Introduction

I would like to thank Corsair for supplying the review sample.

Corsair is a well known brand of performance memory in the enthusiast market. They offer modules with unique cooling and a broad range of high performance USB flash drives as well as well built power supplies. As of late their focus has been placed on cases and water cooling parts along with SSDs. With their newest line-up of memory - called Vengeance, Corsair is now offering a new series of high-performance DDR3 for the enthusiast.

From the manufacturer:

• Speed Rating: PC3-12800
• Tested Speed: 1600Mhz
• Size: 12GB Kit (3 x 4GB)
• Tested Latency: 9-9-9-24
• Tested Voltage: 1.5 V
• Warranty: Lifetime

Packaging

Corsair ships the memory in a full-color cardboard package. There is an image of the tri-channel kit on an EVGA board in the front along with 12 GB written in big letters. Turning the compact box around, there is some marketing text and three windows, through which you can take a close look at the labels of each module along with the serial number.


You will also find a sticker on the bottom right corner which holds the model number. Each of the modules is individually packed within a plastic tray and fitted within the cardboard box. These can easily be opened as they are not fused shut or held together by any metal clips.

A Closer Look

I was a bit surprised as to how lightweight these modules are. Considering the very tall size, I expected heavy units due to the aluminum used in the heat spreaders. Turns out these are very thin, but folded in a way to make them look as if they are solid slabs. That said, the Vengeance kit looks pretty sweet in my humble opinion.


Both sides of these sticks look identical. The aluminum heat spreader is gun metal grey and three separate stickers make up the Vengeance logo across the metal piece on one side, while the white sticker, which was visible from the outside, has been placed on the other side.


Another sticker with the Corsair logo has been placed near the top edge of the heatspreader and acts as a type of seal, which would probably break if you try to take a module apart. I have no idea if this was intended by Corsair. Taking a closer look at the white sticker on each memory module, it holds all the necessary information to set everything up properly: Speed, latency, and voltage - all there.


When looking at the profile of the Vengeance module, it becomes clear how Corsair has achieved the overall look. The tips and edges are bent inward, and two identical pieces are placed next to each other. Very strong thermal tape holds the pair in place on the memory kit, but if you look closely, the left heat spreader does not make full contact with the IC. Nonetheless, I was not able to pry them apart.


There are two labels on the PCB itself. One hints at Brainpower as a manufacturer of the PCB, while there is a tiny little 6 on the other edge.