Introduction:-
Over the years Corsair's Dominator lineup has been synonymous with the upper crust of performance memory modules. Corsair makes DDR3 memory modules that will fit just about any need from the basic to the extreme with many products in between. Given the name “Dominator†the popular Dominator sticks were highly prized among Overclocking enthusiasts not only for their excellent stock timings, performance and appearance, but for their head room should the user wish to get dirty and push the sticks to new heights and now Corsair has gone one step further with the Platinum lineup with the addition of a light bar to allow the end user who really wants to customize every aspect of their build from the motherboard to the cooling solution and even the look of the memory.
In this review we will be looking at some special memory modules from Corsair called the Dominator Platinum. These modules are specifically designed for the latest Core i7 Sandy and Ivy Bridge processors and come in a variety of 8GB to 64 GB with speed rated from 1866mhz to 2666mhz. The set of modules we have received from Corsair is part number CMD16GX3M4A2133C9, a 16GB dual channel kit. This kit features 4 x 4GB modules rated for use at 2133Mhz running timings of 9-11-10-30 using just 1.5v
Specifications:-
- Warranty Lifetime
- Size 16GB Kit (4 x 4GB)
- Performance Profile XMP
- Fan Included No
- Heat Spreader Platinum
- Memory Configuration Dual Channel
- Memory Type DDR3
- Package - Memory Pin 240
- Package - Memory Format DIMM
- Tested Voltage 1.5
- SPD Voltage 1.5
- Speed Rating PC3-17066 (2133MHz)
- SPD Speed 1333MHz
- Tested Speed 2133Mhz
- Tested Latency 9-11-10-30
- SPD Latency 9-9-9-24
A closer look:-
Corsair Dominator Platinum series ram Kits come in all black box, we have a clean and crisp design to the octagonal box to suite the modules themselves inside. A slim window at the top gives a glance to the kit that is inside.
The back of the package lists reasons why these modules should be in your next build with items such as Corsair's Dual Path DHX cooling solution, customizable light bar, and support for Corsair’s Link technology to monitor the kit’s performance.
Something a little different to what we normally see, the packaging is split into two halves that open out to reveal a window onto each of the modules.
Opening the package up we see the individual modules packaged each in their own clear plastic containers. Each container is packed into a dense closed foam for protection.
Each stick is packaged again within its own plastic container. This is just one more thing Corsair loves to do differently to showcase their high end products.
Externally these modules differ from the standard Dominator modules with the use of a light bar that rides over the fins of the Dual Path DHX heat sink. This light bar not only adds a distinctive look but will be offered in multiple colors to more closely match the color scheme of your system and motherboard. On each side of the modules is an extruded aluminum shield that is used to pull heat directly from the highly binned memory IC's while the finned aluminum sink on top of the modules is used to pull heat directly from the PCB.
This picture from Corsair mostly explains the difference between this and your standard heatspreader. The first thing of note is the spreader is machined aluminum not a sheet metal press. This explains the weight and girth of these sticks. The PCB is taller than standard height DIMMs because the PCB is designed to also shed heat through the top fin design. The spreader and PCB are secured with double sided thermal tape.
Talking about the Link technology, each module has a five pin Link connector to enable connection to a Link control module (available separately) Once connected up, the Link control panel allows for monitoring of each modules' performance along with customization of the light bars.
All RAM sticks will have a small sticker on one side to show model number, speed, timings and voltage. The other side of the stick is the “show case†side that gets displayed to the public.
Test setup:-
- AMD BULLDOZER FX 8120
- ASROCK 990FX EXTREME 4
- CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM 2133CL9
- CORSAIR FORCE 3 60GB SSD
- ZALMAN HD7870 TURBO
- CORSAIR H60
- SEASONIC PLATINUM 1000W
Performance:
Aida64 Memory Benchmarks
Aida64 Memory Latency
Sisoft Sandra Memory Bandwidth
Super Pi 32M
Wprime 1024 M
Overclocking
Overclocking greatly varies due to what hardware is being used and who is doing the Overclocking. Always remember that no two pieces of hardware will perform the same, so our results will differ from what you might be able to get.
This set of modules is rated at 2133Mhz running timings of 9-11-10-30 with using just 1.5v. When I start pushing up the frequency while Keep the timing at cl9 will result up in 2186mhz with stock timing and voltage.
Now start playing up with Timing and voltage I was able to get 2240mhz with memory timing 10-12-11-36 with 1.65v in dual channel memory configuration.
To Test the stability we ran few tests and its working fine without any errors with maximum frequency achieved 2260mhz in dual Channel configuration.
Conclusion
It's clear to say that Corsair has certainly created a cream of the crop kit from the start. Looking first of all at the physical features of the modules, they have a greater feel of quality. The clean lines and bold appearance really set the kit apart when installed into any system. The inclusion of the lighting on the modules may see a bit over the top, but it has been done in such a way on this kit that it simply sets it off with a warm glow and taking into consideration this can be changed by changing out the bars for different colored plastics, making them suitable for any system color scheme.
Naturally the other key aspect of this kit apart from its quality and features is without a doubt its performance. This kit overclock very well, even was one of the easiest I’ve had to clock up from its stock settings, with only a little touch to the voltage and timings required.
The Good
- Performance
- Looks
- DHX Cooling
- Overclocking Headroom
- Removable light bar
- Warranty
The Bad
- High Price
Specially Thanks to Corsair For providing this review Sample.
