Gigabyte’s 16GB memory kit comes with dummy RGB modules for those empty slots

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Two of the four modules do not contain any memory chips.

Gigabyte is shipping its first memory kit through its Aorus brand, and like a growing number of RAM products, it features RGB lighting. What's unique about Gigabyte's kit is that two of the four modules included in the pack don't contain any memory chips—they're 'dummy' sticks (or 'demo' sticks, as Gigabyte calls them) to fill out your motherboard's empty DIMM slots.

What's the point? It's purely aesthetic. The dummy modules are virtually indistinguishable from the actual memory modules—they all have aluminum heatspreaders with RGB lighting along the top.

"This feature makes it completely unnecessary for the user to purchase a completely different set of memory modules with RGB functionality to fill out the DIMM slots of the memory configuration, without affecting their budget. Users can now add RGB Infused Demo Modules to their boards to enjoy a full memory configuration packed with RGB brilliance," Gigabyte explains.

We covered this memory kit last month when Gigabyte announced at it Computex. The specs have not changed—it's still a 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4-3200 memory kit with 16-18-18-38 timings. Gigabyte is using Samsung B-die memory chips, which are considered to be among the best at the moment. The company also says that each kit is "100 percent sorted and tested."

Whether there is a market for something like this remains to be seen. Gigabyte will find out soon enough—this kit is shipping now and will be "available soon." The company said last month that pricing will be $229. That represents a small markup over other 16GB DDR4 memory kits with RGB lighting. Some that we found on Newegg include G.Skill's Trident Z RGB 16GB DDR4-3200 ($215.99 plus $0.99 shipping), Team Group's T-Force Night Hawk RGB 16GB DDR4-3200 ($189.99 plus $0.99 shipping), and Corsair's Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB DDR4-3200 (on sale for $209.99).

Paul Lilly
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).