Corsair Dominator GTX3 6GB Triple Channel Kit testing

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08-01-2010, 07:11 AM
BenchZowner

Corsair Dominator GTX3 6GB Triple Channel Kit testing

Boy, it has been quite a long time since I last tested a DDR3 memory kit, but thanks to the nice people at Corsair I now have something to play with and perhaps drool over :rofl:

Thanks Alex Ruedinger, Mike Clements & Paul Watkins for the awesome Dominator GTX3 6GB kit!

I didn't have much free time the last 3 days, so it'll be a while before I have some solid numbers and the final clocks per timings-sets.

Some minutes ago I decided to put my new Core i7 980X's IMC ( Integrated Memory Controller ) to the test, and see if it's any good in triple channel memory clocking on air.

The rig, as usual:

Intel Core i7 980X B1 Stepping retail chip, 3005F210 batch
eVGA X58 SLI Classified ( BIOS 73 ) pure LGA1366 pwnage
Palit GeForce GTX480
3* Corsair Dominator GTX3 DDR3-2400 2GB DIMMs

All air-cooled, the classic ThermalRight Ultra-120 Extreme on the CPU, and 2 80mm antec tricool fans for the RAM
Did a few memtest86+ tests and some CPU-z validations.
DDR3-2500 10-12-10-31 triple channel full stable 40 loops test #5 done
DDR3-2700 10-12-10-31 t.c. bootable and Pi1M benchable at least
DDR3-2800 10-12-10-31 triple channel CPU-z validation done!

http://i27.tinypic.com/20tm89s.png

Can't wait to put those RAMs and the 980X under Liquid Nitrogen cooling ( hopefully the CPU will perform as well as its IMC does :) )
08-01-2010, 07:38 AM
Expat GriZ

Yikes!! Nice one Bill!! Big memory numbers everywhere...can 3000 be that far away??
08-01-2010, 07:46 AM
BenchZowner

DDR3-3000 looks like a walk in the park as soon as I spill some LN2 on the CPU & RAM I think.
I guess we'll find out sooner or later.
08-01-2010, 08:25 AM
Shiranui Gen-An

Nice to see some air results, everyone can't do the crazy LN2 so it's something us mere mortals can shoot for.
08-01-2010, 08:34 AM
sofos1990

Nice mem overclocking Bill !

Do you still have this Classified man ? "Immortal" mobo ! :D
08-01-2010, 08:42 AM
BenchZowner

You stay away from my classified dude :p:
08-01-2010, 01:26 PM
George_o/c

Great numbers Bill :up:
I already told you what I'm waiting for though... LN2 BABY :D
08-01-2010, 01:43 PM
M.Beier

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

DDR3-3000 looks like a walk in the park as soon as I spill some LN2 on the CPU & RAM I think.
I guess we'll find out sooner or later.

If the IMC scales with temperature.... :-)

Anyhow, certainly high freq, hope you can get 1250mhz with lower timings at later stage... :)
08-01-2010, 02:04 PM
BenchZowner

Well, in my i7 9xx experience all my chips gained at least 100MHz from going sub-zero.
My best chip IMC-wise, the good 950 gained 250MHz from air to just -15C.

I certainly hope to crush the DDR3-3000 barrier with this CPU and maybe some 6.4GHz+ 3D action ( pretty please ?! )
08-01-2010, 02:37 PM
Xtreme Addict

Amazing results :) Really good IMC and amazing memory. My new i7 980X also have quiet good IMC, maybe I should also try to push my Hypers :)

6.4 GHz 3D CPU? :D I want one too hehe
08-01-2010, 03:28 PM
The Water Dog

Realy nice:clap:
08-01-2010, 10:41 PM
Leeghoofd

Now I understand why you didn't play Bad company 2 last weekend :p
08-02-2010, 12:03 AM
BenchZowner

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeghoofd

Now I understand why you didn't play Bad company 2 last weekend :p

You think so :p:
I did play, and I would've killed your a$s multiple times if only you joined the game :D
08-02-2010, 09:24 AM
BenchZowner

Small update, still on air

http://i25.tinypic.com/2itl9i9.jpg

http://i32.tinypic.com/30svkwk.jpg
08-02-2010, 08:32 PM
Johnny87au

nice Clocks.. Cant wait to see some L2n scores, i smell 3k?
08-03-2010, 12:28 AM
BenchZowner

Unless the IMC or the RAMs hit a wall, I can smell DDR3-3000+ triple channel coming soon :D

It's my first PSC DDR3 memory clocking, so I might be wrong, and maybe the RAMs are already very close to their limit, but my gut says they're not, and I'm quite sure that they'll gain at least another 100MHz under LN2, so all in all, DDR3-3000 should be a feasible target under LN2.
08-03-2010, 12:18 PM
geobot24

Well done mate!! Awesome rams!! :D:D
08-03-2010, 12:57 PM
dude1992

Most PSC scales very well under LN2.

Some modules scales down to -180 degrees
08-03-2010, 02:34 PM
BenchZowner

I busted my a$s today, memtested the sh1t out of them.
I was hoping to get some SuperPi 32M runs at 3-4 different frequencies, and then do some GTX 480 optimal driver & OS per benchmark testing afterward but... memtest86+ took all my time, I just stopped memtesting, TBH I don't remember when I started this memtesting session... surely over 10 hours of continuous memtesting.

