G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 16GB 6000MHz Black

Only the specifications this product actually carries.

DDR5

DDR5 is the current memory generation, standard on AMD AM5 and Intel LGA1700 and LGA1851 platforms. DDR5 kits start around 4800 MT/s and enthusiast kits run 6000 to 8000 MT/s, with on-module power management and on-die error correction that DDR4 lacks. DDR5 modules do not fit DDR4 boards. DDR5 has been the most price-volatile segment MemRadar tracks, so the kit's position against its own 90-day average matters more than the sticker discount.

Speed (MT/s and MHz)

Memory speed is quoted in megatransfers per second (MT/s), though retailers and manufacturers often label the same number as MHz. A DDR5-6000 kit transfers data 6000 million times per second. Higher speed generally helps in memory-sensitive workloads and on AMD Ryzen systems up to the platform's sweet spot, beyond which gains shrink. Kits at the same capacity but different speeds are different products with separate price histories, which is why MemRadar tracks them on separate pages.

CAS latency (CL)

CAS latency, written CL followed by a number such as CL30 or CL36, is the number of clock cycles between a memory request and the start of data delivery. Lower is faster at the same speed. Because faster kits run more cycles per second, a CL36 kit at 6000 MT/s can have similar real latency to a CL30 kit at 5200 MT/s. CL is one of the specs that most often separates two kits that otherwise look identical, and it usually carries a price premium at the low end.

XMP

XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) is Intel's standard for storing a kit's rated speed and timings on the module so a motherboard can apply them with one BIOS setting. Without an XMP or equivalent profile enabled, memory runs at the platform's default speed, often well below the kit's rating. XMP profiles also work on most AMD boards. A kit advertised at 6000 MT/s is only 6000 MT/s once its profile is enabled.

EXPO

EXPO (Extended Profiles for Overclocking) is AMD's equivalent of XMP for DDR5, storing rated speed and timings tuned for Ryzen 7000 and later. Many kits carry both XMP and EXPO profiles. For an AM5 build, an EXPO-certified kit is the lower-friction choice, and kits that are otherwise identical except for EXPO certification are sometimes priced differently, which shows up as separate product pages on MemRadar.

Kit configuration and dual channel

A memory kit's configuration, such as 2x16GB or 1x32GB, is the number of modules and the capacity of each. Two matched modules run in dual-channel mode, which roughly doubles available memory bandwidth compared with a single module of the same total capacity. A 1x16GB module and a 2x8GB kit both provide 16GB but perform differently and cost differently, so MemRadar treats them as separate products.

UDIMM and SODIMM

UDIMM is the full-size unbuffered module used in desktops; SODIMM is the shorter module used in laptops and small-form-factor systems. The two are not interchangeable. Desktop DDR5 UDIMMs have 288 pins and laptop DDR5 SODIMMs have 262 pins. A kit listed as "laptop memory" is a SODIMM, and MemRadar's product name states Desktop or Laptop wherever a listing's title left it ambiguous.