Review : Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34

[nextpage title=”Introduction: “]
After the excellent DDR5 memory kit from Corsair, the Dominator Platinum RGB 6600 MT/s CL32, let’s have a look at the latest kit from Teamgroup. The kit is the DELTA RGB and it comes in two 16 GB sticks clocked at 6600 MT/s in CL34 for 1.40v. Therefore, it has very similar specs to the Corsair kit.

At the time of writing, we have not yet found any sites listing this new DDR5 kit, so we do not have an exact idea of its price yet. However, we asked Teamgroup who responded they should soon be available for around $459.99. The good news is that we have noticed a fairly significant drop in the price of DDR5 kits in the last weeks. This is also great news regarding AMD’s upcoming motherboards which will also feature DDR5.

We would like to send a special thanks to Teamgroup for giving us the opportunity to review this Hynix-based kit. These are the chips with the best overclocking potential.

Let’s take a look at the kits available to us :

Since this is going to be a comparative review, we thought it would be interesting to review the different kits we have. You will be able to know in detail the characteristics of each of them. You can also take a look at this article in which our latest memory kit tests are listed so you find the one that interests you.

• 32 GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 6600 MHz CL32 (Hynix)
• 16 GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB 6000 MHz CL40 (Hynix)
• 32 GB Corsair Vengeance 5600 MHz CL36 (Samsung)
• 32 GB Teamgroup Delta RGB 6400 MHz CL40 (Hynix)
• 32 GB Dominator Platinum RGB 5600 MHz CL38 (Samsung)
• 32 GB Kingston Fury Beast 4800 – 5200 MHz CL40 (Micron)
• 32 GB G.Skill Trident Z5 5600 MHz CL36 (Samsung)

First, a little note on the choice of unit for the memory frequency. For several months now, manufacturers and many of our colleagues no longer use Mhz to talk about memory frequency. Some use MT/s while others say Mbps. For our part, we are going to use MT/s for the time being while waiting to see what the new standard will be. Don’t hesitate to ask us any question you may have or if you encounter any problems with the settings, either in the comment section or our social networks. You can also join our discord community.
[nextpage title=”Packaging description:”]

Unboxing and packaging :

Teamgroup’s kit comes in a sober cardboard box. The brand emphasizes the RGB of its kits, with a black and a white backlit module on the front. The labels of our two black modules can be seen on the back of the box through a cut-out. The labels are enclosed and protected in a transparent plastic cover. On the back of the box, there is also a label reminding the characteristics of the memory kit. Once the box is opened, we find our two sticks perfectly protected in a transparent plastic protection.

There are currently four different versions. The model is available in DDR5 from 6000 to 6600 MT/s, and all come equipped with Hynix memory chips.

Features and cooling :

As we said, our kit is clocked at 6600 MT/s with timings of 34-40-40-84 requiring 1.40 volts. It is made up of two 16 GB sticks, for a total of 32 GB. Heatspreaders are black and white. A white version is also available on Teamgroup’s website, but it seems it will be more difficult to find.

In terms of dimensions, they are 46.1(H) x 144.2(W) x 7(E) mm. The heatspreaders are made of aluminium. They are responsible for dissipating the heat generated by the ten-layer PCB and the memory chips. On the top of the module we can see the RGB area where the addressable LEDs are located. Our modules are of course compatible with all RGB software suite from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Biostar and ASRock.

The shape of these sticks reminds us of an American stealth fighter aircraft. On the front side, there are several writings suck as the name of the series as well as DDR5 and RGB. A cut-out in the heatsink features the letter “R”. On the back side, a label shows some of the specs of our kit. Finally, you should know that the kit is XMP 3.0 (Extreme Memory Profile) compatible. So don’t forget to activate the profile in your motherboard’s bios.

[nextpage title=”What’s new in DDR5: “]
The arrival of the Z690 chipset coincides with the arrival of new DDR5 memory modules. The main change is an increase in frequency and a higher capacity. Let’s be clear, it is not possible to use DDR5 modules on a DDR4 motherboard and vice versa. Even though DDR5 also has 288 pins, the notches do not match and this is deliberate in order not to have any disasters.

