G.Skill Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 C32 2x16GB Review: Built for Intel CPUs

The Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 C32 comes from G.Skill's camp, so seeing how the memory kit stacks up against the best RAM will be intriguing. G.Skill is one of those brands always in the conversation regarding high-performance memory. The vendor has introduced a couple of new lineups over the years, but the Trident and Ripjaws series continues to be the favorite among enthusiasts and hardcore gamers. Rationally, G.Skill would bring the Ripjaws portfolio up to speed when DDR5 launched into the market. The renovated Ripjaws memory kits now carry the "S5" moniker, so you don't confuse them with past generations of DDR memory.

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The Ripjaws 5 has an excellent low-profile design where the memory modules' overall height doesn't exceed 33mm (1.3 inches). The compact heat spreader is just a bit taller than the memory's PCB, enabling the memory to fit under gigantic large CPU air coolers and inside compact mini-ITX builds. There are two color options: matte black or matte white. Both look equally good.

G.Skill took a minimalistic approach with the Ripjaws S5. The heat spreader only carries the Ripjaws S5 logo in red, white, and grey, a combination that contrasts very well with the matte black background. There are many tiny holes on the right of the heat spreader that improve heat dissipation and give the memory a somewhat industrial look.

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The memory modules feature a black PCB regardless of the heat spreader's color. The PCB's color may differ without notice, though. The Ripjaws S5 memory modules possess a capacity of 16GB and conform to your typical single-rank design. Popping off the heat spreader reveals eight SK hynix H5CG48AGBDX018 (A-die) integrated circuits (ICs), each 2GB in size. Meanwhile, the power management IC (PMIC) has the 0P=AB 9G4 model number and comes from Richtek. Richtek is one of G.Skill's favorite PMIC providers, as it's the most frequently used vendor in many of the memory kits we've reviewed.

Regarding the specifications, the Ripjaws S5 memory kit natively runs at DDR5-4800. The timings are set to 40-40-40-77 for maximum compatibility. Aimed at Intel processors, the memory modules have a single XMP 3.0 profile for DDR5-6000, which lowers the timings to 32-38-38-96 at 1.35V. See our PC Memory 101 feature and How to Shop for RAM story for more timings and frequency considerations.

Comparison Hardware

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• MORE: DDR DRAM FAQs And Troubleshooting Guide
• MORE: All Memory Content

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The Intel system runs the Core i9-13900K on the MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X with the 7D28vAA firmware. In contrast, the AMD system pairs the Ryzen 7 7700X with the MSI MPG X670E Carbon WiFi changed to the 7D70v176 firmware. The Corsair CUE H100i Elite LCD liquid cooler keeps our Raptor Lake and Zen 4 processor operating temperatures under check.

The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB Gaming X Trio tackles the more graphics-intensive workloads, ensuring that there isn't a graphics bottleneck in our gaming RAM benchmarks. The Windows 11 installation, benchmarking software, and games reside on Crucial's MX500 SSDs. Meanwhile, the Corsair RM1000x Shift ATX 3.0 power supply provides our systems with clean and abundant power, directly feeding the GeForce RTX 4080 with a native 16-pin (12VHPWR) power cable. Lastly, the Streacom BC1 open-air test bench is vital to organizing our hardware.

Intel Performance

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The Ripjaws S5 was the fastest DDR5-6000 memory kit on the Intel test system. The memory sustained a steady level of performance throughout the different benchmarks. Some of its shining moments included outperforming all the DDR5-6000 memory kits in the Adobe Photoshop, Corona, and 7-Zip decompression benchmarks.

AMD Performance

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The Ripjaws S5 looked like a different memory kit on the AMD platform. The memory kit dropped down the ranks to the antepenultimate position. It was even slower than some of the DDR5-6000 rivals that had inferior memory timings with CAS Latency (CL) timings of 36 and 40.

Overclocking and Latency Tuning

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Overclocking wasn't the Ripjaws S5's strong point. The memory only got to DDR5-6400, which was almost at the base of the cylinder compared to the competition. However, the memory retained the exact timings (32-38-38-96) as DDR5-6000. It only required a small voltage bump up to 1.4V to achieve DDR5-6400.

Lowest Stable Timings

By default, the Ripjaws S5 already had some of the tightest memory timings for a DDR5-6000 memory kit. If you're willing to run the memory at 1.4V, you can lower them further. We got the memory kit as far down as 28-34-34-74. It was a significant improvement over the advertised timings of 32-38-38-96.

Bottom Line

The Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 C32 proves that a high-performance DDR5-6000 memory kit doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. The only caveat is the considerable performance disparity between the AMD and Intel platforms, which the memory kit aims at. It shows the importance of optimization and how a memory kit's performance can vary between platforms. Since the memory kit targets Intel processors, we can't hold a grudge against the Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 C32. But simultaneously, it loses out on potential sales because it doesn't offer the same level of performance when paired with AMD processors.

G.Skill prices the Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6000 C32 at $95.99, a justifiable price tag given the memory kit's top quality and performance. However, AMD processor owners may want to avoid the memory kit, not because it's bad but because there are better options. The TeamGroup T-Force Vulcanα DDR5-6000 C38, which retails at $86.99, or the Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 C30 at $118.79, provide better services for your money.

• MORE: Best RAM
• MORE: DDR DRAM FAQs And Troubleshooting Guide
• MORE: All Memory Content