Mushkin Blackline Ridgeback 1600 MHz 16 GB Review (Quad Kit)

1. Introduction2. Mushkin Blackline Ridgeback 1600 MHz3. BIOS and Overclocking4. Testing Methodology5. SiSoft Sandra 20126. PCMark 77. MaxxMem28. Super Pi9. WinRAR10. Closing Thoughts11. View All Pages

The Blackline kit is supplied in an attractively design box which features a black and green livery.  The front of the box has a window which lets us see one of the sticks inside the packaging.  Mushkin make it quite obvious that this kit is designed for quad channel X79 systems as there is a large ‘Quad Pack' badge on the front of the box.

Turning the box over reveals a list of key features which are explained in detail.

Inside the box, the four memory sticks are contained within two plastic blister packs which should do a good job of protecting them during transit.

This Blackline kit features Mushkin's Ridgeback heatspreaders which are very attractive indeed.  They feel very substantial and extend about a centimeter above the top of the PCB.  This could cause a few compatibility issues with large CPU heatsinks.

These heatspreaders are black in colour and feel very solid.  Both sides feature small Mushkin logos and one side has a sticker detailing some technical information.

Removing the heatspreaders is very simple indeed.  They are comprised of three different sections which are secured together on either side using three tiny Phillips screws.  There are large thermal pads on the side parts of the heatspreader to improve heat dissipation.  There are sixteen memory chips on each module, eight on either side.  They don't appear to be branded but carry the model number RHW990B3G-P.

This memory is rated at 1600 MHz with timings of 8-8-8-24-1T.  These are all pre-configured in the XMP profile.

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