A Closer Look

Looking closer at the Team Group T-Force XTREEM memory, it is a new take on the DDR4 design. The heat spreaders still have Team Group's signature fin-stack on top, but the size and the thickness has changed to accommodate DDR5 thermals. The T-Force XTREEM CKD series is currently only available in Black (Narvik Black), with three color types (Black, White, Diamond Rose) for different configurations and frequencies.


Each T-Force XTREEM memory DIMM features the T-FORCE logo, which Team Group describes as "symbolizing our utmost pride, showcasing its exceptional existence." On the opposite side, the word "XTREEM" is prominently displayed.


On one side of each DIMM module is the identification sticker listing the SKU, rated XMP operating frequency at its corresponding voltage of 1.45 and XMP related timings. Team Group keeps the information in an easy-to-read format, which is great for those who aren't that tech-savvy that may have a hard time deciphering a block of text into something useful.


Laying the DIMMs on their side reveals the solid fin-stack design of the heatspreaders, optimized for heat dissipation.


The Team Group T-Force CKD XTREEM DDR5-8800 Z-Height is 48.8 mm measuring with calipers and weighs a hefty 86 g on the scale.


After taking the heat spreader off, we see that these are single-sided DIMMs with eight (24 Gbit) 3 GB ICs. Included is the standard thermal pad that covers all the memory ICs. This particular kit does have coverage for the PMIC and surrounding components as well.


Currently, Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix are the three big suppliers of DDR5 ICs. However, only Micron / Spectek and SK Hynix have released Non-Binary 3 GB ICs to the consumer market. Both of which may "perform" worse than their 2 GB counterparts at the same frequency due to different primary and sub-timings, at least at out of the box stock settings. So far, Micron 3 GB ICs have shown to reach at least 7000 MT/s, while SK Hynix is much higher at 9600 MT/s+.

A closer look at the ICs shows that these are SK Hynix (H5CGD8MGBD-X021). Which can be abbreviated to SK Hynix 3 GB M-Die, not to be confused with SK Hynix's first DDR5 M-Die (2 GB) in 2021. Up until the release of (24 Gbit) 3 GB ICs, the previous world record crown was held by SK Hynix A-Die (16 Gbit) 2 GB, which is still considered a good choice for high frequency overclocks paired with lower primary timings, only to be outdone by the SK Hynix 3 GB variant for highest frequency.


The Client Clock Driver (CKD) part number is "DR5CKD1GC0," with the manufacturer being RAMBUS.

With DDR5, one of the major changes is how the motherboard directly provides 5 V to the memory module's PMIC, which is then stepped down and split accordingly. No longer is the motherboard responsible for regulating the voltages, as with DDR4. The PMIC has the part number "OP=BE GY6," software reports this as Richtek being the manufacturer.