Thermaltake ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36 Review: Overpriced M-Die

Thermaltake’s ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36 memory kit may not look like much on paper, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve a shot to take on the best RAM. DDR5 is progressing nicely, as both Intel and AMD platforms now use the new memory standard. Unlike when DDR5 was in diapers, memory kits nowadays arrive with improved timings, and we even have access to high-end memory kits hitting DDR5-8000. That doesn't mean there isn't a place for lower-tier memory kits — not everyone chases the highest performance possible. Some still prefer the more straightforward options or a memory kit that sticks to their processor’s official supported data rate, such as DDR5-5600 for Intel’s 13th-Gen Raptor Lake chips.

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Thermaltake 'cheated' with the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5 kit, recycling the same design as the DDR4 equivalent. You can only tell the difference between the two because the brand added the "D5" marking on the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5's heat spreader to indicate its DDR5 memory. The aluminum heat spreader retains the same aesthetics, including the two plates in an interlocked layout with a chrome strip in the middle.

Checking in with a height of 48.35mm (1.9 inches), the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5 is far from a low-profile design. Therefore, we recommend you check the clearance space for your CPU air cooler before pulling the trigger on Thermaltake's memory kit. The RGB illumination didn't change, either: The memory modules still have 16 high-lumen addressable LEDs. Thermaltake provides the proprietary NeonMaker and TT RGB Plus software for control and customization. Or, if you prefer your motherboard's software, the memory modules support Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome RGB.

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The memory modules arrive with a single-rank design on a 10-layer PCB with two-ounce copper inner layers and 10μ gold fingers. We found eight SK hynix H5CG48MEBDX014 (M-die) integrated circuits (ICs) under the heat spreader. The ICs have a capacity of 2GB, totaling 16GB on each memory module. Renesas provided the P8911-YZ001GR-2208DK power management IC (PMIC) for the memory modules.

The ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5 defaulted to DDR5-4800 with 40-40-40-77 timings when you take it for its first run. There's one XMP 3.0 profile for DDR5-5600 that will help you set the timings to 36-36-36-76 and the required DRAM voltage to 1.25V. 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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Our Intel test system runs the Core i9-13900K on the MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X with the 7D28vAA firmware. In contrast, our 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 ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36 has tighter timings than the Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-5600 C40, giving the memory kit an edge in application and gaming benchmarks. The former was generally faster, with a few exceptions where it lost to the slower memory kits.

AMD Performance

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Unsurprisingly, Thermaltake's memory kit outperformed the AMD platform's Silicon Power memory kit. The ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5's out-of-the-box performance in applications and gaming is good for a DDR5-5600 memory kit.

Overclocking and Latency Tuning

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The ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5 is another of the few DDR5-5600 memory kits that wield SK hynix M-die ICs. Like its Xpower Zenith RGB rival, we got excellent overclocking results from the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5. DDR5-6800 was doable on 1.4V, with timings tweaked to 34-45-45-76.

Lowest Stable Timings

Nobody buys memory kits based on M-die to run at the advertised speed with tight timings. The ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5 memory kit has 36-36-36-76 timings by default compared to the 40-40-40-76 timings on the Xpower Zenith RGB memory kit. Nonetheless, both memory kits can operate smoothly at DDR5-5600 with 28-34-34-76 timings and a 1.4V DRAM voltage.

Bottom Line

The ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36 is a sound option if you're looking for DDR5-5600 memory that's almost plug-and-play on modern platforms. It's faster than the Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-5600 C40 from the get-go and has similar overclocking potential. Nonetheless, the typical disclaimer that your mileage may vary applies here too.

Thermaltake's DDR5-5600 memory kit is one of the hardest to find in the U.S. market. The last known price for the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36 is $193.19, putting it in an awful position. Retailing close to $200 puts the memory kit into DDR5-7000 territory. The price tag might be okay if we were still in the early days of DDR5, but curiously, Thermaltake hasn't updated the pricing on the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36. It doesn't look attractive beside the Xpower Zenith RGB DDR5-5600 C40 when the latter is a bit slower but has the same overclocking prowess selling with a price tag of a little over one-third of the ToughRAM XG RGB DDR5-5600 C36.

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