even higher performance numbers and that's exactly what we'll also be doing during our DDR5 tests. To be more specific aside testing each kit with its XMP profile I'll also be upping the voltages (up to 1.4V for 1.35V kits – even though most kits can function at higher voltages I don’t recommend doing so - RAM modules that use 1.4V/1.45V/1.5V will be tested up to 1.45V/1.5V/1.55V respectively) and frequencies (200MHZ increments) until i find the maximum achievable stable frequency (those results will be entered into the OC charts). I also thought about upping voltages and reducing timings instead of increasing the frequency of the modules as high as it can go (always stable and without using 0.5-1V over stock) but the end results are pretty much identical.

   As for the how I'll be testing each DDR5 Dual-Kit to arrive in the lab well there aren't that many benchmark programs that only test RAM (or at least RAM and CPU without anything else coming into play) but I’ve got most of them and so you will be seeing results from following benchmarking programs, AIDA64 Engineer Edition, Cinebench Release 23, MaxMemm2, Passmark Performance Test v10.1, Sisoftware Sandra Titanium and WPrime v2.11. All tests are performed on a fresh Windows 10 Pro x64 installation (complete with all updates until the day of this review) and are repeated a total of 6 times after which the average numbers get recorded into the charts.

* Since you all decided for me to use the Intel Core I9-13900K for graphics cards tests I’ll also be using that for DDR5 tests (5.8GHz P-Cores / 4.7GHz E-Cores / RING 4.9GHz) and in order to showcase potential gains between stock and overclocked clocks/frequencies I’ll also be using Forza Horizon 5 (1080p/Extreme Graphics). Still do keep in mind that i can't dedicate a high-end GPU solely for DDR5 reviews so each time i review such a kit I’ll be using a different chart (the card used will be listed above).

TEST RESULTS - XMP 3.0 PROFILE

TEST RESULTS – OVERCLOCK

TEST RESULTS – FORZA HORIZON 5

CONCLUSION

   G.SKILL has been behind some of the fastest RAM kits in the history of PC’s and even though the Ripjaws S5 is not among them still it’s good to see what they’ve been up to lately. So, stock performance is very good and as for overclocking headroom getting up to 6800MHz at 1.45V is not a bad result, especially from a kit with such small heatspreaders. The heatspreaders also ensure compatibility with most CPU air coolers in the market so for people looking to build mATX/mITX systems the Ripjaws S5 kits are a great choice. On top of all of these add the limited lifetime warranty and there’s really nothing bad I can say about the Ripjaws S5 (perhaps the lack of RGB lighting but that always comes down to personal preference/taste).

   Retailing for just USD124.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 187.93Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the Ripjaws S5 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual-Channel kit by G.SKILL is priced extremely well, at least on the other side of the Atlantic. At the end of the day, I really have nothing negative to say about the Ripjaws S5, yes, the lack of RGB illumination may turn away some potential buyers but at the same time the low-profile heatspreaders may also attract others. Factor in performance, price and the limited lifetime warranty and the G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 32GB DDR5 6400MHz CL32 Dual-Channel kit is well worth our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Very Good Performance
- Available In Black & White Colors
- Available Kits
- Low Profile (33mm)
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
- Price (USA)

CONS

- Lack Of RGB Lighting (For Some)