1.12.2009

UPDATE, June 30, 2010I keep amending this review, and the heck with those that give me consequence from doing it, I am going to tell my loyal Amazon readers the truth, and the rest I could care less about honestly.It's not that I hate this RAM, but it seems to be failing at every opportunity that I give it, and I have given it three (3) opportunities to perform for me in my OEM PC build, and dang, dang if it hasn't failed yet again.That is correct dear readers, don't despair, Wavey Davey is here to tell you the facts, and here we go again. Last month, once again I started getting random crashes and BSOD's (BlueScreenofDeaths) in PC No.2, where this RAM inhabits the DIMM receptacles,and I couldn't explain it so I just watched things closely for a couple days, which led into a couple weeks of adjusting, figuring out what was going on, and you know it wasn't anything to do with my CPU, my TIM placement and its sustainability, it had nothing to do with my CPU, nothing to do with my build or how things were going with my fans, nothing at all...it was this God Danged RAM AGAIN!When I backed things down to about 4Ghz instead of running @ 4210Mhz (4.2Ghz), turned the RAM off and out of the equation pretty much by adjusting the SODIMM Ratio to 2:6 instead of the normal 2:8 Ratio for 1600Mhz RAM like this stuff is supposed to be, well the long and short of it? I was still getting random crashes, BSOD's, and Dang It there could only be one cause, and that is failed RAM once again!Today I got another RMA handled from Corsair company, that is true, I recited all of the litany of things that I had done to try and "fix" my PC to work correctly, and when none of that worked I tried RAM tests, I used Memtest and Windows RAM tests both, and dang if this RAM didn't fail both tests miserably once again! Dang Dang Dang I was pissed about it, too! You have no idea how frustrating it can be to build a perfect little OEM PC, have it performing 100% at its peak of performance @ 4.2Ghz at a very respectable overclocking and at good temps too, just barely cresting 70-degrees Celsius during the hot day, and doing you right down to the 60's at night, well then...you know what I am writing?It is discouraging to do all of that and once again be faced with an RMA with the RAM that you had put your faith into, this being the 3rd Time that this RAM has failed! That is just 3 times too many for my taste, and I don't like it, and I am not going to just sit here and meekly send in my RAM to Corsair once again and not say anything about it!Listen I bought 12GB of G. Skill RAM at about the same time I bought this Corsair RAM last year, back last summer in June/July because they were both on sale, the G. Skill RAM being on sale at another retailer that you all know and love, and this Corsair being on sale here at Amazon.com. And guess which RAM has survived through thick and thin, through build after build, and heat, and hot, and hard times and good times, yessir, the G. Skill RAM has continued to work 100% all of the time, has never given me a single itty bitty bit of a problem. Meanwhile the Corsair RAM has failed 3 times, and guess what has gone into the PC with the failed Corsair RAM while the Corsair RAM gets RMA'd?Right, the G. Skill RAM, that is what goes into the poor little failed PC without any RAM while the Corsair RAM gets RMA'd again, while Corsair gives me yet another batch of this dang DDR3 "XMS3" RAM of theirs, and I once again try to get the PC to function 100% with it installed. The G. Skill RAM to me has no equal, it's the good stuff, while this Corsair RAM has been nothing but problems for me over and over again...go figure!That is what I am writing about tonight dear readers, and my update is simply this: FAILED AGAIN, the Corsair RAM is going back for yet another RMA to Corsair company, and they will replace it again for me, this being the 3rd time it has happened, and I will try once again with the new batch to keep my PC lit and functioning 100%, and Goodness Gracious people, let's hope that this time it works longer than 3 months, 6 months, let's just hope that it works 100% and I don't have to update this review yet again with another failure story!That is my update tonight, and for Corsair's sake, and for my PC's sake, let's hope that the 3rd time is the charm! Let's hope that the Corsair RAM functions like I paid for it to function, and that I don't have to repeat myself again about another failure down the road, that it just works this time, thank you for reading--my faith is like yours: I only have it because Corsair made this RAM with a Lifetime Warranty, and I hate to continue to have to use the Warranty, you know that?Wavey Davey - 6-30-2010UPDATE, Dec 27, 2009One or more of the DIMMs has failed, and they are going to Corsair on an RMA Ticket that was "instantly approved" yesterday, and I mean within 15 minutes of my submitting the trouble ticket, I got back an email with an RMA#...it was very, very fast! I am sorry to have to report this sad fact, but I suspected trouble 2 weeks ago when I started getting incomplete WU's in Folding@home, many in a row...so I tried a LinX 0.6.3 stability test, and couldn't get past 2 cycles, Red ERROR message three times in a