Memory

Corsair Builds 32 GB DDR4-4333 Kit, Only for Pre-Binned Coffee Lake CPUs
  • Comments are Closed

Corsair Builds 32 GB DDR4-4333 Kit, Only for Pre-Binned Coffee Lake CPUs

Corsair recently revealed a new 32 GB memory kit rated to run at DDR4-4333. The product consists of four modules and is the fastest set of DIMMs featuring such capacity to date. Of particular interest here are the kit’s very specific compatibility requirements: due to the heavy strain on a CPU’s memory controller from running so many DIMMs this far overclocked, the kit is only compatible with some Intel’s latest 8th Generation Core processors, with Corsair going as far as suggesting interested buyers pickup pre-binned CPUs in order to ensure compatibility.

Corsair’s Vengeance LPX 32 GB DDR4-4333 (CMK32GX4M4K4333C19) kit is rated to run in dual-channel modeat 4333 MT/s with CL19 26-26-46 timings and 1.5 V. Like other latest enthusiast-class DDR4 modules, the 8 GB DIMMs from the new kit are based on pre-binned Samsung B-die DRAM chips made using the company’s 20 nm process technology. The modules traditionally feature XMP 2.0 profiles with appropriate SPD settings to make their setup easier. To ensure that the 32 GB DDR4-4333 kits work stably, Corsair uses Intel’s Core i5-8600K CPU running on the ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero motherboard.

Corsair’s “World’s Fastest” 32 GB DDR4 Memory Kit for Intel’s Coffee Lake
Speed CL Timing Voltage Kit
Config.		 Kit
Capacity		 Family PN
DDR4-4333 CL19 26-26-46 1.5 V 4×8 GB 32 GB Vengeance LPX CMK32GX4M4K4333C19

As reported, Intel’s Coffee Lake CPUs work a bit differently with high-end DDR4 modules and require looser tRAS sub-timings than the preceeding Kaby Lake CPUs. With this in mind, it is not entirely surprising that Corsair’s Vengeance LPX 32 GB DDR4-4333 kit is intended only for the latest Coffee Lake processors.

As mentioned earlier, Corsair says that not all Coffee Lake CPUs can handle the kit’s rated DDR4-4333 speed. This is due to a combination of the kit’s already high clockspeeds, coupled with the fact that running 4 DIMMs (2 DPC) is harder on a memory controller than 2 DIMMs (1 DPC). Functionally speaking this is a facet of processor overclocking – in the form of overclocking the memory controller – and with Corsair pushing the envelope so hard, ultimately not all CPUs are going to be capable of maintaining stability this far overclocked.

Consequently, Corsair recommends using pre-binned processors and high-quality motherboards with this 4 DIMM kit. Such CPUs are sold by select stores, such as Overclockers UK and CaseKing.de, and are more expensive than the regular parts since it takes time to find samples with a high overclocking potential. Given the very special positioning of the 32 GB DDR4-4333 Vengeance LPX kit, it remains to be seen whether Corsair will sell it only directly from its web site, or through select retailers.

At present, Corsair’s fastest dual-channel 32 GB DDR4 kit is the Dominator Platinum 32GB (4×8 GB) DDR4-4000 C19 (CMD32GX4M4E4000C19) set of memory modules available either directly for $599.99 or from Newegg for $579.99.

Related Reading:

Samsung & SK Hynix Graphics Memory Prices Increase Over 30% In August
  • Comments are Closed

Samsung & SK Hynix Graphics Memory Prices Increase Over 30% In August

In the midst of a global DRAM shortage, Digitimes reports that the market prices for graphics memory from Samsung and SK Hynix have increased by over 30% for August. This latest jump in memory prices is apparently due to the pair of DRAM manufacturers repurposing part of their VRAM production capacities for server and smartphone memories instead. As Digitimes’ sources report, this VRAM pricing is expected to increase further in September, impacting graphics card and gaming notebook manufacturers. Consumers have already felt the pain through skyrocketing DDR4 prices, and TrendForce/DRAMeXchange expects the upward trend of PC DRAM chips to continue to 2018.

