Any links to online stores should be assumed to be affiliates. The company or PR agency provides all or most review samples. They have no control over my content, and I provide my honest opinion.
Kingston sold off the HyperX brand earlier this year, but the sale only included the peripherals. Gaming memory and storage will stay part of the Kingston business, and they recently announced their full range of DDR4 RAM.
Now branded as Fury, there are varying options to suit your tastes.
The kit I am reviewing today is the 32GB Kingston Fury Renegade 3600Mhz DDR4 RGB which is CAS 16.
Specification
SKU | KF436C16RB1AK2/32 |
EAN/UPC Code | 740617322521 |
Brand | Kingston |
Memory Capacity | 32GB Kit (16GB x2) |
Module Quantity | 2 Modules |
Speed | 3600MHz (PC4-28800) |
Error Check | Non-ECC |
Model/Series/Type | Fury Renegade |
Module Type | DIMM |
CAS Latency | CL16 |
Form Factor | DDR4 |
Rank | 2R (Dual Rank) |
Warranty | Lifetime |
Pins | 288 Pin |
Colour | Black |
Country of Origin | China, Taiwan |
RGB Lighting | Yes |
Memory Voltage | 1.35v |
Memory Depth | 2G |
Packaging Type | Retail |
Data Width | X64 |
Chip Organization | x8 |
Heat Spreader | Yes |
Intel XMP-Ready Profiles | Yes |
RGB Control – Kingston FURY CTRL & MSI Center
At the time of writing, it is difficult to find a download for Kingston FURY CTRL. However, it seems like it is coming soon.
I have the MSI MEG X570 Unifi for my motherboard, so I am able to control the RAM using the MSI Center with Mystic Light.
It works as you would expect. There are plenty of LED lighting styles to choose from with the full RGB colour options.
Test Set-Up
I don’t have a dedicated test rig, but my main work PC consists of:
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
- MSI MEG X570 Unifi
- Zotac RTX 3080
- Kingston KC2500 1TB NVMe
For RAM, I am comparing against:
- HyperX Fury 32GB 3600MHz DDR4 – HX436C17FB3K2/32
- Kingston Beast 32GB 3600MHz DDR4 – KF436C18BBK2/32 (this is essentially the same as the HyperX)
AMD CCD Memory Write Performance with Zen 2 and higher
During my initial testing, I noticed a discrepancy in the write performance of the RAM compared to when I reviewed the HyperX Fury 32GB 3600MHz RAM back in March last year.
Write speeds are about half of what I expected, this is related to the CPU and has nothing to do with the RAM. With the introduction of ZEN 2 (Ryzen 3000 series), AMD changed the way memory writes work.
With the new chaplet design, each CCD is connected to the I/O chip (cIOD) via a high-speed data fabric capable of reading 32 bytes and writing 16 bytes on each clock cycle. For CPUs using a single CCD (such as mine), you get 16 bytes of write performance vs the 32 bytes that the cIOD uses.
AMD states this was a calculated design choice because most client workloads don’t do much writing. By halving the data link write speed between CCD and cIOD they save area, improves power, and a few other ancillary benefits.
12 and 16-core CPUs that use a two chipset design will not have these issues.
Installation / Set Up / XMP profiles
Nowadays, RAM is extremely simple to set up. Once you have installed it, on the first boot, you will likely be told to go into BIOS, from here you can set the XMP profile,
This was auto-selected, so nothing else to do, I just exited and the RAM was running at the correct timings and frequency.
Performance
There is not a huge performance difference between the three options I tested. This Renegade RGB RAM has a slight edge over the others, and this will be due to the faster CAS16 timing.
AIDA64
Renegade RGB | Kingston Beast | HyperX Fury | |
---|---|---|---|
Read | 50792 | 48948 | 44516 |
Write | 28786 | 28131 | 28783 |
Copy | 49028 | 44034 | 44542 |
Latency | 72.9 | 69.4 | 88.5 |
Geekbench 4
- Renegade RGB: 6591/40621
- Kingston Beast: 6476/39156
- HyperX Fury: 6427/39019
Passmark Memory Test
- Renegade RGB: 3355
- Kingston Beast: 3294
- HyperX Fury: 3171
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
Renegade RGB
Loading Times by Scene
- Scene #1: 1.712 sec
- Scene #2: 2.32 sec
- Scene #3: 3.526 sec
- Scene #4: 1.443 sec
- Scene #5: 0.69 sec
- Total Loading Time: 9.691 sec
Kingston Beast
Loading Times by Scene
- Scene #1: 1.185 sec
- Scene #2: 2.982 sec
- Scene #3: 3.178 sec
- Scene #4: 1.856 sec
- Scene #5: 1.035 sec
- Total Loading Time:10.236 sec
HyperX Fury
Loading Times by Scene
- Scene #1: 1.897 sec
- Scene #2: 2.462 sec
- Scene #3: 3.377 sec
- Scene #4: 1.655 sec
- Scene #5: 1.409 sec
- Total Loading Time: 10.381 sec
Price and Alternative Options
The exact model for this 32GB of Kingston Fury Renegade RGB is KF436C16RB1AK2/32. It has a CAS latency of 16. I was never given the official RRP, and when Box first listed the new Kingston RAM, I was concerned it was overpriced, but this doesn’t appear to be the case, now other retailers have listed it.
You can currently buy it via kingstonmemoryshop.co.uk for £160.99 (inc. VAT).
The same website also sells the CL18 HyperX Fury RGB HX436C18FB4AK2/32 32GB for £159.99
The CL18 Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3600MHz is £165 from Amazon
CL18 KLEVV 32GB 3600Mhz RAM from Ebuyer is £154
CL18 ADATA XPG SPECTRIX DT60 RGB 32GB (2X16GB) is £165.48 from Ebuyer
For CL16 memory, the cheapest I can see is the Crucial Ballistix RGB for about £190 though it looks like you can buy it from an Amazon EU store for £165.
So the Kingston Fury Renegade RGB is one of the cheapest options on the market.
Overall
Kingston was already making excellent memory under the HyperX brand, so they already know a thing or two about making good RAM.
The Kingston Fury Renegade RGB is superb; it is basically the same price a none-RGB CAS16 RAM and quite a bit cheaper than competing RGB RAM.
Kingston Fury Renegade 3600Mhz DDR4 RGB Review Rating - KF436C16RB1AK2/32
Summary
The Kingston Fury Renegade RGB is an excellent buy with nothing notable to criticise. Depending on where you buy it from and current sales, it is about the best spec for your money if you want RGB 3600Mhz memory.
Overall
90%-
Overall - 90%
90%
Pros
- Excellent price/performance compared to competing options
Cons
- Kingston FURY CTRL software is not available yet
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.