row. Hmmm, I thought...try MemTest and see what happens. So that was next, and instantly the SDRAM started throwing error after error, the RAM would not complete a cycle at all...it failed MemTest, test after test. Bummer!Sadly this is the 2nd set of Corsair RAM I have had to RMA, both sets purchased here at Amazon.com. The replacement set on the Dominator RAM (12GB) was stellar, no issues with that...so here's hoping that when Corsair replaces this set that it will also be exceptional RAM, not something that fails in such a short time. After all, I was running this RAM for less than 3 months when it failed, albeit at a stout overclocking of 4210Mhz @ 1.65V VDIMM, 1.3V QPI PLL VCore, 1.3V IOH PLL VCore, nothing really stressful on the RAM, and BAM! Failure of at least one of the DIMMs, so back it all goes.I will report again here after the RMA is completed, and I check out what I get back.-Wavey Davey - 12-27-2009UPDATE - 1/10/2010Corsair RMA Dept sent me some super-nice XMS3 SDRAM in exchange for the 3 x 2GB set that I RMA'd to them on 12/26/2009. All 3 DIMMs have the identical coding on them: "09520481" which matches the coding on the box's part number sticker, so these have been individually matched as a set by Corsair, a very, very good thing! In addition the box has a special splash at the top where it is written, with a big check mark: "Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition"...which the previous set did not have on the box, another good thing from Corsair.I have had them installed since Tuesday Jan 5, and they are working great with my overclocked (4210Mhz 24/7) 2nd rig, which is principally a Folding@Home machine, though I'll use it for work if my No.1 rig is tied up with something important and can't be interrupted. I have the RAM set in BIOS at the identical settings as before--just like the 1st set, and the PC has been running smooth ever since I installed them, no crashes, no problems, just a fine running PC. I don't know how much better than the 1st set these are, but it's apparent that they are more stable and running strong. I'll report back here if anything changes in the long run, but so far so good. Corsair RMA Dept gets a big Thumb's Up for sending me this RAM, all matched and ready to rock straight out of the box!I have been running this Corsair DDR3 SDRAM for almost a 6 weeks in a new PC build I put together in October 2009, and so far so good. The timing is pretty relaxed @ 9-9-9-24 Clocks from the factory people at Corsair. I have it set, for my complete specs, @ 9-9-9-24-74 1T Clocks, @ 1.65V VDIMM in BIOS, with my QPI PLL VCore set @ 1.300V since I am over-volting the RAM somewhat. In addition I am running a 58% overclock on the CPU, up to 4210Mhz from 2.66Ghz OEM Box Stock, which is a sort of "normal overclock" for a good running Core i7 920 CPU like I have in the build... specifically it's a Batch# 3849B202 CPU, made in late April at the Costa Rica Intel CPU factory there! There, now you have all my secrets, hah-hah! Well, just kidding about the secrets, it's just that I have never disclosed this build's inner workings to anyone yet, so it's an Amazon.com 1st Run Production I guess, to be showcasing my Core i7 920 CPU build with this great Corsair SDRAM on board!More of the build, it's got an EVGA BL-132-x758-A1 motherboard, from here also, and it's running an ancient BIOS, I think it's all the way back to May, 2009, yes, it is! Anyway, it's stable for me, so go figure, and I'm not changing it for anyone at this point. The SDRAM is running great though @ that lofty 4210Mhz overclocking, and I am going no further there, so don't ask me about the BIOS settings, because I'm not telling anybody what *those are*! I haven't asked too much of the SDRAM yet, even though it's rated @ 1600Mhz you never know about those things until you push it, and the SDRAM is being pushed to the tune of 1608Mhz presently, a little tiny overclocking, running @ 2:8 to 1 Command Ratio, but so far SO GOOD! Sometimes RAM isn't even as good as its rating, but this stuff peaks well @ 1608Mhz, and has given me zero trouble so far.I haven't had to run any tests on the SDRAM yet, other than the normal stability tests of running LinX 0.6.3 for 10X iterations for starters, then a longer iteration of 20X so I could put the build into the EVGA Stability i7 Club, which is a good thing to do if you have an EVGA motherboard and are a good enough builder to run the rig @ 4Ghz or higher overclocking, as I have demonstrated that the rig is indeed stable there @ 4210Mhz...so into the Club it went, this humble Amazon.com parts pieces build. In fact, the only thing I didn't get for this build from Amazon.com is the video card, and that's a BFG GTX 285 OC 1GB Video Card, which I scored elsewhere...you really don't want to know that source, and Amazon.com would probably censor it anyway.That's the story on the nice Corsair SDRAM that I sourced here at Amazon.com, it's an excellent buy at less than $150 for a 3 x 2GB=6GB matched set...and it works great, honestly it does! I am not putting the build on the David Letterman Show, Tonight, am I? Nope, didn't think so...thus it has some bargain basement SDRAM from here that works a treat, yes it does!Wavey Davey - Dec.1, 2009