Generally speaking, this production prioritization is not new. Late last year, the top three memory suppliers, Samsung (55% market share), SK Hynix (35% market share), and Micron (10% market share) shifted production capacity to prioritize servers and smartphones, causing the initial spike in PC DRAM prices. Overall, DRAMeXchange attributes the tight supply to lack of short term capacity expansion, as well as yield issues with new processes. The research firm had also noted that capacity expansion will be rather subdued as manufacturers try to keep commanding the higher margins of an undersupply environment.

In light of recent GDDR6 announcements by Micron and SK Hynix, these supply/price issues could have knock-on effects for both current and upcoming graphics cards. Additionally, as both Samsung and SK Hynix are the only HBM2 suppliers, HBM2-equipped cards may be adversely constrained by supply. Earlier this month, an SK Hynix executive stated that customers were willing to pay 2.5 times more for HBM2 over HBM1; this sentiment may soon be put to the test. The situation with Micron is a little less clear, as they not only have their unique GDDR5X memory, but also may not have raised VRAM prices. If they haven’t, they may have an opportunity on their hands.

Related Reading:

Micron Discusses GDDR: 16 Gbps GDDR5X, 16 nm GDDR6 and GDDR5
  • Comments are Closed

Micron Discusses GDDR: 16 Gbps GDDR5X, 16 nm GDDR6 and GDDR5

Micron has made a number of announcements in recent weeks regarding its GDDR memory for graphics cards, game consoles and networking applications. The company is reporting that they’ve been able to hit 16 Gbps data rates in the lab on their latest generation of GDDR5X devices, while also reiterating their long-term plans for GDDR6 and GDDR5, with GDDR6 memory due in a couple of quarters from now, while GDDR5 will be here to stay for a long time to come.

Graphics DRAM has been a hot topic in the industry in the recent years as GPU demands for memory bandwidth are growing rapidly and because different companies offer different types of memory to satisfy these increasing requirements. For example, SK Hynix and Samsung rolled out HBM (Gen 1 and Gen 2) memory in 2015 and 2016 for ultra-high-end consumer and HPC applications, whereas Micron introduced its GDDR5X for high-end graphics cards last year. At present, HBM offers the greatest potential bandwidth, however the complexity of the multi-layer chips and 2.5D packaging keep costs high, so it remains to be seen which mass consumer applications adopt it. Meanwhile, conventional graphics memory in BGA packaging and proven architecture continues to evolve and hit new performance targets due to architectural improvements, which are intended to keep it competitive in the coming years.

When Micron announced its GDDR5X memory in late 2015, it set two targets for data transfer rates: the initial target of 10 – 12 Gbps and the longer-term target of 16 Gbps. Initially, the company only supplied GDDR5X ICs validated at 10 and 11 Gbps, but this year the company also started to bin the chips for 12 Gbps. The latter are used on NVIDIA’s Titan Xp graphics card. What is noteworthy is that engineers from Micron’s development center in Munich (also known as Graphics DRAM Design Center) recently managed to run the company’s mass-produced GDDR5X chips at 16 Gbps in the lab.

While the achievement doesn’t have an impact on actual products available today, it has a number of important implications. Primarily, it means that Micron has refined their process to the point where they can build graphics DRAM with 16 Gbps signaling, and this is something it is going to need going forward. But additionally, it shows that the current GDDR5X technology has potential, and that Micron’s customers might release new products with faster memory.

Micron has been quite busy in the last couple of years working on the GDDR5X memory specification, physical implementation of such ICs, and then developing GDDR6 chips that the company plans to launch by early 2018. In fact, GDDR5X and the GDDR6 are not that different. They are both based on the 16n prefetch architecture and this is the key to their additional performance when compared to GDDR5. Meanwhile, GDDR6 also features dual-channel mode, which is meant to ensure better channel utilization and hence improve performance in cases that can take advantage of the feature.

