Press Release: Corsair Announces World's Fastest DDR3 Memory

Oh dear, Corsair* just announced their fastest memory DDR3. The future of Intel chipset looks to be even brighter for the enthusiasts who crave for bigger, better, faster memory. The timings/latencies seems to be high right now, i.e. loose, but hey I am sure they'll improve with time. Check it out...

Optimized for Current and Future Intel Platforms, Corsair demonstrates production-ready DDR3-1600 DOMINATOR and previews next generation speed grade at DDR3-2000

COMPUTEX – Taipei, Taiwan (June 4, 2007) – Corsair® http://www.corsair.com, the worldwide leader in high performance computer and flash memory products, today unveiled the world’s fastest production DDR3 memory rated at a blazing-fast 1,600MHz (PC3-12,800) and the world preview of the Corsair DOMINATOR memory running at 2,000MHz (PC3-16,000). Live demonstration of the new DOMINATOR memory will be on display in the Corsair VIP suite (#1334) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The TWIN3X2048-1600C10D DOMINATOR is the latest addition to the Corsair line of high-performance memory modules. Also on display is the upcoming generation of DDR3 DOMINATORs, ranging from 1GB modules running at over 2,000MHz and 2GB modules showing performance promise for 64-bit based applications. All DDR3 products have been developed to support the new Intel® P35 and X38 Express platforms, ensuring customers of an extreme user experience whether for gaming or applications with high computing needs.

The TWIN3X2048-1600C10D DOMINATOR will be available shortly after Computex. Both XMS3 DHX and XMS3 Classic products are currently available through Corsair’s worldwide authorized dealer channel:

FAMILY PART NUMBER SPEED LATENCIES
DOMINATOR TWIN3X2048-1600C10D 1600MHz 10-8-8-24
XMS3 DHX TWIN3X2048-1333C9DHX 1333MHz 9-9-9-24
XMS3 CLASSIC TWIN3X2048-1333C9 1333MHz 9-9-9-24
TWIN3X2048-1066C7 1066MHz 7-7-7-21

All DDR3 modules operate at lower memory voltages to deliver better performance with the same amount of power when compared to DDR2. Dynamic I/O Signal Termination and On-die Dynamic Termination (ODT) reduce the reflective signals transmitted to standby RAMs, thereby enabling support for higher memory frequencies. A larger prefetch means more data is immediately available for the processor and the differential data strobe reduces noise while accessing data, especially at higher frequencies.

“Corsair is supporting the industry’s transition to DDR3 with a full line of highly-engineered memory solutions. Our partnerships with leading technology companies and suppliers have allowed us to be first-to-market with the world’s fastest production DDR3 memory and demonstrating our next generation DOMINATOR running at 2GHz,” said Jack Peterson, VP of Marketing at Corsair. “DDR3 memory technology brings scalability and features that DDR2 cannot deliver. The fact that we are able to realize 50% more memory speed rating at launch compared to the standard DDR3-1066 specification is simply stunning.” continued Peterson.

Like their DDR2 brethren, DDR3 DOMINATOR and XMS3 DHX feature Corsair’s patent-pending DHX technology - an innovative quad-layer heat sink design that optimizes memory performance and reliability by maximizing thermal dissipation. With DHX Technology, heat is removed via two paths – the leads of the BGA chips into the PCB (convective cooling) and the back of the BGA packages into the custom designed extruded aluminum heat sinks (conductive cooling).

“The enthusiast community demands solutions that push the envelope and are capable of delivering the highest level performance experience, and very fast DDR3 is the next step in delivering cutting-edge computing,” said Steve R. Peterson, Director of Chipset & Graphics Marketing, Intel. “We work closely with Corsair to help deliver a cutting edge experience for the enthusiast power user. Corsair’s release of the new DDR3-1600 DOMINATOR memory, combined with an Intel P35 or X38 Express chipset based motherboard, plus an Intel Extreme Edition CPU, shows just how exciting platforms based on DDR3 will be.”

Source:Corsair Announces World's Fastest DDR3 Memory

Tech Link (Memory): Corsair Dominator DDR2-1111: Dual-Path Cooling Pushes Performance

AMDTech has a new memory review. They were able to request a new set of goodies from Corsair*. I am not against such RAM, but lately, things are really getting boring. I mean, yes, these RAM are great, they ran at DDR2-1111, cool. But hey, did you know that you need 2.4v to make it run at that stock speed? When will they ever reached such speed within the JEDEC standard.