8.10.2012

This is RAM memory, so there is not a lot to be said about it. It's one of those things that either works or doesn't. Because of my experience with this I was fully prepared to give only a one star rating, but I've mellowed a little. What happened was this. I was building my first ever PC. I bought two sticks of this memory. Powered up the completed project and was thoroughly enjoying the fact that it all worked first time. I installed Windows 7, and while I was showing off my new creation it blue-screened and re-booted.I assumed this was just teething troubles.It wasn't.The following two weeks were a nightmare with frequent blue-screens, and software crashes.

7.2.2013

[Please read the Update at the end]This 16GB XMS Memory kit (2x8GB memory modules) is very good but the spec is not totally accurate and there should be a disclaimer to this effect. You even see a bold statement "Outrageously fast 1600MHz performance using 16GB of memory" with 1.5V spec shown a few lines below on the same page (unless Amazon corrected this as I have sent them a note pertaining to what I describe here) but this must be qualified.Corsair's own website indicates that the 1600Mhz clock rate is achieved at 1.65V which is quite different from the 1.5V indicated here under Product Specifications. If you, like me, use this memory with Intel new technology processors (the latest i5 and i7 CPUs),

30.9.2013

I've had my PC for over 3 years and recently decided to upgrade the RAM from 8GB to the motherboard's maximum of 16GB. RAM is the only piece of hardware I feel confident enough to mess with. After all, what could be simpler, eh? It just slots in and 'click', right? Err, not quite. I know this might be old news to someone used to fitting hardware, but I'll say it anyway: You MUST make sure the RAM sticks are seated correctly in their slots, AT BOTH ENDS. Even if you do as I did and slot one end in and then rock the other end in until the clip locks it, that doesn't mean it's seated correctly. You still need to check both ends of the stick. In my case the PC just wouldn't boot.

7.1.2012

I have to admit to having been rather suspicious about these memory modules. After all, Corsair is a top RAM brand, and isn't DDR3 the fastest RAM? Four GB for less than 20 pounds, and free delivery! I paid four times that two years ago for the identical 4GB already installed in my PC. Perhaps the RAM would be `factory refurbished' returns from other unhappy buyers.Well, MyMemory delivered in four days. The packaging was sealed, new and not dog-eared as I half expected. Whatever happened to anti-static packaging? The two memory modules, made in Taiwan, were each snugly fitted in a plastic shell which could be prised open with fingers alone, no scissors required.

30.9.2012

I have had one of these in my PC for seven months now. I have had no issues whatsoever. The DIMM was easily installed - unlike some sticks I've had in the past, which required a worrying degree of downward force on the motherboard to slot in properly - and I have experienced zero performance or stability issues with it since. The heat-spreader that covers the "guts" of the circuitry gives it a nice quality, streamlined appearance, which isn't particularly important since it's going to be living out of sight inside the case anyway, but it also makes handling the item less fiddly and less potentially damaging versus putting your grubby mitts directly onto the solder and silicon of a bare stick (presumably the plastic also offers some insulation against static charge,

13.5.2012

Sehr guter Produkt! Ihr muss doch kaufen!I strongly recommend anyone to get this RAM. Ignore those look-at-me Corsair chips with the fins and what have you; they're for kiddies to show off what mom 'n pops got 'em, or just for people who dig that sort of thing.This stuff is fast, sleek, and quality RAM. I have four of these in Dual Channel.. 2GB|2GB|2GB|2GB and they perform beautifully.I know this is probably really obvious to most of you, but make sure (for those who're new to building) that your motherboard supports DDR3 at 1600MHz, although they will run just fine at 1333MHz, which you'll find them defaulted at. If you have unusual third-party CPU heatsinks, make sure you'll have enough room to fit this RAM,

25.2.2011

I currently have an Intel Core i7 rig with 3x2Gb of Patriot Viper 1600MHz memory and Windows 7 64-bit. The exact model of memory is no longer available for a perfect match and this Corsair XMS3 was the closest match with the same 9-9-9-24 timings at 1.65v and up to 1600MHz rated. I don't use the XMP so I will not rate this feature.I placed an order on a Monday afternoon, it was dispatched on Tuesday morning and arrived on Thursday morning direct from Amazon with super saver delivery. That is impressive by any standards! The package was small enough to fit through my letterbox and arrived in perfect condition.I opened my case and installed the RAM into my Gigabyte X58A-UD3R motherboard DIMM slots in 5 minutes and so I now have two sets of triple channel memory or 6x2Gb = 12Gb.

