At first we would like to thank CORSAIR for offering us their DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB Memory Kit for testing and reviewing.

 

About Corsair:

"Founded in 1994, Corsair has grown from pioneering the high-performance DRAM market to one of the world’s leading providers of enthusiast-grade PC components and peripherals. Our groundbreaking technology and innovation can be found in our high-performance memory, ultra-efficient power supplies, PC cases, PC and CPU cooling solutions, and solid-state storage devices. Under the Corsair Gaming brand, launched in 2014, we provide gaming keyboards, mice, headsets and mouse mats to eSports professionals and anybody who is passionate about competitive PC gaming.

 

Corsair hardware is regularly featured in showcase “dream systems,” and we have earned the adulation and respect of the press, professional gamers and overclockers, high-end system integrators, and PC enthusiasts worldwide by delivering leading-edge technology backed by renowned service and support.

 

Corsair has developed a global operations infrastructure with extensive marketing and distribution channel relationships, and our products are available through leading distributors and retailers in over sixty countries worldwide."

Product Features:

 

The culmination of 25 years building world class memory

 

CORSAIR DOMINATOR has long been the face of premium, high-performance memory. That heritage and experience has led to this: the most advanced DDR4 memory we’ve ever created.

 

DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB is available in high-performance speeds of up to 4,800MHz – making it the world’s fastest air-cooled production memory – with generous overclocking headroom to push performance even higher.

 

We start with a custom 10-layer high-performance PCB that guarantees signal quality and stability for superior overclocking ability.

 

Hand-sorted, tightly-screened memory chips ensure high-frequency performance and tight response times, with overclocking headroom to spare.

 

Our patented Dual-Path DHX cooling technology cools the memory through both the PCB and the external housing - allowing the module to stay cool even under extreme stress.

 

Finally, 12 ultra-bright individually addressable CAPELLIX RGB LEDs line the top of the module, shining brighter, lasting longer, and consuming less power than conventional LEDs.

 

Illuminate your system with dozens of stunning pre-set lighting profiles, or create your own with near-limitless customization. Synchronize your lighting across all your iCUE compatible products, and stay informed with real-time temperature and frequency readings with powerful CORSAIR iCUE software.

 

Intel® XMP 2.0 support

 

Simple one-setting installation.

 

Wide compatibility

 

Optimized for the latest Intel® and AMD DDR4 motherboards.

Limited lifetime warranty - for complete peace-of-mind

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

 

Not long ago, CORSAIR has launched their revised DDR4 memory kits, from the DOMINATOR series, now named PLATINUM RGB. CORSAIR has quite a few experience in the field and the new series comes with speeds from 3000Mhz up to a fantastic 4800MHz; the module densities are of 8GB and 16GB and have a custom performance 10-layer PCB. DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB do sport a high quality aluminum heatsink implementation, while the 12 ultra-bright individually addressable CAPELLIX RGB LEDs do allow very in-depth customization, thanks to the iCUE unified software.

 

The new series comes in a compact packaging, showing the total capacity of the current kit, the operating frequency, but also the fact that these are Intel XMP certified:

 

 

 

On the back, we will see a list of product features, in multiple languages, along with the product serial numbers:

 

 

 

In each of the corners, we will be able to spot the internal foam layer:

 

 

 

For our 32GB 3600MHz kit, each foam layer includes two modules, which are protected in a transparent plastic mold as well:

 

 

 

The side plates of each module is made of forged aluminum with anodization and do sport a black CORSAIR logo in the middle:

 

 

 

The top bar is composed of two parts, is made of die-casted zinc alloy with microarc oxidation and is also secured with two screws, on each side of the module:

 

 

 

 

We have then the fins made of stamped aluminum and the light bar, designed in order to offer an optimal diffusion level; this shot also reveals the light isolation gaps:

 

 

 

The opposite side of the module does reveal the serial number, but also technical specifications such as CAS latencies, running voltage, module revision and more:

 

 

 

The top area does reveal the LED segments we can configure, which are 12 in total, thanks to the new hardware, that are brighter and smaller than those found on previous-gen modules and more durable as well:

