A Closer Look

Once I had the stick out of the foam and the plastic shell, I flipped it over a couple of times. These Dominator Platinum modules definitely have a different look from past Dominator modules, which have had a similar appearance for some time. Here, like in the past, the stick is mostly black. However, new here is the big silver Corsair logo on each side of the stick and the new silver light-bar that goes across the top. The angled ends of the light-bar match the shape of the box, and, with the sticks out of the box, it's really obvious that the esthetic design of the sticks coincides really well with the box. That, in and of itself, is another big change as the Dominators have gone from coming in plain brown boxes, to plastic clamshells, and, now, these ultra-fancy wrappings; a progression that I personally appreciate.


It's almost like these sticks are wrapped in a high-tech tuxedo, mostly black from end to end. Underneath those wrappings is still Corsair's self-designed, custom DDR3 PCB with DHX cooling, yet the wrapping is definitely something new.


There's the little black Corsair Link Connector which has been next to the screws that attach the light-bar to the stick on previous Dominator modules. The Corsair Link functionality is one old feature that still remains, as does the little gold lettering spelling "Corsair" and the gold-lettered PCB number on the other end of the stick, both of which are on the other side of the Link connector.


The Dominator name is etched into the middle top of the silver light-bar that extends from end to end over the stick, one that will soon be upgradeable to other colors, allowing you to customize the soft glow the stick gives off to match the rest of your build, something every good little overclocker and case modder should pay attention to with their rigs. I haven't seen the replacement light-bars yet, and I am not sure how much they will cost. I do know that the add-on fins Corsair sold for previous Dominator modules were pretty affordable and I expect the same thing to be true this time around. I could do with a bit more light as well, but more on that later.


This particular set is Corsair's top-level kit, rated at 2666 MHz with 10-12-12-31 2T XMP v1.3 timings. The default JEDEC settings clock in at 1333 MHz with 9-9-9-24 timings. Being Corsair's high-end kit, I expect some decent clocking. There has always been some overhead built right in although not all high-end Dominator modules have clocked hugely, allowing you to get the most you can out of your system. Each of the Dominator Platinum kits is built with hand-tested parts to meet those quality expectations, which has always lead to a slightly elevated price, since an actual person needs to sit there and test every single part before the module is assemble, with the assembled sticks being tested afterwards as well. Backed by a lifetime warranty that I have personally experienced and consider a must for any high-end system, I do tend to believe in these sticks even though they have just hit store shelves. They have considerable performance and good looks to go with all that, making for one killer combination.