The PMIC module :

The big novelty of DDR5 is the presence of a PMIC (Power Manager Integrated Circuit) module. Its role is to regulate the power supply to the memory stick. There is therefore one per strip. It will use the 5 volts of your motherboard and convert it to provide the necessary voltage to your kit. For example, if your kit needs 1.1 volts, each chip will receive 1.1 volts. Previously, the motherboard was responsible for doing this. In reality, this has both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that manufacturers no longer have to provide this control on the motherboard PCB. So, a financial gain. But unfortunately, there are two types of PMIC. One is locked and will only accept the default values of your kit, called secure mode. The other type of PMIC is modifiable and will therefore allow the voltage to be raised above 2 volts. Fortunately, Asus on its Z690 APEX, has already started to bypass the restriction of the secure mode in order to reach 1.435 volts. We talked about this in detail in the article on the APEX.

The other issue is the heat release of this chip and the additional cost for a DDR5 kit. Personally, we did not notice any additional heat release during our tests. As far as pricing goes, it will be higher and will also depend on availability.

Higher frequencies and lower voltage:

So what is changing? Firstly, manufacturers seem to be favouring 16 GB sticks, thus dual channel kits in 2 x 16 or 2 x 32 GB. The frequencies are also increasing with kits that start at 4800 MT/s whereas the norm seems to be 3200 MHz in DDR4. Finally, high frequencies mean (much) more relaxed timings.

The voltage is also improved as it can be reduced to 1.1 volts for DDR5 compared to 1.2 volts for DDR4. We are talking about a voltage of 1.1 volts for DDR5 kits at 4800 MT/s. The voltage will be higher if the frequency increases as you will see below.

ECC (Error Correcting Code) compatible with DDR5

The DDR5 modules integrate ECC (Error Correcting Code). Er, yes? The idea of this module is to detect possible errors and analyse them before sending them to the CPU. Now, this module won’t be available on all chipsets as this will increase the price of the kit. While we’re on the subject of price, these should unfortunately be (much) higher.

XMP 2.0 (DDR4) and XMP 3.0 (DDR5) changes :

We are moving from XMP 2.0 for DDR4 to XMP 3.0 for DDR5. What changes initially is the possibility for a manufacturer to offer three different XMPs for its memory kit. These must be enabled in the BIOS.

The other big development is the ability to register your own XMP. To put it simply, you can optimise timings and tensions and then write your own XMP. Once “burned” on your memory stick, you will be able to choose this XMP within the BIOS. This is of course a feature that we will come back to in detail in a dedicated article as it is something that is possible with iCUE.

[nextpage title=”How to identify your memory kit: “]

The basic features :

You’ll tell me that it’s quite easy since you just have to look at the references announced by the manufacturer. Yes, but that’s not enough, especially if you plan to overclock it! Some information is given by the manufacturer, but you’ll have to dig or even remove the heat sinks to find out the others. On one side of the heatsink is the inscription “Dominator Platinum RGB” and on the other, a label with the technical specifications of our example. This is what we will look at in detail. For example, in the case of our example of the day, this is the information we know.

• The brand: Teamgroup
• Model: Delta RGB
• Capacity: 2 x 16 GB
• Frequency: 6600 MT/s
• Timings: 34-40-40-84
• Voltage: 1.40 volts
• Review: –

In order to get an idea of the overclocking potential of your kit, this information is insufficient and we will have to go further. Indeed, it is also very important to know the revision of the PCB as well as the model of the chips that equip your memory kit. Depending on this information, the overclocking performance of the kit will be very different.

To find this information, there is currently only one solution, which is to remove the heat sinks. Taiphoon Burner software does not currently support DDR5 kits. Moreover, there is no indication that this will be the case any time soon.

CPU-Z still present :

Fortunately, our trusted CPU-Z software is always on hand to verify this information, including the type of chipset we have in our kit. Currently, there are three types of chips: Samsung, Hynix and Micron.