I'm sure hardcore enthusiasts will not have any issues shoving such voltage, provided their motherboard can supply a stable and clean vDIMM. But hey, this DDR2 memory needs to mature, and fast. I am always excited to see fast DDR2, but I am disheartened to know that they must have such high voltage requirement to run at their stock settings. I guess I'll have to stick with my Micron DDR2-533MHz which can run at DDR2-1000@2.7v@CL5-5-5-15. True, not the best timing, but hey this RAM is like 2+ years old already and I never even have fancy coolers over these RAMs. This is why I am not prepared to shove anything higher than 2.4v on these DIMMs anymore, since the new RAMs I am seeing is basically the same anyway, just with better cooling. Oh well, enough with the New Year rant and go check out the review.

Final Words

As was mentioned in the recent review of OCZ Flex XLC, the best DDR2 memory in the market is able to run at DDR2-800 3-3-3 timings and DDR2-1066 at 4-4-3. Those performance levels still have not changed. However Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 has added a new benchmark for enthusiast memory of DDR2-1233 at 4-4-4-12 timings. It was exciting to be running DDR2-1067 at 4-4-3 timings and reaching DDR2-1100 at 4-4-4 was something once thought impossible for DDR2. Now with Dominator running DDR2-1233 at 4-4-4 timings memory performance has pushed the envelope even further.

Now that memory is unified, with all major platforms running DDR2, the performance of DDR2 has moved forward with incredible speed. It doesn't appear Micron D can be pushed much further - even with aggressive binning - so we wonder what the next milestone will be and which memory chip or memory manufacturer will take us there.

For now if you are looking for the very best overclocking memory you can buy for your new rig, then Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 should definitely be on your list. So should OCZ PC2-9200 Flex XLC. Both memories provide remarkable performance and push DDR2 performance to new levels. The absolute fastest memory tested is definitely Corsair Dominator DDR2-1111, which reached DDR2-1315 at 5-5-5-15 timings and the even more remarkable DDR2-1233 at 4-4-4-12 timings. If your platform will be 680i or 650i then Dominator is your best choice. OCZ Flex XLC is a bit slower at DDR2-1300 on the same platform, but it is also an excellent choice.

If your new rig will use an Intel 965X chipset then Corsair Dominator is again a good choice. We reached over DDR2-1200 on an ASUS P5B in very limited testing. For a 975x motherboard we would tip the scales to the OCZ Flex XLC. Flex seems more at home on the demanding 975X platform and reaches higher overclocks, but Dominator is no slouch on the 975X either. The Corsair Dominator may be just an SPD upgrade away from being equally excellent on the ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe.

It's a lot of fun reviewing memory like the Corsair Dominator. It certainly isn't cookie cutter, and the performance levels reached truly make the testing worth the effort. Corsair has done a good job in analyzing the problems with pushing DDR2 speed, and their solution is both unique and effective. The 4-layer fins on Dominator cool very well, and when coupled with the three-fan and near silent airflow memory cooler, you can take DDR2 to new speed levels. The same can be said for the recently reviewed OCZ Flex XLC, which finds a different but equally effective solution to pushing memory speed to higher levels.

The question that remains is whether the speed gains also yield the performance increase that make the product worth what it costs. The unfortunate reality with Core 2 Duo and AMD is that neither platform is particularly bandwidth starved or bandwidth sensitive. This means the sometimes massive DDR2 speed increase we are seeing in innovative new designs like the Corsair Dominator often make only a small difference in bottom-line performance. Performance is better with the higher speeds as clearly demonstrated in out test results, but the real increases are very small.

The question then is whether memory that sells for $600 for a 2GB kit is worth it. You can certainly buy a 2GB kit for less than half that price that will provide most of the performance of the $600 kit. For those who measure their system purchases on a value basis it will be difficult to justify $600 for Corsair Dominator PC2-1111, even though it is the fastest memory we have tested. However, Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 was not designed for the value buyer. Many other companies, including Corsair, have memory products that will satisfy the value equation. Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 is for buyers who have to have the best - the fastest - the top performance - regardless of cost. If they buy PC2-8888 they will definitely get the best available on the memory market.

The Airflow fan unit is also available at Newegg and other vendors for about $20. If you have enthusiast memory or overclock, the Corsair Airflow fan is a great and useful accessory and a very good value for what it does. When you consider an 80mm fan jury-rigged into place will already cost $5-10, the $20 Airflow looks better, installs easier, and doesn't cost much at all - and it just might extend the life of your RAM if you run at higher voltages.

Source:Corsair Dominator DDR2-1111: Dual-Path Cooling Pushes Performance

Tech Link (Memory): DOMINATOR CAS4 tested ---> Corsair TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF OCing Report!!!

One of the overclockers over at XS has posted a result of his evaluation kit of the uber RAM from Corsair*. Of course, it is going to undergo some massive torture and stress testing. Expand for more..

Hello and Welcome fellow memory addicts to my 12th OCing Report!

