Corsair Dominator Twin2X2048-8888C4DF

Overclocking:

We used a Core 2 Duo E6400 to complete our overclocking tests on the Asus P5B Deluxe. As you have already seen, we were able to get the Dominator 8888C4DF stable at 1067MHz with 4-4-3-12 timings and 2.4V vDIMM. We also had a look to see what timings we could achieve at DDR2-800 along with the highest stable clock speed, too.

We had some troubles getting the motherboard stable at a higher frequencies than 1133MHz using the Dominator 8888C4DF modules. We tried various dividers, but this one seemed to work the best for us. Occasionally, we were able to get the modules running upwards of 1180MHz, but it was inconsistent when it came to getting through our benchmarking suite without hiccup - increasing the vDIMM voltage to 2.45V didn't seem to help things, either. At 1133MHz 2.4V vDIMM and 1.65V MCH, we were able to complete our benchmark suite several times without any issues.

On the flipside, we were able to achieve the tightest timings we've ever seen at DDR2-800. With 2.4V vDIMM, 1.65V MCH and a default CPU voltage, we were able to get the modules running completely stable at 3-3-2-9 - this was particularly impressive.

Final Thoughts...

The Dominator 8888C4DF modules are the fastest memory modules on the market at the time of writing. However, as we have shown over the course of this article (and in our previous memory articles), memory performance doesn't seem to have a massive impact on general system performance in this day and age with the advances in on-board cache technology. While there is not much of a difference in system performance, there are some obvious differences in design.

The new heatsink design is pretty incredible - the fact that we're able to run 2.4V vDIMM through the modules without the modules being burning hot to the touch. This is clearly a good thing, and we hope that the DHX cooling solution makes its way across more of Corsair's product lineup over the coming months. The DHX heatsink design, along with the Corsair Dominator Airflow unit should help to satisfy the most extreme overclockers in their crave for breaking records.

In order to run the memory at its rated speeds, many motherboards will require some modification and many will not get above and beyond the rated frequencies. However, what is promising is that Corsair's modules are capable of some of the tightest timings we've seen at DDR2-800 and DDR2-1067MHz. You're likely to get better mileage on AMD's platform, but the memory bandwidth increase isn't likely to make all that much difference with socket AM2 CPUs - we will be conducting an investigation into memory performance on socket AM2 processors in the near future.

At over £400 including VAT, the Dominator 8888C4DF modules aren't the most attractive proposition, considering that there are better ways to spend the £200 price premium over a pair of 2x1GB DDR2-800 C4 modules in order to improve system performance. The Dominator 8888C4DF modules are undoubtedly going to be a bit of a niche product until the price becomes a bit more attractive.

With that said though, the Dominator 8500C5D modules are a definite attraction and have the potential to achieve high frequencies with tight timings because of the capability to run at a higher voltages than most other modules can cope with over long periods of time. Typically, the 8500C5D modules are going to set you back around £10 more than Corsair's standard 8500C5 product and we'd say that if you're considering those modules, the extra £10 for better cooling is money well spent.