Corsair DDR2 4GB Dominator 1066mHz is it good?

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aussie123

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Looking to build my first system using the Dominator ram, but have read some reviews that said it stops working after a while, is this true? If so what ram should I consider/If not should I be looking at other ram for the same price?

btw mobo is Asus P5Q3 S775 P45 with the Intel E8500 CPU
 
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Corsair Dominator is their top of the line Ocing RAM derived from the highest binned chips Corsiar is able to aquire. Coorsiar is not a RAM maker, but distributor who uses chips Manufactured from Micron for example for their Dominator line. I would think RAM 'dies'due to being used by enthusiasts who overvolt in order to achieve higher Ocs. Corsair has a limited lifetime warranty. Run the MB through some RAM configurators and see what's available. Micron is Crucial's parent company. The same company that produces the chips Corsair uses for their Dominator line.

http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

http://conf.ocztechnology.com/index.php?c=1

http://kingston.com/

http://www.corsair.com/configurator/default.aspx
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Illustrious
Jun 17, 2006
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Corsair Dominator is their top of the line Ocing RAM derived from the highest binned chips Corsiar is able to aquire. Coorsiar is not a RAM maker, but distributor who uses chips Manufactured from Micron for example for their Dominator line. I would think RAM 'dies'due to being used by enthusiasts who overvolt in order to achieve higher Ocs. Corsair has a limited lifetime warranty. Run the MB through some RAM configurators and see what's available. Micron is Crucial's parent company. The same company that produces the chips Corsair uses for their Dominator line.

http://www.crucial.com/index.aspx

http://conf.ocztechnology.com/index.php?c=1

http://kingston.com/

http://www.corsair.com/configurator/default.aspx
 
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Illustrious
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P35 chipset doesn't need PC28500 1066Mhz. Only in the most extreme Ocing situation. PC26400 800Mhz. rated at 4-4-4-12 1.8-2.0v would be better for the P35. A lot of PC26400 will OC to near 1066Mhz. by loosening the timing and a voltage increase if needed. The advantage of 4 CAS and lower voltage, heat is with PC26400 which you do not have available with PC28500. Chipsets like the Intel X58 with the integrated triple channel memory controller can take better advantage of higher RAM transfer rates. The P35 does not generally speaking.
 
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Illustrious
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P45 has the dual Channel memory controller on the NB as does the P35. With PC28500 you are stuck with 5 Cas and 2.0-2.1v. With high quality PC26400 you have 4 CAS available with 1.8-2.0v. The PC26400 wil OC to near 1066Mhz. if needed. RAM transfer rate (speed) has a limited effectiveness with those chipsets as it distributes data to the processor within the system BUS. RAM speed is tied down to the system BUS. Example: You have the most Boss RAM with the highest clock known to man. But the 'system' is limited in a way it makes no difference beyond a certain point how fast the damn Boss RAM can run.

Edit for Writer's embellishment.
 
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Illustrious
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Well, PC28500 is nothing more than PC26400 with a higher voltage requirement (PC26400 = 1.8-1.9v and PC28500 2.0-2.1v required) and the 'guarantee' the RAM will run at 5 CAS 8.5GBs per sec transfer rate. JEDEC standards do not recognize PC28500. They recognize PC26400 and that is how the PC28500 will be recognized in the BIOS when you install it in the MB. It will be defaulted to PC26400 JEDEC standards and the BIOS will default the voltage to 1.8v. You must go in to BIOS and increase the RAM voltage to 2.0-2.1v or the system WILL be unstable.
 
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aussie123

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Oh, I read somewhere for some other OCZ Platnium PC28500, that they had to change the settings in the BIOS for it to work properly, just didn't read anything about having to do it with all the PC28500's. Thanks for the info btw.
 
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Illustrious
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Yeah, check Corsair's RAM voltage requirement on the Dominators. Then remmeber the BIOS will recognize ANY PC28500 as PC26400 (the closest JEDEC standard) and BIOS will default the RAM voltage to 1.8v.
 
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Illustrious
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I think ASUS calls it an 'auto' Ocing feature on some MBs. When you start assembling the system, use one DIMM RAM in slot one only to boot up the first time into BIOS. Once in BIOS increase the RAM voltage to Corsair's specs for that one DIMM. Load the OS with that one DIMM only. Then load the MB/chipset drivers from the MB install CD. Then install the rst of the DIMMs with the chipset drivers in place and the RAM voltage adusted correctly.
 
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MRFS

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> btw mobo is Asus P5Q3 S775 P45 with the Intel E8500 CPU


The P5Q3 requires DDR3, not DDR2:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131298
(DDR3 2000(O.C) / 1600)


Start out by leaving the memory settings on AUTO in the BIOS
for the DDR3 version of Corsair's Dominator line:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=1052315794%201052429371&Description=Corsair%20Dominator%20DDR3&name=DDR3%201600%20%28PC3%2012800%29

Then, change the FSB to 400 MHz and enable SpeedStep.

Download & install CPU-Z to confirm that your chipset
has chosen a 1 : 1 FSB : DRAM ratio. CPU-Z will also
tell you what SPD options are available with the RAM
that you do purchase. "SPD" = Serial Presence Detect
which is a special chip on the DIMMs which permits
automatic BIOS configuration of RAM with SPD support.

If the memory you buy can clock higher, then
you can try an FSB : DRAM ratio of 1 : 2
(i.e. 400 MHz FSB and 800 MHz DRAM)


With that CPU you should see an automatic overclock
with SpeedStep enabled.


With these settings resulting in a stable system,
you can then try to push your overclocks even more,
depending on your skill and willingness to experiment.


p.s. The comments above concerning the P35 chipset
and DDR2 Dominator RAM are off-point, because the P5Q3
motherboard has a P45 chipset and it requires DDR3 RAM.


MRFS
 
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Illustrious
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MRFS wrote:

Then, change the FSB to 400 MHz and enable SpeedStep. With these settings resulting in a stable system,
you can then try to push your overclocks even more,
depending on your skill and willingness to experiment.
Click to expand...

I wish OP had posted a link to the board and/or RAM like you did. OP stated DDR2 1066. OP is not an overclocker, so ramping the FSB to 400Mhz. is not in his future. You miss some of the important things sometimes. It's amazing OP did not correct me when I rattled off all those specs for DDR2 PC28500.

Aussie123 wrote:

because i am a newbie at messing with the BIOS, i dont think i will be OCing anything, would this make a difference in speed between the PC28500 and the PC26400?
Click to expand...
 
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XMSYellowbeard

XMSYellowbeard

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Just a side note, JEDEC has ratified a 1066 DDR2 standard. But, it's not implemented in any current MOBO BIOS' I have seen. They all still boot at 1.8v @ DDR800 for the most part.
 
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