Many will agree that 16GB is the sweet spot for the average consumer. However, prosumers and professional users typically require more memory as they deal with heavy workloads, some of which can take advantage of fast memory. While memory vendors can stick to more mainstream data rates, such as DDR4-3200 or even DDR4-3600, many brands are also releasing faster memory kits to cater to that niche market. For example, GeIL has released the Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 memory kit, but it remains to be seen whether it can hold up to the best RAM commercially available.
With the well-known low profile design, GeIL’s Orion memory measures no more than 37.34 mm (1.47 inches). Ours has a black-and-red heat diffuser, but the Orion is also available in a black-and-titanium finish for those looking for a more aggressive look. The design generally looks very sleek with minimal marketing elements. However, GeIL did slap a Ryzen sticker on one side of the heat spreader to tell consumers that this particular memory kit is specifically optimized for AMD platforms.
GeIL sells the Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 C18 memory kit in a dual-channel package. The pair of 8GB memory modules has a black, eight-layer PCB with a single-rank design. Thaiphoon Burner has detected the integrated circuits (ICs) as Micron’s MT40A2G8??-075:C (C-die) chips.
The native data rate for this memory kit is DDR4-2666 with 19-19-19-43 timings. The Orion comes with XMP 2.0 support, so you can use the DDR4-4266 profile if you’re too lazy to set it up manually. The DDR4-4266 profile configures the memory to operate at 1.45V with timings chosen at 18-24-24-44. For more information on timing and frequency considerations, see our PC Memory 101 feature and our story on how to buy RAM.
Comparison hardware
| Memory Kit | part number | Capacity | data rate | Primary times | Tension | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeIL Orion AMD Edition | GAOR432GB4266C18ADC | 2x16GB | DDR4-4266 (XMP) | 18-24-24-44 (2T) | 1.45 Volt | Lifetime |
| G.Skill Trident Z Royal | F4-4000C17D-32GTRGB | 2x16GB | DDR4-4000 (XMP) | 17-18-18-38 (2T) | 1.40 Volt | Lifetime |
| Crucial Ballistix Max RGB | BLM2K16G40C18U4BL | 2x16GB | DDR4-4000 (XMP) | 18-19-19-39 (2T) | 1.35 Volt | Lifetime |
| G.Skill Trident Z Neo | F4-3600C16D-32GTZN | 2x16GB | DDR4-3600 (XMP) | 16-16-16-36 (2T) | 1.35 Volt | Lifetime |
| Mushkin Redline Lumina | MLA4C360GKKP16GX2 | 2x16GB | DDR4-3600 (XMP) | 16-19-19-39 (2T) | 1.40 volts | Lifetime |
| Klevv Bolt XR | KD4AGU880-36A180C | 2x16GB | DDR4-3600 (XMP) | 18-22-22-42 (2T) | 1.35 Volt | Lifetime |
| Patriot Viper Steel RGB | PVSR432G360C0K | 2x16GB | DDR4-3600 (XMP) | 20-26-26-46 (2T) | 1.35 Volt | Lifetime |
Our Intel test system consists of the Intel Core i9-10900K processor and the Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex on the 0901 firmware. On the other hand, our AMD testbed is based on the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero with the 3501 firmware. We use the MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio as our primary graphics card for gaming RAM benchmarks.
Intel performance
GeIL’s Orion memory kit was at the bottom of the application’s performance chart due to its single-rank design. There is a 7% margin between the Orion and the fastest memory kit, in this case the Trident Z Royal DDR4-4000 C17 from G.Skill.
AMD Performance
The Orion memory kit had the same result on the AMD platform due to its single rank design. We did see a bigger performance difference between it and the Trident Z Royal memory kit, up to 9%.
Tune overclocking and latency
Ultra-fast memory kits like the Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 C18 typically don’t leave much room for overclocking. Nevertheless, we got our sample on DDR4-4400 at 1.5V. However, increasing the DRAM voltage alone was not enough. We also had to relax the times to 19-25-25-45.
Lowest stable timing
| Memory Kit | DDR4-3600 (1.45V) | DDR4-3800 (1.45V) | DDR4-4000 (1.45V) | DDR4-4133 (1.45V) | DDR4-4200 (1.45V) | DDR4-4266 (1.50V) | DDR4-4400 (1.50V) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeIL Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 C18 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 17-22-22-44 (2T) | 19-25-25-45 (2T) |
| G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 C16 | 13-14-14-35 (2T) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 19-19-19-39 (2T) | N/A | N/A |
| Crucial Ballistix Max RGB DDR4-4000 C18 | N/A | N/A | 16-19-19-39 (2T) | N/A | 20-20-20-40 (2T) | N/A | N/A |
| G.Skill Trident Z Royal DDR4-4000 C17 | N/A | N/A | 15-16-16-36 (2T) | 18-19-19-39 (2T) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Klevv Bolt XR DDR4-3600 C18 | 16-19-19-39 (2T) | N/A | N/A | 18-22-22-42 (2T) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Patriot Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600 C20 | 16-20-20-40 (2T) | 17-26-26-46 (2T) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
The memory kit was stable on DDR4-4266 with the timings up to 17-22-22-44, but you have to be prepared to increase the voltage from 1.45V to 1.5V. However, the timings couldn’t go any lower without losing stability.
Bottom Line
Dual-rank memory kits are known to be faster than single-rank memory kits. GeIL’s biggest mistake was choosing a single-rank design for its Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 C18. It is not uncommon to find single-rank 32GB (2x16GB) memory kits on the market, but they are at a disadvantage compared to their dual-rank rivals.
While the Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 C18 runs on DDR4-4266, it delivers lower performance compared to DDR4-3600 memory kits, such as the Klevv Bolt XR DDR4-3600 C18, which has similar timings, or the Patriot Viper Steel RGB DDR4 – 3600 C20 with even looser timings. Don’t get us wrong. GeIL’s Orion range has released some decent memory kits, unfortunately this DDR4-4266 C18 32GB (2x16GB) is not one of them. When in stock, the Orion AMD Edition DDR4-4266 C18 retails for $374.99 (opens in new tab) on Amazon, which adds another drawback to the memory kit.