Colorful iGame Shadow II DDR5 Hits 9600 MT/s on AMD AM5
The new push of Colorful for DDR5 brings AMD's AM5 platform records concerning high speeds. High-speed memory support is indeed what the AMD AM5 platform is evolving into. The trend is well captured by the latest iGame Shadow II DDR5 memory of Colorful that hit an impressive 9600 MT/s at low latencies. The achievement, therefore, connotes that the mature motherboard firmware, paired with more robust memory controllers on the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, can now bridge the gap with competitor platforms with regard to memory overclocking potential.
9600 MT/s Dual-Channel Breakthrough
The peak achievement is attaining 9600 MT/s at a tight latency of CL30 in a dual-channel arrangement. This is such a crucial point, since running these high frequencies across two memory modules is considerably more difficult than with only a single stick. The test bed comprised a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and an ROG Crosshair X870E APEX motherboard - a PCB board specially created to extreme memory overclocking with its two-DIMM profile.
Balancing Speed with Real-World Stability
Maximum frequency record chasing may be impressive; only real-world stability is what counts for daily use and gaming. Again, the two iGame Shadow II kits performed excellently in some of the more real-world scenarios.
- High Speed Stability: A 9200 MT/s at CL32 proved fully stable under the RunMemtest Pro benchmark and is a great option for enthusiasts.
- The 1:1 'Sweet Spot': Using a Ryzen 9 9950X3D, the memory ran at 7200 MT/s in a very stable fashion, with ultra tight CL24 timings, in a 1:1 arrangement (UCLK=MCLK). This 1:1 is where memory clock and memory controller clock match. Usually, this mode is one of the most precious to enthusiasts, as it gives the best actual performance by reducing latency.
What Fuels This Performance?
Colorful attributes these results to high-quality component build and smart engineering. At the bedrock, there are the carefully 'binned' SK Hynix memory chips chosen for superior performance capabilities. Such is complemented by an iGame Shadow II PCB design featuring 10 layers and reducing signal interference a key factor in pushing frequencies to such extreme levels.
Why This Matters for PC Builders
More than numbers that dance on a screen, these exhibit AMD's signifier of an evolved AM5 platform into a worthy competitor in the memory overclocking arena, which has been an area marked as a historical advantage for Intel. For PC enthusiasts and top-end gamers, they now shine the light for more potential flexibility in extracting maximum performance from AMD-based setups, especially when joined with next-generation processors on well-engineered motherboards along with high-quality DDR5 memory like the iGame Shadow II.
