High-speed memory for Intel 13th generation processors
High-speed memory for Intel 13th generation processors
Checking the compatibility of your setup. The 7200 CL34 kit should work with your i9 13900k and Rog Maximus Z790 hero motherboard, but confirm the part details match your needs.
It's fine, I'd probably go for the same speed bin from TeamGroup or Kingston since they tend to have better heatspreaders than G.Skill on DDR5, but that only really makes a difference if you're planning on running over 1.5V for a memory overclock. That said, I have some arguments against 7200 CL34 kits like that. The chances of them not working at XMP are pretty decent, and if you're gonna need to do manual tuning to get it to work anyway you might as well save some money and get a 6400 rated kit since they're pretty much all A die at this point, and very little A die isn't able to do over 8000MT/s if your board and IMC can run it. Also is there a reason you're going for the Hero? It's not exactly a very cost effective motherboard, or even particularly good at what it does. If you want a 4 DIMM DDR5 overclocking board, the Strix E is the same memory topology and very similar feature set but significantly cheaper. If you just want an overclocking board in general, the Z690 Dark and the Z790 Tachyon are both cheaper than the Hero and have much higher supported memory speeds. I can't really think of a reason to get that board in particular unless you're just an ASUS fanboy or it's on a really good sale.
I have not seen a single Z790 Hero hit 8000MT/s fully stable, 7800MT/s is the best I've seen and even then the silicon lottery for CPU memory controllers exists, especially since Intel doesn't bin memory controllers (my 13700K has a stronger memory controller than a lot of 13900Ks, for instance). If you want 8000MT/s, you need a 1DPC board, so a board like the Z790 Tachyon, Z790 Apex, Z690/Z790 Dark, or Z790I Edge, and even then it takes a ton of work and luck to get it actually stable. Fair enough for the Tachyon, though Z690 doesn't matter, it just means you need to do a BIOS update. There's actually no difference between them.
Good luck with getting one! They're unavailable everywhere, and there are several quality control problems (like a high rate of boards arriving damaged and bent). It’s likely the best Z790 board available, but it’s not really suitable for everyday desktop work—it’s more of a niche option.
It's been available for about an hour since its November launch. You can purchase them from resellers for $1000-1200, but you could obtain three Z690 Dark KPs or a Z690 Dark Kingpin, a 13900K, a custom case, and a set of A dies to boost performance—though it would slow you down by roughly 200MT/s compared to the Apex. Overclocking differs greatly between everyday use and world records. For regular play, a Z790I Edge seems more practical because it costs half as much and offers similar performance. The Apex’s development focuses on niche features like running Windows XP, fixing bugs, and handling extreme temperatures, which are rarely needed by most users. You’ll get comparable results with the Z790I Edge at normal conditions. If you find a good deal, go for the Apex; spending over $800 on a full rig isn’t worth it.