Our kit is perfectly recognized under Windows 10 and the different timings are perfectly readable. The memory chips used in our kit are Hynix. These are the chips with the best overclocking potential.

The PCB of our memory kit:

We are going to remove the heatsinks to be able to look at the PCB and identify the chips. Be careful not to accidentally rip off any chips from the PCB! The best technique is to heat the heatsink with a hair dryer before gently prying it off and being patient.

As a reminder, the design of the DDR5 modules will also be different from DDR4 with the presence of an embedded PMIC (power management integrated circuit) chip. The idea is to enable better power management and therefore system stability. Our kit therefore benefits from the Hynix chips, of which there are 8. We are on a so-called “SR” kit for single rank, meaning that all the chips are on one side only. On the other hand, we can find “DR” kits for dual rank with chips on both sides of the PCB. The Hynix chips are called “H5CG48MEBD” and are 2 GB versions. [nextpage title=”The importance of the XMP profile: “]

Setup within the BIOS:

It can’t be said enough, but the settings of your memory kit are not automatically set after you install it. If this is the case for your processor, it is not the case for your memory kit and a passage through the BIOS will be mandatory! You will be able to configure it manually, by choosing the right frequency, timings and voltage for your kit. For more convenience, we advise you to activate the XMP (Intel) or DOCP (AMD) mode in “AI Overclock Tuner” in order to set it up automatically. Without this, your performance will be impacted in all areas and you will end up with a kit that does not exceed 4800 MHz in CL40. So we will enable our XMP profile directly in the BIOS.

The Asus BIOS, both on the APEX and the Crosshair models, have memory profiles. They can be a good basis for overclocking your memory kit. We will first use them in our overclocking tests. Our kit is now set up in the BIOS and will work with the manufacturer’s specifications.

As you can see on the screenshots, once the XMP profile is enabled, the settings are automatically detected. The frequency goes up to 6600 MT/s, the timings are activated and the voltage goes up to 1.40 volts.

[nextpage title=”Testing the Intel configuration: “]
Of course, this kit will only be tested on an Intel platform since AMD does not yet have any motherboards supporting DDR5.

• Motherboard: ROG Maximus Z690 APEX edition 2022
• Processor: Intel i9-12900K Alder Lake
• Memory: 32 GB Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34
• Graphics Card: MSI GT 710
• Cooling system: Optimus Foundation + 480 mm EK radiator
• SSD : Western Digital SN850 NVMe SSD M.2
• Power supply: be quiet! Dark Power PRO 12 1500w
• Operating system: Windows 10 64-bit

Aida 64 :

It is a software capable of providing you with a lot of information about your configuration, but above all it has the particularity of having a memory benchmark. This will calculate the read, write and copy speed as well as the latency of your memory kit. It is very often used to compare memory kits between them. It is an excellent tool if you want to compare the performance of your memory kit with those we have already had the opportunity to test. The version used for the tests is 6.50.2812 beta and we have used the performance of the previously tested kits.

Read bandwidth :

The performance of this first test seems perfectly logical to us, with a second place obtained logically. The throughput is unbeatable with an average of 101825 MB/s. This is quite logical since this Teamgroup kit combines high frequency and tight timings. As a reminder, our best score in DDR4 was 61325 MB/s with the Corsair Dominator Platinum at 4800 MT/s CL19. So, as usual on an Intel platform, you will have to favour frequency and tight timings.

Write bandwidth : 

In writing speed, the same observation can be made, with bandwidth reaching 90830 MB/s. The Corsair Dominator Platinum 4800 MT/s CL19 in DDR4 achieved 67251 MB/s. Once again we see a logical progression between the different frequencies. The score is very close to that of the Corsair kit as the frequency is identical but the timings are more relaxed.

Copy bandwitdth : 

The findings are identical in copy with our copy of the day again coming second. The Corsair Dominator Platinum 4800 MT/s CL19 in DDR4 achieved a copy speed of 57330 MB/s. As you can see, it is in reading and copy that DDR5 has a very large lead over DDR4.