28.3.2017

Good for an upgrade or computer build. But, have had to send a couple back with errors. Corsair are very good at replacing them and give a lifetime warranty so you can take your time over testing them.When you have installed them, it's best to run a Microsoft Memory Test (just type 'Memory' into the MS search box and click on the memory test app. When it come up click the top layer of hypertext. Your PC will restart and run the test).If you ever get bad RAM, you will find your PC gives you a lot of BSODs (blue screen of death crashes).The key to diagnosing bad RAM is that these crashes will be for many different reasons (i.e not just IQRL alert.. IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bug check has a value of 0x0000000,

26.6.2011

Purchased 4GB kit (2*2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3-12800) CL9 which are rated at 1.65V, however they work perfectly without any configuration in my AMD 890GX setup which has a DDR3 memory controller normally using 1.5V DIMMs.As my motherboard ran the memory at a default 1333MHz (same as the onboard 1Gb/128MB sideport) I overclocked the DIMMs to run at their rated maximum speed 1600MHz, which can be simply achieved by either:1. Changing the memory ratio from 6.66x to 8x2. Or keeping the 6.66x memory ratio and increasing the HT Link from 200 to 240 MHz (HT Link bus speed becomes ~2400MHz)This 2nd option requires further modifications as it is overclocking the system not just the memory,

5.5.2012

Unless someone is a die-hard techie with means to measure extremely fine grades of performance, it's hard to lose sleep over the choice of computer memory anymore. Trust me, I have paid thousands of dollars over the years for MUCH less memory than 4GB and probably never got anywhere near the performance this modules can deliver.It is hard to imagine how cheap memory is. In this case, under $30 for 4GB. These spec'd well well with my new processor/motherboard intended for a low-price home built media PC to be used on my living room LCD TV. The built-in heatsink is a nice touch, the BIOS recognized the memory immediately and classified it properly to be used with a dual-channel APU,

29.9.2013

Outstanding high quality low profile RAM with heat stinks, When it comes to RAM there is not much difference between 1333Mhz and 2400Mhz it's more about how much you have and the latency of it, most games don't use much more than 4 to 8GB however am given to understand that if your using 3 monitors resolutions in gaming and maybe a 4th monitor (non gaming) obviously your going to utilize alot more than that and with 4K making it's way to market this is increasingly growing but these will come to a head in mainly the VRAM of your GPU and Clockspeeds etc. But for the next 4-5 year at least I would recommend just 16GB at most, as 8GB sticks are far to overpriced and are just silly as you will very rarely use that much,

7.9.2013

First off, this memory is good value for money.It's also easy to install, having a low profile PCB protection. It certainly won't get in the way of most aftermarket, and any standard, CPU coolers.The PCB protection is also pretty sturdy, meaning you're unlikely to damage the RAM as you install it. On the other hand, the heat dispersal may not be as effective as some of the more expensive modules. However, I don't think RAM overheating should ever be a problem unless you have serious airflow issues.The packaging is minimal but suitable, with the module being in a plastic container in a cardboard box that prevents any movement. Also, the module itself is solid and has no moving parts,

27.12.2011

When I upgraded my computer to the Core i7, which requires DDR3 RAMs I had to upgrade the memories too alone with a new compatible motherboard. I end up choosing this PC3-10666 1333MHz DDR3 Memory Kit. I've ordered the first set and then two weeks later, I've decided the computer may perform better with double the memory. I went ahead and ordered a second set which was $16 cheaper. It's relatively inexpensive considering having a total of 16 GB. These relatively cool running memory sticks works extremely well with my new system. In conjunction with my new processor. DDR2 and DDR3 has the same dimension slot with 240 pins but aren't compatible with each other and therefore purposely made with a different position blocking cut-out to prevent insertion on the non-compatible system.

18.3.2013

I have had all manner of assorted RAM issues, mostly self inflicted i might add, using cheaper and unknown brand RAM.Having bench tested all the RAM chips i have used, these are by far the most stable and efficient i have come across.They stay very cool under load.RAM chips dont tend to set fire to themselves anyway lol, but these run a few C's under my previous batch.I ended up buying 4 matched sets of this RAM to replace my previous glaring error of mixed timing/brand chips and now it just runs like someone lit a candle up its backside. So its safe to assume the perfectly match clock speeds plus the utter perfection of all Corsair products,

Corsair i7 Series 4GB DDR3 PC3-15000 - Reviews

Info

Analysis

Detail