G.Skill sets new DDR5 overclocking world record with Trident Z5 memory

G.Skill Trident Z5
(Image credit: G.Skill)

G.Skill and Asus have combined forces to achieve a new world record in DDR5 overclocking, which sees the Trident Z5 memory hit DDR5-8888 with some serious cooling power. 

Chinese overclocker, Bing, managed to push the memory to DDR5-8888 for an overclock of 48%. His rig consisted of a single Trident Z5 16GB RAM stick installed onto an Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Apex motherboard with an Intel i9-12900K. We strongly recommend seeing it for yourself, as it is truly a sight to behold, as you can find below courtesy of @gskillgaming and 林大餅Bing.

G.Skill Z5 Memory achieves DDR5-8888 world record

See more

CPU-Z Validator lets us get a more technical look at the raw numbers for those of us interested in the specifics. Trident Z5 16GB DDR5 RAM at 4800 Mhz hit timings of 88-88-88-88-127-2. 

This positions the G.Skill Trident Z5 as not only the fastest RAM on record but easily one of the best RAM for gaming kits you can buy, not that many of us are intending to liquid nitrogen cool our rigs any time soon (yet). 

It's worth pointing out that the previous memory frequency overclocking world record was also achieved through G.Skill's Trident Z5 memory at DDR5-8704 back in November 2021. 

One thing is for sure here - DDR5 RAM is shaping up to incredibly fast, hitting blistering speeds that were only ever dreamed of with the previous generation of memory modules.

At the time of writing, you will need one of the best CPUs for gaming, 12th generation Intel processors, in order to utilize the emerging memory type. It was confirmed at CES 2022 that AMD's upcoming Ryzen 7000 series of chipsets will support PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, though they are expected to be officially unveiled and released towards the end of the year.

G.Skill Trident Z5

(Image credit: G.Skill)

Just how fast will DDR5 RAM become? 

DDR5 memory modules have been built with two independent 32-bit channels as opposed to single 64-bit channels available on DDR4 RAM kits. DDR5 RAM, expectedly, has a much higher bandwidth which can scale to 8.4 Gbps (far above DDR4's 3.2 Gbps). In practical terms, this means better scaling, more efficient performance, and lower latency by comparison. 

We're already starting to see DDR5 RAM configurations with clock speeds of not only 4800 Mhz, but also 5600 Mhz and 6000 Mhz, too. Now, these kits are incredibly expensive and hard to find right now, but it goes to show that the capabilities of the new generation of what's possible on the platform have yet to be fully realized yet -seriously fast stuff. 


If you're interested in building one of the best gaming PCs you can, ensure your peripherals as just as high-end with the best gaming keyboards and best gaming mouse.  

Aleksha McLoughlin
Hardware Editor

Aleksha McLoughlin served as the Hardware Editor for GamesRadar from June 2021 until August 2022. Her main area of expertise was the PC gaming platform, which comprised buying guides, features, reviews, and news coverage on components and prebuilt machines. She was also responsible for gaming chairs and storage. She now works on a freelance basis while studying to become a university lecturer specializing in English for foreign territories. Prior to joining GamesRadar, she wrote for the likes of Expert Reviews, The Rory Peck Trust, No Clean Singing, Vinyl Chapters, and Tech Spark while also working with the BBC.