Latency : 

Finally, latency. This is where all eyes are on as DDR5 is a bit behind DDR4. Our best DDR4 kit in this respect was the G.SKill Trident Z Royal Elite 4000 MT/S CL14 which achieved 41.4 ns. You will notice that the higher the DDR5 frequency the smaller this gap becomes. Note that a DDR4 kit in 3200 MT/S CL16 has a latency of 50.3 ns. Here it will be 58.8 ns for our Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34.

Geekbench 3.4.4 :

It is a benchmark available in several revisions, version 5 having just been released a few weeks ago. It allows you to obtain two scores: one in single and the other in multi. Using this benchmark, we are going to focus on the performance obtained on the « Memory Multi-Core » score, which allows us to differentiate memory performance.

The version used for the tests is 3.4.4.

For the Geekbench 3 benchmark, despite the fact that in single core the frequency of our i9-12900K is 5.2 GHz, there is a difference in score between the different memory kits. Once again, it’s a second place for this Delta RGB at 6600 MT/s CL34. For information, in DDR4, our best kit was the G.Skill Trident Z Royal 4400 MT/S CL16 with 5617 points.

In multi-core, the difference between our kits is less important. For your information, in DDR4, our best score was 48800. Of course, you have to take into account the DDR5 but also the performance of the Alder Lake CPU.

As soon as we isolate the memory score, real differences are visible between the kits. Our kit of the day scored 11213 points! In DDR4, our best kit only scored 7748 points. Once again, the huge advantage of DDR5 in combination with the Alder Lake processor is noticeable.

Geekbench 5.2.5 :

We decided to add this extra benchmark but why? The CPU benchmark uses new tests that more closely simulate the tasks that processors face in recent applications. Geekbench 5 also increases the memory used in the benchmark to better reflect the impact of this parameter on the CPU results.

For now, we will keep both as version 3 is still widely used.

While in Geekbench 3 we had a difference in single core, here in version 5 the performance is pretty much the same and it’s our kit of the day that takes the top spot with a total of 2026 points.

Finally, the last score in our benchmark series with a total of 19486 points for our Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/S CL34 kit. Again to give you a benchmark score in DDR4, our best score was 11179 points. [nextpage title=”Overclocking on our Z690 APEX: “]

Choosing your DDR5 kit based on memory chips :

As was already the case with DDR4, if you want to clock your memory, some brands will have a better potential. Currently, the kits announced by the various brands benefit from either Micron, Hynix or Samsung chips. The latter two brands will be the most interesting. Our Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/S kit is equipped with Hynix chips as you can see. A small but important note, our ROG Z690 APEX is a « new version » of 2022 which eliminates the problems encountered with memory overclocking above 6600/6800 MHz.

The « key » voltages of DDR5 :

For memory overclocking, there are 5 key voltages. These are the voltages that will have an impact on the overclocking and therefore on the frequency rise or the tightening of timings. These are the CPU System Agent Voltage (SA), DRAM VVD Voltage, DRAM VVDQ Voltage, Memory Controller Voltage and IVR Transmitter VVDQ Voltage. Here is where these voltages are located in the BIOS of our ROG Maximus Z690 APEX.

Beware, depending on the type of memory chips (Micron, Hynix and Samsung), the balance between these different voltages is different. Don’t panic, we’ll come back to this in detail in our guide on overclocking Alder Lake and DDR5. If your PMIC module is not locked, enabling « High DRAM Voltage Mode » will give you access to voltages up to 2 volts. Let’s go for overclocking this DDR5 from Corsair.

Step 1: Optimise XMP without touching the voltage

First of all, it is possible to activate the profiles available in the BIOS of our APEX. Be careful to select those that correspond to your type of memory chip. These profiles act on timings, subtimings and voltages.

But, for once, we chose to optimise the XMP profile without touching the voltage. We have increased the frequency to 6666 MT/s and tightened the timings to 32-39-39-28-2T. To boost performance, we also modified the secondary and tertiary timings. Here are our updated test charts so you can see the gains we’ve made with this new profile in the various benchmarks we use. Let’s start with AIDA64 to see the impact of overclocking our kit on bandwitdh and speed.

