Help with G.Skill trident X, the side plate fell off, RMA or use?

[ManicMonkOnMac]

So I got my G.Skill trident X 2400 2X8GB sets after a long wait due to Black friday rush and ice in dallas.

After installing the RAM and doing an external build, i proceeded to install the MB in case, and while doing the same the side plate fell off. I noticed that there was some kind of paste/adhesive on it. It looked untouched so I installed the side plate myself. Even after the this module was still loose(if I held it from the heat spreader it would jiggle) So I called the G.Skill guys and he said I should send it for RMA. I am sure your guys understand the excitement I had getting all my parts finally after 2 weeks. So I removed the screws on the fins and removed the heat spreader and installed it again. After doing that, it's 90% as tight as the other module. I went ahead with installing windows and it everything seems to be working as it should. I even enabled XMP in my Maximus Hero VI MB, it shows the correct speed and capacity.

My questions are:

1. Can I do some test to see if there are any issues with the memory with respect to the issue I had?
2. How much time does it take for RMA? Would I have to pay shipping?
3. I read on the G.Skill website that if the memory is working fine they would not RMA and still charge me shipping both ways.
4. I did some research and found that other people actually remove the side plate themselves to check the IC's etc? When I tried to remove the side plate it's not coming off now, seems pretty tight?

Please suggest what I should do? Basically, I wanna know what would you guys do if you were in a similar situation.

As of now, I was thinking I should keep using it and I can always replace if I face any issues in future. Penny for your thoughts my friends?

 

[Supahos]

I wouldn't return them if they are working. Most likely they will claim physical damage if it came off anyway, which it might have been while it was being shipped. I assume by side plate you mean the black part, not the red fin on the top? the red part doesn't do anything beneficial for the ram its just for looks. As long as you think the heatspreader is making contact with the chips all should be well.

 

[ManicMonkOnMac]

I wouldn't return them if they are working. Most likely they will claim physical damage if it came off anyway, which it might have been while it was being shipped. I assume by side plate you mean the black part, not the red fin on the top? the red part doesn't do anything beneficial for the ram its just for looks. As long as you think the heatspreader is making contact with the chips all should be well.

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes by side plate I mean the black part part ( is that the heat spreader and red part the heat fin?) The side plate is now secured against the chips and I tried removing it but it's pretty firm so I din't put pressure)

I just got them yesterday, and I called the guy as soon as it happened. He said to click a picture but by then I had already stuck it back. He still recommended that I should send them back as they are high performance rams and I should not take chances. They were sealed and this happened within 30 mins of opening, I feel like an idiot for not pressing them together before installing. : ( this just killed the rush I had while trying to build my gaming rig after 10 years (6 years on mac, macs are so much better, hated the whole rebooting shenanigans getting back to windows)

How about rest of the questions?

 

[Supahos]

there are no real tests other than memtest (google it is a free program, burn it to a cd, restart computer and let it do its thing) but if you're not having issues with the pc then you likely wont find anything in memtest, but you could check it first.


You do have to pay return shipping to Gskill... seems they get them back out within a couple of days typically but seem to send them back to you via sloth (saw a guy yesterday ask on their forums for an update it shipped 11-31-13 and wasn't to him yet). \

Removing the heatsink is not uncommon and won't hurt anything typically... usually if its going to hurt something it will rip a chip off the pcb, you would have noticed if I did that 😛. I would just enjoy them as nothing annoys me more than being without a computer I just built. If you have backup memory you could send them to Gskill, but I wouldn't bother if it meant 2 weeks with no computer. I think you can pay them for more memory, have them cross ship you a new set and refund your money when they get the old ones.

 

[ManicMonkOnMac]

there are no real tests other than memtest (google it is a free program, burn it to a cd, restart computer and let it do its thing) but if you're not having issues with the pc then you likely wont find anything in memtest, but you could check it first.


You do have to pay return shipping to Gskill... seems they get them back out within a couple of days typically but seem to send them back to you via sloth (saw a guy yesterday ask on their forums for an update it shipped 11-31-13 and wasn't to him yet). \

Removing the heatsink is not uncommon and won't hurt anything typically... usually if its going to hurt something it will rip a chip off the pcb, you would have noticed if I did that 😛. I would just enjoy them as nothing annoys me more than being without a computer I just built. If you have backup memory you could send them to Gskill, but I wouldn't bother if it meant 2 weeks with no computer. I think you can pay them for more memory, have them cross ship you a new set and refund your money when they get the old ones.

Well, I can salvage maybe 8 GB of an office computer (the same PC i salvaged HDD and DVD drive because my HDD is still in transit), my worry is will they really RMA it because it's working fine now. What would they check? Also, I can send it to Newegg or G.Skill, which would be faster?

 

[Supahos]

newegg would be faster and they might even pick up the shipping, issue is they are liable to just look at it and say "its fine" and send it back to you. if you can get the 8gb I might consider doing a return with newegg, but most likely I would just live with it.

 

[ManicMonkOnMac]

Just an update here is my review and update from G.Skill on new egg.

Pros: Looks cool, great review in tech community. Customer support was quick to suggest RMA.

Cons: So I got my set after days of waiting due to Black friday rush and Snow in dallas. After installing the module and checking it outside the case, I went ahead to install the mother board in the case. while doing the same, the side plate of the RAM fell off. Let me explain, the RAM is enclosed in two side plates (black with G.skill written on it), and on top is the heat fins that have grooves in which the metal plates fit, and then there are screws that go on heat fins. So this side plate fell off. I was so surprised given I spent top dollars to buy the alleged best RAM there is. It came highly recommended by people everywhere. I saw the side plate and it looked like that no one ever QCed it, to check if the side plate was securely pasted. I proceeded to paste the side plate myself (which was difficult because heat fins are there) anyways after pasting I realized the the module was loose between the hit fin and side plate. I removed the screws and removed the heat fin and fit it again. After securing the screws it was nearly the same as the other module. I installed it in my system and it seems to be working fine. Needless to say I was really sad and it the rush that I had trying to assemble my Gaming rig was crushed by the sloppy manufacturing process.
Although the Customer service suggested that I should send it for RMA I have my doubts because it says on the website that if the RAM is found to be working fine after sending it, they would charge me both was shipping. I am confused but I decided to take my chances and stick with the RAM. I wish they did better QC because after doing research I found that others have faced the same issues, luckily my computer was not running and my GTX 780 has a backplate and it didn't damage any other parts.

Other Thoughts: Any future buyers, I wouldn't say that don't buy it because it still is one of the best RAMs but I would recommend everyone to check that side plates are secured tightly on the fins and pasted firmly on the ICs.

Manufacturer Response:
.
Dear Customer

Glad to hear you were able to get everything squared away and working properly. It is extremely odd the heat spreader was not installed properly. If you have a problem in the future, feel free to send it in for RMA exchange and we can get a new one out to you immediately. All G.Skill memory kits are backed by a lifetime warranty. At any time a module is defective, not working to specification, or if the heat spreader is not on properly, we can have it replaced right away. This is a one time mishap so it should not happen again. For any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us directly.

Thank you
GSKILL SUPPORT

Quality and customer service are our top priorities.

Tech Support Email: ustech@gskillusa.com
RMA Dept Email: rma@gskillusa.com
G.Skill Forum: http://www.gskill.us/forum/