Are you planning your next big build, something that will wipe the floor with anything else on the market? Well, we all know the importance of fast memory, and Corsair reckon they have the best. Is it? Let’s find out.
Product on Review: Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB
Manufacturer: Corsair
Street Price: GBP £499.99 / USD $549.99
Corsair, an American hardware company, have gone from strength to strength in the last 25 years, starting out making DRAM modules and slowly encompassing a large portion of the peripherals and PC hardware market, with SSDs, keyboards, headsets, fans, cases and a whole lot more.
Today, we take things back to their roots and look at a brand new RAM kit, this time they aim to bolster their position as the go-to for high performance DDR4 memory with fierce competition from Corsair, G.SKILL, TeamGroup and Kingston with their HyperX brand. This arrives in the form of the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB, the design isn’t new but the RGB lighting certainly is, and in-fact, this is the first product to feature Corsair’s new Capelix RGB LEDs, a new LED technology designed in partnership with Primax to minimise the space required by LEDs which can increase density and brightness.
The Dominator Platinum RGB kits arrive in capacities ranging from 16GB right up to 128GB in a mixture of both 8GB and 16GB modules. The spectrum of speeds is also vast, starting at 3000MHz and moving all the way up to 4800MHz for those seeking the absolute most extreme RAM available. Guaranteeing these speeds, and tight timings, is a tight screening process from high-frequency memory chips along with a custom 10-layer PCB and aluminium heat spreaders to provide generous overclocking headroom.
We’ve been provided with a kit that should be, on paper at least, blindingly fast, boasting some impressive CAS latency timings of 14-14-14-34 at 3200MHz in a quad-DIMM package of 32GB. The Dominator Platinum RGB has been designed with Intel and AMD platforms in mind and is rated to work on both.
The elephant in the room with this kit is undoubtedly the pricing, at £499 in the UK and $549 in the US, this is considerably more expensive than any other kit we’ve tested around this speed or capacity, with it being possible to find 64GB at a similar price, but can the performance really make a difference?
Corsair on the Dominator Platinum RGB:
CORSAIR DOMINATOR® PLATINUM RGB DDR4 Memory redefines premium DDR4 memory, with timeless iconic design, superior craftsmanship and aluminum construction that’s built to last. Powered by tightly-screened high-frequency memory chips, DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB ensures high frequency performance with generous room for overclocking thanks to a custom PCB cooled by CORSAIR’S patented DHX cooling technology. Use CORSAIR iCUE software to customize virtually limitless lighting effects from 12 ultra-bright, individually addressable CAPELLIX RGB LEDs, and stay informed with real-time frequency and temperature monitoring. Complete with wide compatibility with the latest motherboards, Intel® XMP 2.0 support for simple setup, and a limited lifetime warranty, this is DDR4 memory in a class of its own
Technical Specifications
Memory Series: DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB
Memory Type: DDR4
Memory Size: 32GB Kit (4 x 8GB)
Tested Latency: 14-14-14-34
Tested Voltage: 1.35V
Tested Speed: 3200MHz
Memory Color: BLACK
LED Lighting: RGB
Single Zone / Multi-Zone Lighting: Individually Addressable
SPD Latency: 15-15-15-36
SPD Speed: 2133MHz
SPD Voltage: 1.2V
Speed Rating: PC4-25600 (3200MHz)
Compatibility: Intel 100 Series, Intel 200 Series, Intel 300 Series, Intel X299, AMD 300 Series, AMD 400 Series
Heat Spreader: Anodized Aluminum
Package Memory Format: DIMM
Performance Profile: XMP 2.0
Package Memory Pin: 288
Memory Type: DDR4
Memory Size: 32GB Kit (4 x 8GB)
Tested Latency: 14-14-14-34
Tested Voltage: 1.35V
Tested Speed: 3200MHz
Memory Color: BLACK
LED Lighting: RGB
Single Zone / Multi-Zone Lighting: Individually Addressable
SPD Latency: 15-15-15-36
SPD Speed: 2133MHz
SPD Voltage: 1.2V
Speed Rating: PC4-25600 (3200MHz)
Compatibility: Intel 100 Series, Intel 200 Series, Intel 300 Series, Intel X299, AMD 300 Series, AMD 400 Series
Heat Spreader: Anodized Aluminum
Package Memory Format: DIMM
Performance Profile: XMP 2.0
Package Memory Pin: 288
Packaging & Product
In traditional style of Corsair’s high-end RAM, they package it in the octagonal fashion, using high density foam and individual packets to prevent anything from getting scratched or damage in transit. The front of the box doesn’t really give much away regarding the tight CAS timings which we feel are the main selling point of this particular kit.