Micron’s GDDR Memory at Glance
  GDDR5 GDDR5X GDDR6
Capacity 4 Gb – 8 Gb 8 Gb 8 Gb
Data Rate 5 – 8 Gbps 10 – 12 Gbps Over 12 Gbps
Process Technology 20+ nm
20 nm, 16 nm		 20 nm 16 nm

Meanwhile Micron will be using 16 nm fab lines to produce GDDR6 memory devices, which may add frequency potential to the upcoming chips compared to ICs made using their 20 nm fabrication process. Speaking of 16 nm, Micron also plans to use it for newer GDDR5 chips, which makes a lot of sense considering the fact that such devices are going to be used for graphics cards and game consoles for years to come.

Summing up. Micron has GDDR5X memory chips that run at 16 Gbps in the lab using test equipment. Such chips are made using 20 nm process technology. Meanwhile Micron is using 16 nm fabrication process to produce GDDR6 and GDDR5 by 2018.

Related Reading:

DRAM and Motherboard Makers Demonstrate Quad-Channel DDR4-4000+ Operation
  • Comments are Closed

DRAM and Motherboard Makers Demonstrate Quad-Channel DDR4-4000+ Operation

Over the course of Computex, manufacturers of memory modules and motherboards alike took to the show to showcase the latest developments in high-speed quad-channel memory configurations. Powered by Intel’s new Skylake-X CPUs, manufacturers have been able to get quad-channel data transfer rates running at 4000 MT/s and higher. This increased memory bandwidth should, in turn, help Intel’s new Core i7 and i9 processors offer significantly higher performance than predecessors in applications that heavily rely on memory transactions.

Quad-channel memory sub-systems on Intel’s high-end desktop processors have always provided vast amounts of memory bandwidth to multi-core CPUs, even without running DRAM at high data rates. A 256-bit memory sub-system using DDR4-2400 modules has a throughput of 76.8 GB/s. To match it, a 128-bit (dual-channel) memory sub-system would have to use two DDR4-4800 modules. Meanwhile since quad-channel memory by definition provides loads of bandwidth, and due to stability/reliability concerns, Intel opted not to chase high data rates on their first-gen DDR4 controllers found in the Haswell-E and Broadwell-E CPUs, which is why such processors barely supported DDR4-3200+ memory.

With the Skylake CPUs for consumers however, Intel introduced its second-gen DDR4 controller that could handle high data rates and several DRAM module makers quickly rolled out DDR4-4000+ DIMMs for enthusiasts. That controller has evolved with the Kaby Lake generation and ended up in Intel’s Skylake-X processors, enabling Intel’s X299 HEDT platform to support DDR4 modules at well-beyond JEDEC-specified data rates. Fittingly, at Computex, motherboard and memory manufacturers demonstrated how well their high-end X299 platforms and DDR4 DIMMs can work together at high-speeds in quad-channel mode.

Starting things off, G.Skill displayed eight of its Trident Z RGB 8 GB DDR4 modules running in quad-channel mode with a Skylake-X CPU on the ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe at 4200 MT/s with CL19 21-21-41 timings. The CPU was cooled down using a custom liquid cooling system and the PC worked for hours during the show.

The company also showcased its modules running at 4000 MT/s, 4400 MT/s and 4500 MT/s in dual-channel mode on Intel X299-based motherboards from ASRock and GIGABYTE, which is an important news for those planning to use Intel’s Kaby Lake-X processors.

Meanwhile GIGABYTE demonstrated its X299 AORUS Gaming 7 running 128 GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR4 memory at DDR4-4133 with CL19 19-19-39 latency settings. The setup was based on the Core i7-7900X (10C/20T) processor operating at 4426 MHz under an LCS, and was running for hours in Gigabyte’s air conditioned suite in the Taipei 101.

Corsair itself was a little more conservative than GIGABYTE. In its suite, the company displayed an Intel Core i7-7800X (Skylake-X, 6C/12T) and ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe-based system running 128 GB of its Vengeance RGB memory in quad-channel mode at 3800 MT/s. The CPU was cooled down using Corsair’s Hydro H110i AIO LCS, so nothing too extreme.

In addition, the company showcased two of its Vengeance RGB DIMMs running in dual-channel mode at 4600 MT/s on a system featuring Intel’s Core i7-7740X (Kaby Lake-X, 4C/8T) and ASUS’ ROG Rampage VI Apex motherboard. Again, the CPU used the Hydro H110i AIO LCS and the room temperature was normal.

