NewsCorsair's Internal Benchmarks: Why 6GB is Better than 3GB
Posted 11/18/08 at 10:06:44 AM by Paul Lilly
Intel's Core i7 release hasn't just changed the processor game, it's also ushered in a new era of memory choices. Up until Core i7, power users found themselves pondering whether to slap a 2GB or 4GB kit of RAM into their system, but that was before triple-channel memory. Now the choice (for upgraders and new builders) comes down to 3GB or 6GB, and Corsair looks to shed some light on the decision by performing some in-house benchmarking.
The tests, which were performed using an Asus P6T Deluxe motherboard, Core i7-965 Extreme Edition CPU, two Nvidia 280 GTX videocards in SLI, and two Seagate 320GB 7200.10 hard drives in a RAID 0 array, heavily favored the 6GB kit. Corsair's results were sometimes significant, with the minimum frame rate in World of Conflict jumping by 50 percent when upgrading from 3GB to 6GB, and netting over a 3-fold increase in Crysis Warhead. Even game loading times saw a boost.
"The analysis shows that 3GB of system memory is insufficient to run modern games, such as Warhammer Online and Crysis Warhead, resulting in poor performance," Corsair wrote (PDF). "The lack of memory when using 3GB of RAM results in increased hard disk drive access, sometimes called thrashing. This causes in-game stuttering, which reduces the minimum frame rate."
This isn't the first time Corsair has released internal benchmarks. Previously, the memory maker found that upgrading from 2GB to 4GB provided "significant performance benefits." This time around, Corsair says "the message to enthusiasts who are looking to build a Core i7 system for gaming is clear - installing 6GB of memory will provide significantly higher frame rates and a considerably smoother gaming experience."
Thoughts on Corsair's testing methodology or results? Hit the jump and let us know.
NewsCorsair Launches Triple-Pack Core i7 Compatible Memory Modules
Posted 10/22/08 at 09:11:03 AM by Paul Lilly
With rumors swirling of performance DDR3 memory not playing nice with Core i7 platforms due to voltage requirements, it's not a bad idea to wait for specifically compatible kits to emerge before upgrading your RAM. In addition to getting the voltage right, upcoming triple-channel kits will ship with three sticks of RAM to take advantage of the new architecture.
First out of the gate with a line of triple-channel kits is Corsair, who today announced no less than six high performance kits designed for Core i7. These include:
- 6GB kit 1866MHz Dominator with Airflow fan (TR3X6G1866C9DF - $475
- 3GB kit 1866MHz Dominator with Airflow fan (TR3X3G1866C9DF) - $250
- 6GB kit 1600MHz Dominator (TR3X6G1600C8D) - $300
- 3GB kit 1600MHz Dominator (TR3X3G1600C8D) - $175
- 6GB kit 1333MHz (TR3X6G1333C9) - $230
- 3GB kit 1333MHz (TR3X3G1333C9) - $120
Latency timings and voltage information is still trickling out for many of the kits. Corsair's press release indicates the kits are available now, though we've been unable to spot them in the wild. We imagine the usual culprits (Newegg, ZipZoomFly, TigerDirect, etc.) will show stock very soon.
NewsCorsair Introduces Very Respectable 64GB Flash Drive
Posted 10/01/08 at 01:25:16 PM by Paul Lilly
Corsair's popular Flash Voyager USB line reaches new heights in storage capacity today as the company announced a 64GB capacity model. According to Corsair, that's large enough to store a library of DVD-length movies and tens of thousands of high-resolution images.
"Corsair is always developing new and exciting flash products, and the 64GB USB Flash Voyager is no exception," said John Beekley, VP of Applications at Corsair. "With more storage space than most laptops, we can offer a full suite of features - whether it be backing up data, building a portable media library, or simply transporting huge amounts of data."
And if you're wondering if you can slap an OS on the new Flash Voyager, the answer is yes, you can. The large density drive is bootable, making it a potentially attractive solution for ITs and hobbyists alike.
The 64GB drive is available now with an MSRP of $250 (streets for much less), which buys the drive, preloaded security software and drivers, a bundled lanyward, USB extension cable, and a 10-year guarantee.
NewsCorsair Dominator DDR3 Memory Sets New World Record
Posted 08/01/08 at 10:56:48 AM by Paul Lilly
Records are meant to be broken, but it's Corsair who keeps doing all the breaking. Once again, the company's auspiciously named Dominator series has taken memory frequencies to new heights, surpassing its own world record for the highest achieved DDR3 frequency set just over two months ago.
On May 20, Corsair's Dominator danced at 2462MHz, a record that went untouched until now. This time around, Corsair managed to push ahead to 2580MHz and did so with respectable latencies set at 9-9-9-24. It took an Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 overclocked to a 645MHz frontside bus to get there, as well as cooling the motherboard, CPU, chipset, and memory to a very chilly -20 degrees Celsius. Brrr!
Because of the extreme cooling involved and obvious risk of component failures, kids probably shouldn't try this at home, but if you're a memory manufacturer not named Corsair, feel free to give it a shot.
NewsCorsair Launches World's Fastest DDR3 Memory in Production
Posted 07/25/08 at 02:21:51 PM by Paul Lilly
It wasn't that long ago when DDR2-1066 was considered high-end, and while DDR2 modules are still making a case for themselves with crazy-low prices, DDR3 continues to separate itself with insanely high clockspeeds. How high? Try twice as fast (on paper) as yesterday's top offerings.
Setting the bar is Corsair, who just released what the company rightfully claims is the world's fastest DDR3 memory solution in production volume. The new Dominator TW3X2G2133C9DF screams along at 2133MHz, the only kit on the market guaranteed to run at that speed.
"Our engineers have been working hard to achieve this astounding speed of 2133MHz," said John Beekley, VP of Applications Engineering at Corsair. "This is a tremendous accomplishment to be able to manufacture memory modules at this speed in production volumes," added Beekley.
The record-breaking modules aren't for the faint of heart carrying an MSRP of $575, with stock available right now.
NewsWindows Platform News, Late February Edition
Posted 03/01/08 at 12:09:26 AM by Mark Soper
DDR3 smashes speed records while Intel and nVidia prepare to roll out new chipsets to support it.
ReviewsCorsair Flash Survivor GT
Posted 10/01/07 at 01:48:10 PM by Gordon Mah Ung
We’ve used too many Jack Bauer references lately, but c’mon, how could we review this key and not say it’s the one Jackie boy would use?
The 8GB Flash Survivor GT, after all, is shock and water resistant—and if your service automatic runs out of ammo, you can even fling its hard aluminum body at someone’s head. But how does it perform?
Click Read More for more.
ReviewsCorsair Nautilus 500
Posted 03/17/06 at 01:41:27 PM by Josh Norem
Corsair claims its new Nautilus kit is both affordable and easy to install, while providing exceptional cooling performance. And we’re happy to report that the kit meets most of Corsair’s claims.
Click Read More for more.
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