[Hardware]Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB DDR4-4600 C19 2x8GB Review: Affordable DDR4-4600 Performance

[Revo]

 

 

Thermaltake, like many other computer hardware companies, has many facets and deals in multiple types of products. As a memory vendor, Thermaltake actually has a wide selection of offerings that include mainstream memory, RGB or gaming memory, and even liquid-cooled memory. The ToughRAM RGB series, in particular, is where you'll find Thermaltake's highest performers. The brand's latest accomplishment is a dual-channel ToughRAM RGB memory kit that comes in a capacity of 16GB (2x8GB) and an impressive data rate of DDR4-4600.

The ToughRAM RGB memory modules feature a rectangular design with two triangular notches on the top. The brushed aluminum finish on the heat spreader and the two metal strips help give the memory a bit of class. PC builders will be happy to know that Thermaltake offers the ToughRAM RGB memory kits in both black and white colors, so it shouldn't be hard to find one that fits your builds' theme.

With a height of 48.25mm (1.9 inches), the ToughRAM RGB isn't obnoxiously tall, but we recommend you check that there is sufficient clearance space under your CPU cooler nonetheless. The memory module comes with an RGB light bar with 10 addressable LEDs that you can tweak to your heart's content. Thermaltake provides the TT RGB Plus software to control the ToughRAM RGB's illumination. If you prefer third-party software, the memory modules are compatible with Razer Chroma, Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.
The ToughRAM RGB memory kit is comprised of two 8GB single-rank memory modules. Thermaltake manufactures the memory modules on a black, 10-layer PCB, utilizing Hynix H5AN8G8NDJR-XNC (D-die) integrated circuits (ICs).

Our Intel test system consists of an Intel Core i9-10900K and Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex on the 0901 firmware. On the opposite end, the AMD testbed leverages an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and ASRock B550 Taichi with the 1.30 firmware. The MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio handles the graphical duties on both platforms.
The ToughRAM RGB kit performed better than expected on the Intel platform. The memory kit was only second in CPU and gaming performance to Patriot's Viper 4 Blackout DDR4-4400 C18 memory kit.

The memory kit will only reach its full potential on a Ryzen processor that can run an Infinity Fabric clock (FCLK) up to 2,300 MHz. Some of the more spectacular Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) samples and Ryzen 4000 (Renoir) APUs could probably achieve this feat. On our Ryzen 5 3600, however, the 1:2 ratio really held back the memory kit.

High-frequency kits, such as this ToughRAM RGB, typically don't have a lot of headroom for overclocking. Even with a 1.56V DRAM voltage, we could only get the memory kit to DDR4-4666, a mere 66 MHz increase over the XMP specification. We also had to loosen the timings to 20-26-26-45 to achieve stability.

With Hynix D-die ICs, it's hard to get the timings really tight. By upping the DRAM voltage from 1.5V to 1.55V, the memory modules can run with a CAS Latency of 18 at DDR4-4600. However, the tRCD, tRP, and tRAS timings wouldn't budge below 24-24-44.

Thermaltake's ToughRAM RGB DDR4-4600 C19 memory kit isn't aimed at your typical computer user. Given its high frequency, plug-and-play operation is likely out of the question unless you have an outstanding processor with a pretty strong integrated memory controller (IMC). If not, the odds are that some manual finetuning will be required to get this memory stable on both Intel and AMD platforms. If you're the set-it-and-forget-it type, you should look for more modest frequencies, such as a DDR4-3800 or DDR-3600 kit with really tight timings. 

Therefore, the ToughRAM RGB appeals more to the hardcore enthusiasts or consumers who deal with workloads that favor high memory bandwidth. There's not much demand for really fast memory kits – the number of DDR4-4600 offerings on the market is around two handfuls, of which half of them aren't even in stock. With a retail price of $199.99, the ToughRAM RGB DDR4-4600 C19 is presently the cheapest DDR4-4600 memory in a 16GB (2x8GB) configuration, making it extra attractive for consumers that want a kit of this caliber.