Colorful has pushed the limits of DDR5 memory with its newly launched iGame Shadow II DDR5, reaching an impressive 9600 MT/s on AMD’s AM5 platform. 
Achieved on the high-end ROG Crosshair X870E APEX motherboard paired with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the feat highlights how far AMD’s latest platform has come in supporting extreme memory speeds.
The tested kit was a 2×16 GB iGame Shadow II DDR5 rated at 6400 MT/s, but with careful tuning and the use of high-quality SK Hynix chips, Colorful managed to push it far beyond spec at CL30 latency. Hitting 9600 MT/s in a dual-channel setup is no small achievement, as most kits struggle to stay stable at such speeds outside single-module configs. The results place AMD’s AM5 memory performance on par with Intel’s latest LGA 1851 platform, though success still depends heavily on binning quality, motherboard design, and firmware optimization.
Additional tests showed 9200 MT/s operating with improved stability in a 1:2 UCLK/MCLK ratio, verified by RunMemTest Pro. While slightly higher latency than the 9600 CL30 run, the setup proved more sustainable for long-term use. A separate run using the Ryzen 9 9950X3D delivered 7200 MT/s at CL24-37-32-38 under a 1:1 ratio, again with full stability confirmed. Another noteworthy result was 8900 MT/s at CL34, showcasing the flexibility of the kit depending on ratio and tuning.
Colorful credits its success to meticulous chip binning and the Shadow II’s 10-layer PCB design, which minimizes interference and improves signal integrity. While real-world gaming performance gains beyond 6000 MT/s may be modest, these results highlight the headroom available to enthusiasts chasing records on AMD’s newest CPUs and boards.