The reverse is no different, unless you’re savvy with their product serial numbers and can decipher the 3200C14 part of it as to what that means. The packet certainly looks fancy though.
Taking a look at the modules, Corsair claim they’ve used the relevant manufacturing techniques to achieve the perfect finish. The side plates are made from forged aluminium with anodization, the top bar is a die-cast zinc alloy with microarc oxidation and the fins are constructed from stamped aluminium. All of that results in a rather fancy looking DRAM stick with a dark black appeal.
The reverse side is practically identical apart from the serial sticker, showing the speed, CAS timings, voltage and version number.
The top bar is punched out in 10 places at regular intervals with the lightbar residing below. The Dominator title in the centre also lights up thanks to the RGB LEDs.
Test Setup & Methodology
Memory Configurations
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB
3200MHz @ 14-14-14-34-48-1T – XMP 2.0
Test Setup
Cooling Corsair H150i Pro RGB
Processor Ryzen 7 2700X
MotherboardMSI X470 Gaming M7 AC
Graphics Radeon RX 480 8GB
Storage Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
PSU Corsair RM 750X 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Compared against
Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000MHz (2x 8GB)
Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB 3000MHz (4x 8GB)
G.SKILL Sniper X 3400MHz (2x 8GB)
XPG Spectrix D41 RGB 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
HyperX Predator 3200MHz (4x 8GB)
Team Group T-Force Delta RGB 3200MHz (2x 8GB)
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB
3200MHz @ 14-14-14-34-48-1T – XMP 2.0
Test Setup
Cooling Corsair H150i Pro RGB
Processor Ryzen 7 2700X
MotherboardMSI X470 Gaming M7 AC
Graphics Radeon RX 480 8GB
Storage Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
PSU Corsair RM 750X 80 Plus Gold Certified PSU
Compared against
Corsair Vengeance LPX 3000MHz (2x 8GB)
Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB 3000MHz (4x 8GB)
G.SKILL Sniper X 3400MHz (2x 8GB)
XPG Spectrix D41 RGB 2400MHz (4x 8GB)
HyperX Predator 3200MHz (4x 8GB)
Team Group T-Force Delta RGB 3200MHz (2x 8GB)
Benchmarks
Cinebench R15 – CPU
SiSoftware SANDRA – Memory bandwidth
AIDA64 – Memory Benchmarks
PCMark 8 – Photoshop
Games – Dawn of War III
SiSoftware SANDRA – Memory bandwidth
AIDA64 – Memory Benchmarks
PCMark 8 – Photoshop
Games – Dawn of War III
Overclocking & Lighting
RGB LightingLighting, thanks to the brand new Capelix RGB LEDs is obviously a key selling point for this RAM kit, as it is on most RAM kits in 2019, so feast your eyes on the lighting clip below.
Overclocking
Another couple of key features are the large heat spreaders and the attractively tight timings at high frequencies, but Corsair claim they’ve left further headroom for users willing to push things a little bit further. While we don’t consider ourselves overclocking Gods, we’re certainly not shy of having a go at overclocking.
In our MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC motherboard, we found that our kit was almost impossible to overclock, and to maintain fairness across all of our reviews, we can’t really start picking and choosing better motherboards for overclocking tests. We could manage slight tweaks here and there of roughly 100MHz on the frequency, but even that required a slight boost in the voltage to 1.4v from 1.35v.
Perhaps we’ve missed something or we’re not approaching this from the correct angle, or is it possible that the already incredibly tight timings of CAS 14 @ 3200MHz are about the limit this kit is capable of?
Anyway, regardless of the reason, we feel Corsair’s claims of leaving overclocking headroom fall slightly short of the truth.
Software
Below is a short clip of the Corsair iCUE software, used to control the vast majority of Corsair peripherals and hardware, this is where the RGB lighting is adjusted.Memory Transfer Performance – AIDA64
AIDA64 Product PageMemory bandwidth benchmarks (Memory Read, Memory Write, Memory Copy) measure the maximum achiveable memory data transfer bandwidth. The code behind these benchmark methods are written in Assembly and they are extremely optimized for every popular AMD, Intel and VIA processor core variants by utilizing the appropriate x86/x64, x87, MMX, MMX+, 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE4.1, AVX, and AVX2 instruction set extension.