--- Part1: Introduction. ---
Less than two weeks ago, I have received from Corsair a brand new 2x1GB DDR2 kit for evaluation. This time, it's the highest rated (and most expensive at the same time, hehe) representative of the new "DOMINATOR" line - TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF. There are at least two reasons this memory stands out, before even getting into testing it:

* whooping stock rating of DDR2-1111 12-4-4-4.0 @ 2.40v
* intriguing looks with an ingenious new cooling solution behind it called "Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX)"

So, what's up with the new looks, you'd ask? Well, here's what Corsair engineers came up with. In short, heat generated by memory chips on a module is being dissipated through convection (by means of heatinks attached to the back of memory ICs) and conduction (through solder balls of BGA package, into copper traces and planes of PCB). So, Corsair engineers took their proven PCB design and modified it. They added a bit to its height, then extended above mentioned copper traces to that new area, finished them off with large copper pads on both sides of PCB and slapped a nickel-plated heatsink on those pads. After that, another aluminium heatsink equipped with fins at the top has covered memory ICs.
To aid in heat dissipation, Corsair wants to convince enthusiasts to throw away 80-120mm fans we've all being using so far, and added their own little cooler. It consists of three 40mm quiet fans and its housing is mounted on top of the modules with help of "tabs" on both sides of DIMM sockets. Pretty neat, eh?

Source:DOMINATOR CAS4 tested ---> Corsair TWIN2X2048-8888C4DF OCing Report!!!

Tech Link (Memory): Enter the "Why I Love Corsair" Contest

Corsair has a contest going on that will let FanBoyz (and non FanBoyz alike) get a hold of a custom Gold Plated Dominator 2GB DDR2-8888 memory kits. For some reason, there are four eight's (8s) in there so I am not really sure if it meant DDR2-8888MHz or maybe they meant PC2-8888 (which means DDR2-1111MHz).

In any case, if you are good with essays, why not check it out and see if you can bag one of those custom-made (and I assume, limited) Gold Plated DDR2 kits. Expand for more...

Celebrating the company's 1 millionth premium module shipped in 2006, Corsair will offer 5 custom 2GB DDR2-8888 gold-plated DOMINATOR memory kits as contest prizes for the "Why I Love Corsair" 200-word essay contest.

Press Release

Essay contest details:

Contest runs from November 1 to November 14, 2006. All entries must be received before November 14, 2006.
Prizes: 5 sets of gold-plated DDR2-8888C4DF DOMINATOR memory kits
To enter, email the essay to contest@corsairmemory.com
Maximum essay word count limit: 200
Winners will be announced on Corsair.com on December 1, 2006.

Source:Enter the "Why I Love Corsair" Contest

Brag: Kinc and crotale sets a new 3DMark 2001 world record with 89,120 points

Well, it's not surprising anymore with the power of Chipzilla processor. The world reknown overclockers Kinc and crotale managed to break the 3DMark2001 world record with such blazing score. It seems that the race to 90k is on!

Even if the weekend is still young our OC gurus Robert 'crotale' Kihlberg and Marcus 'Kinc' Hultin have already managed to score a new world record. With 3DMark 2001 they've managed to reach 89,120 points. It might be worth mentioning that the system still needs some tweaking for optimal performance and that the CPU is still our tired ol' X6800. However, now they've managed to get above 5GHz at least, while they also used a X1950/X1900 combo, waiting for another X1950 card without too bad coldbugs. Unfortunately, it's still impossible to raise the memory frequency of the X1950 very much, but that shouldn't stop them from reaching 90,000 later on.

Specifications:
CPU/cooling: X6800 @ 5050MHz, Mousepot + LN2
Motherboard: Asus P5W-DH
Memory: Corsair 6400C3
Master card: X1950 @ 830/1143, Mousepot + LN2
Slave card: X1900XTX @ 873/873, Cascade
Power supply: Cooltek 600W

Source:Kinc and crotale sets a new 3DMark 2001 world record with 89,120 points

Source:

Press Release: August 28, 2006: Corsair Introduces Revolutionary Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) Memory Technology

Corsair* released an awesome DDR2 memory. This is the fastest memory to date, oozing with 1111MHz of frequency with CAS latency of 4! Now that's a lot of FSB, imagine, 555MHz FSB 1:1 will be a reality. And oh, I almost forgot, these babies now come with what they call DHX (Dual-path Heat Xchange) for better cooling and of course, better overclockability!!! Expand for more...

Corsair unveils the latest innovation in high performance module design, Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHXTM) technology. This performance and reliability enhancing technology will be available in the latest memory product line from Corsair also launched today, the DHX XMS2 DOMINATORTM Series. The advances provided by DHX enable the world's first PC2-8888 C4 (1111MHz at CAS Latency 4) speed rating on a production pair of 1 GByte modules.

Source:August 28, 2006: Corsair Introduces Revolutionary Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) Memory Technology

Tech Link (Memory): Corsair and OCZ: New Standards in Fast DDR2

An article posted over at AMDTech pits two memory giants head to head. OCZ* and Corsair*, both of which I love, has been known to provide quality memory to enthusiasts. DDR2 really has come a long way, and it has matured already, with frequency offering that DDR1 can only dream of.