Performance is skyrocketing in all of the benchmarks. The profile is not fully stable but we didn’t have time to tune it perfectly. The idea is to show you the potential while keeping the voltage as low as 1.40 volts.

Now let’s get on with the part we’re most interested in, trying to get the most out of this Teamgroup Delta RGB kit by trying to reach 7400 MT/s.

Step 2 : Benchmark profiles at 7000, 7200 and 7400 MT/s

We’ve been testing DDR5 kits for several months now and we’re starting to get the hang of DDR5 overclocking. Importantly, we received a new ROG Z690 APEX dating from 2022. The 2022 versions have the advantage of not having to worry about memory overclocking reliability. The 2021 versions can be very limited in terms of frequency, especially on slot A of the board.

We were able to validate three profiles, the first at 7000 MT/s and the second at 7200 MT/s. The third one is at 7400 MT/s but will require further optimisation in the coming days. The voltages were 1.64 volts (VDD), 1.62 volts (VDDQ), 1.55 volts (IVR) and 1.35 volts (Memory Controller). Our i9-12900K is overclocked for the results below. The P-cores are at 5300 MHz, the E-cores at 4100 MHz and the cache at 4500 MHz, at 1.35v. The System Agent voltage is at 1.35v.

7000 MT/s 32-40-40-28-2T :

This profile is very interesting and performs well. It sure could be a bit more optimized but each kit is different and will require some time to find the best balance in terms of timings.

7200 MT/s 32-40-40-28-2T :

This new profile is quite similar to the one at 7000 MT/s but with some relaxed timings. We are on fairly similar performances. Don’t forget that the more we increase the frequency, the less we have to be greedy on the tight timings. For benchmarking, the idea is to find the best compromise in performance and stability.

7400 MT/s 32-42-42-28-2T :

The good news is that we were able to reach 7400 MT/s in 32-42-42-28-2T and secondary and tertiary timings in AUTO rule out quite easily. This is a very interesting foundation that we will use as a basis for overclocking in sub zero.

The idea of going up to 7400 MT/s allows me to evaluate the IMC of my i9-12900K as well as the potential of our ROG Z690 APEX.

[nextpage title=”The last word: “]
Wow, how lucky we are to have been able to test two excellent memory kits within a few days of each other. The Corsair kit left a very strong impression on us and so did the new Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34! We also had high expectations of this kit and to say the least, we were not disappointed. The performance is very close to Corsair’s but it keeps its first place thanks to tighter primary timings. Teamgroup has done an excellent job with this memory kit combining high frequency and tight timings. We also know that Teamgroup is working on a 6800 MT/s kit with a 10-layer PCB.

The advantage of this kit is that once you have it, you only need to activate the XMP profile to benefit from its performance. There is no need to make any changes in the BIOS. Despite its characteristics, the XMP profile has been perfectly recognized on the ROG Z690 APEX.

Good cooling performance :

Good news about its PCB too. While the Dominator Platinum RGB will be very difficult to cool down due to the RGB on its PCB, our Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34 is perfectly suited! We have also started installing the Bitspower Universal Memory Covers. The installation of these new heat sinks went very smoothly and we will have an article dedicated to their installation later this week. We are not done yet with this Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34 kit, which will soon be offered a sub ambiant review ! Finally, this kit should be available soon at a price of $459.99.

Teamgroup Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34

We liked:

• The overall design, from the heatsinks to the aesthetically pleasing RGB
• The quality of the sticks, sturdy and well built
• The second best performing DDR5 kit on the market today !
• The excellent overclocking potential of the Hynix chips
• Lifetime warranty
• The advertised price of $459.99 which is getting better
• The possibility to switch the PCB to cold very easily

We would have liked :

• Nothing to report at the moment !

Another DDR5 memory kit that we enjoyed testing. Teamgroup did a great job with their Delta RGB 6600 MT/s CL34 kit with XMP profile offering excellent performance. The 7000, 7200 and 7400 profiles were also very easy to achieve on our ROG Z690 APEX (2022). For us, it’s a no-brainer, with an advertised price of $459.99, it should quickly become an indisputable reference. Thank you Teamgroup !