The Memory Latency benchmark measures the typical delay when the CPU reads data from system memory. Memory latency time means the penalty measured from the issuing of the read command until the data arrives to the integer registers of the CPU.
The Memory Latency benchmark measures the typical delay when the CPU reads data from system memory. Memory latency time means the penalty measured from the issuing of the read command until the data arrives to the integer registers of the CPU.
Bandwidth Performance – SiSoftware SANDRA
SANDRA isn’t always a benchmark that is included in hardware reviews but I believe it shouldn’t be ignored. SANDRA provides a vigorous package that tests your system in a rather large array of benchmarks. There are many aspects of benchmark that can be executed.
Processing Power Performance – Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH can measure systems with up to 64 processor threads. This test scene contains approximately 2,000 objects which in turn contain more than 300,000 polygons in total, and uses sharp and blurred reflections, area lights, shadows, procedural shaders, antialiasing, and much more. The result is displayed in points (pts). The higher the number, the faster your processor.
Image Editing Performance – PC Mark 8 Photoshop
PCMark 8 Product Page Developed in partnership with Benchmark Development Program members Acer, AMD, Condusiv Technologies, Dell, HGST, HP, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Samsung, SanDisk, Seagate and Western Digital, PCMark 8 is the latest version in FutureMark’s popular series of PC benchmarking tools. Improving on previous releases, PCMark 8 includes new tests using popular applications from Adobe and Microsoft.
PassMark – Memory Mark
PassMark Performance Test. Fast, easy to use, PC speed testing and benchmarking. PassMark PerformanceTest allows you to objectively benchmark a PC using a variety of different speed tests and compare the results to other computers.
Gaming Performance – Dawn of War III
To test out the benefit of faster memory in a real world scenario, we have taken a recent game and created a CPU limited scenario by reducing the resolution and graphics settings to minimum, while setting the CPU dependent settings at their highest.
Conclusion
For the vast majority of users, such a kit as the Dominator Platinum RGB would go largely wasted, with most of the performance being imperceptible to anything but the most extreme of use cases. However, content creators, especially those handling 4K or 8K footage, or competitive gamers demanding 240Hz from their systems, where having the best possible components can make all the difference.What can be appreciated by all, however, is the beauty of the RGB lighting. Corsair went to great effort, alongside Primax, to design and develop their new Capellix LEDs that offer brighter, more efficient lighting which take up less real estate. Due to this, the lighting is much more vibrant and vivid than on previous Corsair modules. We also found it matches the hues put out by their LL120 fans and H100i Platinum pump header perfectly, which goes a long way to making a build look as uniform and professional as possible.
While we mention that the performance would be “wasted”, that isn’t necessarily true, it just wouldn’t be noticed by most users, with a kit of 2133MHz at JEDEC standards sufficing for a lot of people, though, do not let it be said that this won’t improve performance. This kit has a lot of potential in systems that are running at their maximum where bottlenecks can pop up all over the place. Having said that, our graphs don’t lie and show this 3200MHz kit beating out a very competitive 3400MHz kit from G.SKILL at almost every turn, no mean feat at all.
We were rather excited to see what the Dominator Platinum RGB would be capable of when overclocked, hoping to push these things to their absolute limit, and with Corsair’s backing, we went ahead and tried, but unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of headroom left. Though, on the other hand, it does appear Corsair has done a lot of the hard work for us, via their screening process, in providing a kit that is 100% stable at these incredibly low timings of 14-14-14-34.
Finally, the price. This shocked us a little at first, with a £499 asking price, which is almost twice the going rate of kits at 3200MHz, even with RGB lighting and large heat spreaders, but you’re essentially paying for the intensive screening process that such a tight timing package demands. Most other RAM kits at this capacity and speed are running around the 16 to 18 mark.
The bottom line is, in the world of PC enthusiast hardware, the law of diminishing returns says you’re going to pay through the teeth for the best hardware possible, and the Dominator Platinum RGB is no different, but if you want the best, this is almost certainly it.
Pros
+ New Capellix LEDs look excellent
+ Beautifully crafted heat spreaders
+ Rapid performance
+ Lifetime warranty
Cons
– Very pricey
– Lacklustre overclocking headroom (in our hands)
+ New Capellix LEDs look excellent
+ Beautifully crafted heat spreaders
+ Rapid performance
+ Lifetime warranty
Cons
– Very pricey
– Lacklustre overclocking headroom (in our hands)
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