 

 

 

Two separate segments illuminate the top DOMINATOR logo:

 

 

 

As soon as you start configuring the RGB modules, the new implementation will show its benefits and the overall result is awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

As soon as iCUE has been installed on the system, the kit will be recognized right away, for configuration purposes:

 

 

As other CORSAIR hardware, we will get multiple tabs on the left, which do serve different purposes:

 

 

 

From the DIMM Setup menu, we can specify the current arrangement of the modules, so the lighting will be displayed correctly:

 

 

 

 

The Lighting Effects area allows configuration of the entire kit, by choosing from one of the available presets:

 

 

 

Here is the list of presets:

 

 

 

Rainbow Wave

Spiral Rainbow

Rainbow

 

Color Shift

Color Pulse

Color Wave

Rain

Visor

Sequential

Marquee

Temperature

Stack

 

Inside Out

Water

Audio Visualizer

Static Color

Multicolor

 

The current RAM timings are displayed in the respective section:

 

 

 

The memory modules do also feature temperature sensors so we can take a look at the progress in the live graph:

 

 

 

Certain notifications (alarms) can be set via the Notifications menu:

 

 

 

We did really like the Stack preset, where the segments are simulating a brick-like game, until they fill up:

 

 

Test Setup

 

CPU: Intel i7 9700K Retail

CPU Cooler: Deepcool Captain 240 EX RGB AIO

Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming

RAM: Currently tested kit

Video: KFA2 GeForce GTX 1060 OC 6GB

Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W

SSD: OCZ Vector 150

Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840

 

The pre-programmed timings and frequencies can be also found by using AIDA64; the DRAM IC manufacturer is listed as Samsung:

 

 

From the stock DDR4-3600 16-18-18-36 specs, we tried a bit of overclocking as well: by setting a voltage of 1.4, we have managed to climb the frequency up to 3700MHz and adjusted the timings to 17-20-20-42 in order to be Memtest stable:

 

 

Starting with the JEDEC 2133MHz, we did benchmark the RAM step-by-step up to its stock 3600MHz frequency, in order for you to spot the performance differences. We did also benchmark at the maximum stable frequency of 3700, but because of the increased CAS latencies, only some applications took advantage of the increased bandwidth.

Test Results

 

SuperPI XS 1.5 2MB

 

GeekBench 4

 

Blender Ryzen Rendering

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIDA64 Bandwidth

 

CineBench R15 Rendering

 

HWBOT X265 Encoding

 

PCMark 8

 

Ashes of Singularity - CPU Focused

 

PCMark 10

 

 

 

The new DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB kits from CORSAIR do feature a really impressive lighting system thanks to the 12 bright CAPELLIX LEDs and are driven by the already-proven unified iCUE software. These include a custom 10-layer PCB for good signal quality and the ICs are well binned in order to meet the product specifications. We have found out that these kits also have a bit of overclocking headroom, if you are willing to increase the voltage up to 1.4.

 

At higher running speeds, the ICs need good cooling capabilities and these are met thanks to the patented Dual-Path DHX cooling technology, which cools the memory via both the PCB and the external housing. As we have seen with Ballistix modules in the past, the DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB modules feature integrated temperature sensors and the iCUE software can be set to signal via different actions if the temperature value rises over a certain number.

 

The RAM is fully compatible with Intel 300 Series so you simply have to set the XMP profile and you are ready to go! With AMD Ryzen platforms it is quite a hit-and-miss, since we have only succeeded to run the kit at 3200Mhz (Ryzen 7 2700X, MSI X470 M7 AC), but possibly future Agesa updates will allow the RAM to run at higher frequencies on these platforms as well!

 

Pros:

 

-impressive build quality

-very good module cooling capabilities (also needs an optimal case airflow)

-innovative LED lighting system, on 12 separate segments

-plenty of RGB presets, ready to configure via iCUE

-integrated temperature sensors

-Intel XMP 2.0 compatible

 

Cons:

 

-price, for some, being available online for about 500 Euros

CORSAIR DOMINATOR PLATINUM RGB Memory Kit is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to CORSAIR for making this review possible!