Corsair Dominator GT 2000MHz DDR3 6GB

Summary

The Corsair Dominator GT 6GB DDR3 RAM kit is very clear about who it targets – those desirous of out and out performance, prices no bar. The target audience is self-evident – the big deal is the overall package offered by the Dominator GT, get it if you can afford it.

Pros:

• Sheer speed
• Flexibility in overclocking due to lower voltage used
• Cooling is part of the package

Cons:

• The fan can get disturbing in an HTPC

Full Review

The Corsair Dominator GT CMG6GX3M3A2000C8 was one heck of a set of memory modules. Our test bench in the PCW Test Center clung to it but in the end we coaxed it into letting us unplug it after all test runs were performed. That is how good this 6GB kit of DDR3 RAM was.

Let us get the specifications out of the way first, shall we? The Corsair Dominator GT CMG6GX3M3A2000C8 is targeted at desktop PC enthusiasts, some who can buy it and the rest who can drool over the idea of its high performance. It consists of three modules of 2GB each, adding up to a total of 6 Gigabytes. Those who want 12GB will have to buy two packages of this product, thus making for 6 DIMM modules of 2GB each. So it is clear that it targeted for triple-channel (192-bit wide operation) users, something that you can currently get only with a motherboard based on the Intel X58 chipset.

Since the target niche is expected to want to over clock, a cooler is part of the package.

It is rated to be able to run at a clock frequency of 2000 MHz, with timings of 8-8-8-24. If you do not already recognize the significance of those numbers, it simply means this kit can help you overclock like a dream, and is capable of running very fast to complement even processors that are running way beyond their rated spec. Due to the above frequency, Corsair has labelled this package as “PC3-16000”. This indicates it is a DDR3 RAM package, capable of transferring data at 16,000 MB/second. However, it will reach 2000 MHz, 8-8-8-24 only after pushing the memory voltage to 1.65V from the BIOS. When you have not enabled such a high memory profile (XMP or Extreme Memory Profile), the Dominator GT will operate at a normal DDR3 module’s stock speed of 1333 MHz and consume 1.5V of power. This is lesser than older DDR2 modules that were expected to run at 1.8V and DDR1 modules at 2.5V. Note that the Intel Core i7 (the platform targeted by this package) has its memory controller built into the processor itself and could be damaged if you try overclocking by passing any higher Voltage to the memory modules.

The company does cater to a niche with this product, so it comes quite well packaged as you can see from the image below. The RAM modules themselves are given some extra style, with their black and red color scheme where the module is colored black and the heatsink/fin atop the module is red to make for a classy look. Since the target niche is expected to want to over clock, a cooler is part of the package. Innovatively named... “Corsair Airflow”, it is made of aluminium for heat dissipation, consists of two fans, and clamps on to the top of the RAM modules. Corsair claims that the Dominator GT line of products is “built using DHX+ (Dual-path Heat eXchange) heatsink” to better cool it. Also, the red heatsink fins on top are removable and can be used interchangeably with their thermo-electric and water-cooling solutions. That is how much attention the RAM component now gets folks – fans are not restricted to just the CPU cooler, graphics card and PC cabinet anymore. It is reassuring that the modern PC still sits on the desk and does not attempt to take-off and fly away with all those fans whirring inside!


We tested the Corsair Dominator GT RAM modules on the same test bench we use for other hardware, to obtain comparable results and to eliminate other bottlenecks as much as possible. Thus it consisted of an Intel DX58SO motherboard, Intel Core i7 965 processor, Intel X25-M 80GB SSD and Tagan BZ1300W PSU, besides these memory modules themselves. First up was actually getting this RAM to run at the rated specifications. It always takes a little trial and error since the XMP memory profile poses its own issues, but we did find out that getting these Corsair modules to run stable at 2 GHz was easier than fighting with the Kingston HyperX 2 GHz modules to reach the same speed. Once similar speeds were achieved, these Corsair modules scored better in latency benchmarks than the Kingston, even if only by a couple of nanoseconds (memory latency is measured in ns, hard drive latency is measured in ms or milliseconds).

Running memory benchmarks returned a speed of 16,134 MB/s on average as expected. There was the occasional burst when it hit a maximum of 19,841 MB/s but overall, latency still remained at 51ns. In the Windows Experience Index, the memory score improved from 7.7 for normal triple channel 1333 MHz memory to 7.9 for the Corsair memory – this is good, keeping in mind that 7.9 is the maximum number that Windows 7 will assign. We ran a host of other real world and synthetic benchmarks but these tests came back to underline what we had expected. Not much really “feels” different in day to day normal usage. Yes you will see the performance benefit in games and professional applications, but not in browsers or OS file operations. The RAM modules became warm to the touch when being stressed, but did not reach the “heat” territory, which is a good thing.


Possibilities abound with this kind of overclocker-friendly RAM kit, so you could take alternative routes too, such as cutting back on the frequency but tightening the timings, increasing the voltage to go further beyond 2 GHz by loosening the timings, and so on. There isn’t much to go by the name of negatives. The “Corsair Airflow” solution bundled in this kit’s package does get audible slightly but thankfully it may not be required at all. That noise is easily masked if you are playing something over the speakers. In any case, those who are putting together their own HomeTheatre PC and value silent components are hardly going to splurge this much money on the RAM alone. So the price does not need harping upon, as it addresses a very exclusive segment of the market. Corsair offers a limited lifetime warranty.

Bottom Line

The Corsair Dominator GT 6GB DDR3 RAM kit is very clear about who it targets – those desirous of out and out performance, prices no bar. The target audience is self-evident – the big deal is the overall package offered by the Dominator GT, get it if you can afford it.

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