The good news:

tCL ( CAS Latency )
6T = 10 loops test #5 up to... DDR3-2174
DDR3-2200 would crash after 1-2 loops, so the max should be around DDR3-2180
7T = 10 loops test #5 up to... DDR3-2200
DDR3-2250 would crash after 1-2 loops, so the max should be around DDR3-2220
8T = 10 loops test #5 up to... DDR3-2501
Don't know where the max stable is, I stopped there, don't think 9T would be any good in benching, will test it though later

tRCD 9T = minimum at over DDR3-1800 or so

tRP 5T up to DDR3-1850 or so
tRP 6T up to DDR3-2220 or so
tRP 7T up to DDR3-2420 or so
tRP 8T up to DDR3-2500+

Minimum tRAS possible at over DDR3-2000 = 24T
24T should be maintainable up to DDR3-2200 - DDR3-2230
08-03-2010, 02:50 PM
Sam_oslo

Good stuff.

What's going on? Suddenly several really good high-end sticks is showing up, and 4GB sticks have been getting up to speeds too, lately. Are we getting some kind of major breakthroughs on RAM?
08-03-2010, 02:58 PM
BenchZowner

Nah, not really.
Good kits can surface as long as there are people binning them :D

I don't know if Elpida has something better ( benching-wise of course ) than the MGH-E Hypers which have been EOL'd for quite a long time already ( why Elpida, why?! ).
I want a DDR3-2400 6-6-5-18 6GB kit, anybody ? :D
08-03-2010, 03:10 PM
Yellowbeard

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

Unless the IMC or the RAMs hit a wall, I can smell DDR3-3000+ triple channel coming soon :D

That will rock for sure :up:

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

I don't know if Elpida has something better ( benching-wise of course ) than the MGH-E Hypers which have been EOL'd for quite a long time already ( why Elpida, why?! ).
I want a DDR3-2400 6-6-5-18 6GB kit, anybody ? :D

The IC industry is like that. By the time something gets really good and the enthusiast community is making good use of it, it goes EOL. Winbond BH-5s and Micron D9GKXs come to mind.
08-03-2010, 03:21 PM
Shiranui Gen-An

We can only hope Elpida or maybe Micron has something new on the way...
08-04-2010, 06:28 AM
BenchZowner

Tried dual channel & single channel a bit some minutes ago, nothing astonishing, I'm cleary BCLK and/or UnCore limited on air.

http://i33.tinypic.com/2qu3yg9.png

http://i34.tinypic.com/2i21p9h.jpg

Pure run, no tweaks apart from new Windows XP x86 Xtreme installation, FAT32 filesystem, LSC.
08-04-2010, 09:11 AM
G.Foyle

Nice numbers Bill :up:
Can you tell what vtt you're running or show an e-leet screen?
08-04-2010, 10:26 AM
BenchZowner

Max Vtt used was +275mV ( default Vtt should be 1.13V AFAIK, so +275mV = 1.405V )
08-06-2010, 06:42 PM
clo007

nice sticks.
08-07-2010, 12:01 AM
BenchZowner

I think I'll give the RAM a shot under LN2 later on today :D
08-10-2010, 07:23 AM
cstkl1

bro can u try 2k c6 same gskill pi c6
08-22-2010, 05:08 PM
JenBell

Bench...got the same ram but on mobo is ramapage 3 extreme. Can u post up ur complete BIOS settings u used for OCing? I want to get a higher blck as my wall is 220 at the moment. RAM is running at 1800mhz solid and stable. I think with ur BIOS settings I can get a better understanding of why I might be missing out on settings wise to crack the 220 barrier. Thank u very much in advance!
08-22-2010, 10:29 PM
[200]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenchZowner

I think I'll give the RAM a shot under LN2 later on today :D

Very keen for these kind of results.

:yepp:
08-23-2010, 01:04 AM
BenchZowner

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenBell

Bench...got the same ram but on mobo is ramapage 3 extreme. Can u post up ur complete BIOS settings u used for OCing? I want to get a higher blck as my wall is 220 at the moment. RAM is running at 1800mhz solid and stable. I think with ur BIOS settings I can get a better understanding of why I might be missing out on settings wise to crack the 220 barrier. Thank u very much in advance!

Upgrade to BIOS 1003 or 0878 ( I'd go for the latter ).
Depending on the CPU you'll need 1.3V to 1.4V Vtt ( DRAM/QPI Voltage ).
Vram at 1.7V max, 1.65V is more than enough even for DDR3-2600.
tRFC 80 or so, tRCD 9.
CPU Clock Skew = delay 300ps
PCI-E Frequency = 105MHz
QPI PLL Voltage = 1.45V
CPU PLL Voltage = 1.89V
IOH PLL Voltage = 1.8V
IOH Voltage ( NB ) = 1.275V [ NB cooled with fan, temps over 65C make it unstable at high BCLKs with B2B disabled ]

I might install them on sofos's Rampage 3 Extreme later to give you a "surely" working template.
On another note, I have tried them on the R3E when I played with sofos on LN2 a few days ago, and it wouldn't even POST at DDR3-2600 while I could boot into Windows at DDR3-2700+ on my Classified.
Don't know how high the R3E can clock the mems yet, as I don't have a board myself and neither spent a lot of time exploring the R3E's RAM overclocking capabilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by [200]

Very keen for these kind of results.

:yepp:

It's gonna be a while though.
Need to get a new CPU, hopefully a good one with a good IMC too.
Once that requirement gets fulfilled I'll LN2 them and max them out :)
That'll be done in the coming weekend hopefully ( unless my new CPU's delivery gets delayed :( )
08-23-2010, 01:28 AM
[200]

I might beat you do it ;)