Obviously, demonstrations of overclocked systems do not necessarily reflect the formal plans of companies like G.Skill or Corsair when it comes to the Intel X299 platform in general, and for the Intel Skylake X processors in particular.

Demonstrations of DDR4-4000+ on Intel X299 Platforms at Computex 2017
Modules Motherboard Channels Data rate Latency Kit Capacity Kit Config.
G.Skill Trident Z RGB ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe 4 4200 MT/s CL19 21-21-41 64 GB 8x8GB
ASRock X299 OC Formula 2 4000 MT/s CL17 18-18-38 32 GB 2x16GB
GIGABYTE X299-SOC Champion 4400 MT/s CL19 19-19-39 16 GB 2x8GB
ASUS ROG Rampage VI Apex 4500 MT/s 16 GB
Corsair Vengeance RGB GIGABYTE X299 AORUS Gaming 7 4 4133 MT/s 128 GB 8x16GB
ASUS Prime X299 Deluxe 3800 MT/s
  ASUS ROG Rampage VI Apex 2 4600 MT/s CL19 23-23-46 16 GB 2x8GB

What we do understand today is that the Skylake-X can handle DDR4-4133 and DDR4-4200 speeds in quad-channel mode, whereas the Kaby Lake-X CPUs can go even north from that and hit something like DDR4-4500~4600 in dual-channel mode. In fact, Taiwanese overclocker Toppc has managed to push a single 8 GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB module to 5500 MT/s on MSI’s X299 Gaming Pro Carbon AC (MS-7A95) using Intel’s Core i7-7740K CPU under liquid nitrogen, which proves that DDR4 is gaining overclocking potential as memory controllers get better as well.

Related Reading:

CORSAIR Unveils Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque 32GB DDR4 Memory Kits
  • Comments are Closed

CORSAIR Unveils Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque 32GB DDR4 Memory Kits

Corsair has just launched a flamboyant new addition to its flagship Dominator Platinum memory series in the form of two 32GB DDR4 kits that have apparently been designed to reproduce the aesthetic of high-performance automotive engines.

Dubbed the Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque, this new model’s key feature is clearly the unique top bar, which has been given a heat-treated effect in order to mimic the patina that is often found on the exhaust manifolds of high-performance engines. The top bar also has integrated white LEDs, which we are a bit surprised aren’t RGB LED (if only due to their ubiquity). The black aluminium heatsinks have been given a brushed finish, while the cooling fins and much of labelling is in an eye-catching shade of orange. As per the model name, these are a special edition modules that will be available in limited quantities, with each kit being individually numbered..

Designed for Intel X99 and 200-series motherboards, the two 32GB Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque memory kits are available as both a 2x16GB kit and a 4x8GB kit, each with otherwise identical specifications. The CMD32GX4M2C3200C14T model is a dual-channel kit consisting of two 16GB memory modules rated to run at DDR4-3200 with CL14-16-16-36 timings at 1.35 volts. The CMD32GX4M4C3200C14T model is quad-channel memory kit consisting of four 8GB memory modules rated to run at DDR4-3200 with CL14-16-16-36 timings at 1.35V. They are both manufactured with Corsair’s custom 10-layer PCB, and feature Samsung B-die ICs that have been binned to ensure that they can be safely overclocked to at least DDR4-3600. Both kits also support XMP 2.0, which should eliminate any of the hassle that is often associated with trying to manually overclock memory.

Corsair Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque Kits
Data rate Latency Kit Capacity Modules Voltage Part Number Launch Price
3200 MT/s CL14 16-16-36 32 GB 2x16GB 1.35 V CMD32GX4M2C3200C14T $399.99
32 GB 4x8GB CMD32GX4M4C3200C14T $449.99

The new Corsair Dominator Platinum Special Edition Torque series is available immediately on Corsair’s website. The 2x16GB kit is priced at $399.99 USD, while the 4x8GB version is a little pricier at $449.99 USD. They are both covered by Corsair’s lifetime warranty.

Related Reading