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Corsair Dominator Series 4 GB DDR2 Kit 1066 MHz CL5 |
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Test Setup
| CPU: | Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 G0 Stepping |
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| Motherboard: | Asus Rampage Formula X38 |
| Video Card: | eVGA 8800GTS (G92) 512MB Core: 670MHz Memory: 972MHz |
| Harddisk: | 3 x 320 GB Seagate 7200.10 in RAID 0 Array |
| Power Supply: | Corsair HX1000W |
| Software: | Windows Vista 64-Bit, 177.83 Forceware |
The SPD of the modules is exacly what you would expect. The model number reflects that of each module - CM2X2048-8500C5D. This indicates that these modules are rated for 1066MHz at CL5, also reflected in the EPP#1. We will see later on, how far we can take the DIMMs during testing.
Performance
Placing the memory on the board does not pose any problems. The heatsinks are thin enough to fill all DIMM slots if you wish. Installing the Airflow is quite easy as well. It does take up quite some space in your case, so you want to make sure that the area above your DIMMs is free of cables and the likes.
The first step was to test the memory at its specified settings to set a baseline for which to compare overclocked benchmark results. From there, the maximum memory clock was sought at stock voltage and timings to see just how much overclocking potential this kit has out of the box. As the table shows, the result was phenomenal considering the high density of these modules. 1026 MHz was the max overclock reached at CL4 with stock voltage.
The remaining tests show how well this kit works with a range of voltages at specific timings. The kit was tested at CL3, CL4 and 5 timings to find the max stable memory clock at 1.8, 2.0, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4V each.
After the factory specified settings were tested it was time to see how far beyond their rated speed these modules would go while remaining stable at each voltage setting. Using the intended CL rating of 5, yet not altering the voltage from 2.1V, they managed to break 1100 MHz stable. However, if one feels the need to push the envelope, they are also capable of 1200 MHz at CL5 and 2.4V.
| Corsair Dominator Series 4GB Kit 1066MHz CL5 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Clock Memory Ratio | Memory Speed | Memory Timings | Everest Read | Everest Write | Everest Latency | Quake 3 Timedemo | 3DMark 2001SE | SuperPi Mod 1M |
| 10 x 266 2:3 | 400 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.1V | 6864 MB/s | 4811 MB/s | 71.9 ns | 721.0 fps | 43990 | 20.88 s |
| 10 x 342 2:3 | 513 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.1V | 8696 MB/s | 6230 MB/s | 56.8 ns | 842.8 fps | 52543 | 16.70 s |
| 10 x 346 2:3 | 519 MHz | 5-5-5-15 1.8V | 8420 MB/s | 6301 MB/s | 62.7 ns | 834.6 fps | 52456 | 16.99 s |
| 10 x 354 2:3 | 531 MHz | 5-5-5-15 2.0V | 8654 MB/s | 6377 MB/s | 59.9 ns | 895.3 fps | 54876 | 15.87 s |
| 10 x 368 2:3 | 552 MHz | 5-5-5-15 2.1V | 8946 MB/s | 6659 MB/s | 53.3 ns | 930.1 fps | 57987 | 14.56 s |
| 10 x 394 2:3 | 591 MHz | 5-5-5-15 2.2V | 9603 MB/s | 7009 MB/s | 51.9 ns | 957.0 fps | 60398 | 13.96 s |
| 10 x 396 2:3 | 594 MHz | 5-5-5-15 2.3V | 9654 MB/s | 7019 MB/s | 50.2 ns | 996.5 fps | 61054 | 13.12 s |
| 10 x 402 2:3 | 603 MHz | 5-5-5-15 2.4V | 9678 MB/s | 7110 MB/s | 48.5 ns | 1097.0 fps | 62699 | 12.67 s |
| 10 x 284 2:3 | 426 MHz | 4-4-4-12 1.8V | 7120 MB/s | 5239 MB/s | 61.0 ns | 740.5 fps | 44344 | 20.81 s |
| 10 x 308 2:3 | 462 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.0V | 7701 MB/s | 5500 MB/s | 60.1 ns | 804.7 fps | 49845 | 18.02 s |
| 10 x 340 2:3 | 510 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.1V | 8490 MB/s | 6310 MB/s | 57.1 ns | 855.9 fps | 52301 | 16.66 s |
| 10 x 348 2:3 | 522 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.2V | 8810 MB/s | 6455 MB/s | 55.3 ns | 872.2 fps | 53087 | 16.23 s |
| 10 x 350 2:3 | 525 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.3V | 8854 MB/s | 6504 MB/s | 54.1 ns | 879.9 fps | 54735 | 15.98 s |
| 10 x 352 2:3 | 528 MHz | 4-4-4-12 2.4V | 8201 MB/s | 6525 MB/s | 53.2 ns | 890.1 fps | 55475 | 15.86 s |
| 10 x 198 2:3 | 297 MHz | 3-3-3-6 1.8V | 5543 MB/s | 4592 MB/s | 88.5 ns | 602.2 fps | 36580 | 26.21 s |
| 10 x 234 2:3 | 351 MHz | 3-3-3-6 2.0V | 6203 MB/s | 5052 MB/s | 70.0 ns | 759.4 fps | 44983 | 19.03 s |
| 10 x 260 2:3 | 390 MHz | 3-3-3-6 2.1V | 7134 MB/s | 5995 MB/s | 65.1 ns | 795.4 fps | 48299 | 17.87 s |
| 10 x 274 2:3 | 411 MHz | 3-3-3-6 2.2V | 7433 MB/s | 6109 MB/s | 63.7 ns | 810.0 fps | 49976 | 17.11 s |
| 10 x 276 2:3 | 414 MHz | 3-3-3-6 2.3V | 7450 MB/s | 6132 MB/s | 63.1 ns | 814.5 fps | 50013 | 16.99 s |
| 10 x 276 2:3 | 414 MHz | 3-3-3-6 2.4V | 7453 MB/s | 6131 MB/s | 63.0 ns | 813.9 fps | 50072 | 16.97 s |
As the voltage scaling graph shows, this particular memory kit seems to scale quite nicely until after 2.2V. After 2.2V, clock speed increases were very low at 2.3V and 2.4V, posing the question as to whether the mild boosts are worth the risk of running higher voltages. I should finally note that, while these results are a good indication of expected performance, no two kits will perform identically and that these results are not guaranteed.