It is fair to ask which is better, the Corsair 6400C3 or the OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000? The answer depends on what you are looking for. Performance on both of these top memories is all but identical, and it is equally outstanding. We have to look elsewhere for differences. We find that difference in voltage requirements. The Corsair 6400C3 requires less voltage at almost every speed to reach the same performance level. In fact the Corsair generally requires less voltage at each speed than any of our previously tested High-performance DDR2. Some will see this as a great advantage for Corsair 6400C3 and we would agree.

The other side of the coin is the fact that OCZ binned their VX2 memory for higher voltages, and the fact that a bit more voltage is required at each speed should not be a surprise. Offsetting this is the reassurance from OCZ than you can run their VX2 memory up to 2.525V without affecting your Lifetime Warranty. We could find no case in our testing where higher voltage on VX2 gave us more performance than the Corsair, but we were testing with air cooling and an extra fan. Those who can cool their memory with more effective solutions may find they can squeeze a bit more performance from the OCZ VX2.

It is remarkable to us that Corsair and OCZ took such different approaches when using the same Micron memory chips and yet ended up with such similar performance. The Corsair CM2X1024 6400C3 and the OCZ Ti Alpha PC2-8000 VX2 are currently at the top of the DDR2 performance pyramid. Either can provide results that is the best available in DDR2. Beyond that you will need to compare price and how you will use the memory to reach a decision between the two. Neither of these stellar performers is a good choice in an average system as they are both far too expensive to deliver good value. However, if you demand the best, either of these top-performing memories will deliver the goods.

Source:Corsair and OCZ: New Standards in Fast DDR2

Press Release: Advanced High Performance Power Supply for the Most Demanding PC!

This is great, a new player in the PSU business. Hopefully, this new addition will increase the pressure on all sides of the competition, driving the price lower than what it is now. With the launch of new Chipzilla processors, this one looks very interesting to partner it with. Woot!

From the manufacturer of the "World's Most Awarded Memory" comes the Corsair HX Series Power Supply. With that same legendary focus on the performance and reliability, Corsair has engineered the HX Series to support even the most demanding of systems. The Corsair HX Series incorporates the most advanced technology to deliver reliable, continuous, and efficient power to all critical system components. The HX Series is the ideal power supply for high performance and gaming PCs, Audio/Video workstations, and file servers.

Corsair HX Series Features:

Supports the latest ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 standards and is backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.01 systems.
Guaranteed compatibility with dual-GPU configurations.
Double forward switching circuitry design offers high efficiency, up to 80% under wide load range.
Active Power Factor Correction with PF value=0.99 provides clean and reliable power to your system.
Universal AC input 90~264V automatically scans and detects the correct voltage. No more hassle of flipping that tiny red switch!
Ultra quiet 120mm double ball-bearing fan delivers excellent airflow at an exceptionally low noise level by varying the RPM in response to temperature.
Guaranteed to deliver rated specifications at 50ºC.
Triple 12V Rails provide independent reliable power to the CPU, video card and other components with a combined rating of 50A (40A on 520W) maximum! Advanced circuitry design that automatically enables power sharing between the triple +12V rails in an event of overload on any single +12V rail.
Powerful +5Vsb rail with 3A rating.
Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety for your critical system components.
105ºC rated industrial grade capacitors provide uncompromised performance and reliability, delivering 4 times the lifespan of conventional 85ºC rated capacitors.
Enhanced modular flexible cables enable easier cable routing and increased airflow in the system.
Gold Plated connectors provide oxide free ultra low-resistance contact between the power supply and your critical components.
8 Serial ATA connectors (4 on 520W).
Dimension: 5.9"(W) x 3.4"(H) X 5.9"(L)
150mm(W) x 86mm(H) x 150mm(L)
MTBF: 100,000 Hours
Safety Approvals: UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TÜV, CCC, C-tick.

Source:Advanced High Performance Power Supply for the Most Demanding PC!

Tech Link (Memory): Corsair XMS2 8500 DDR2 Memory Review

PCPer has a review up on their site. I am not a fan of the site, in fact, I don't relly like their reviews. Not that I'm saying mine is better, but my site is a "Blog" site and others are "professional review sites" so it makes a huge difference. They seem to like the RAM, both in its performance and overclockability.

The parts we are examing today is the Twin2X1024-8500 package which contains two CM2X512-8500 sticks. The SPD settings for this RAM is 5-5-5-15 at 2.2V and is tested to run at 1066 MHz. Getting to 1066 MHz memory bus speed will be a challenge for those of you without a ExtremeEdition CPU, but it should mean you can use tighter timings and still get great overclocking.

Source:PCPer