A Closer Look

The Corsair Vengeance CUDIMM DDR5 kits are currently only available in a "Sliver" aluminium finish for Intel. Similar to AMD EXPO which is only sold in "Cool Grey" color, this helps Corsair and consumers by keeping the Vengeance series segregated based on the intended platform. Just like the UDIMM variation, the appearance takes inspiration from the DDR4 Vengeance Pro and RT lines that came before it, with a few minor alterations. Because this is the RGB version, the DIMMs height is increased to accommodate the LEDs and light diffuser.


The Vengeance logo is centered across a bushed aluminium section. The white and yellow lettering are as expected, following the Corsair Vengeance color branding. The memory also has a repeating pattern of triangles that start small on the sides and steadily increases in size towards the center. This pattern is reflective and contrasts well with the mirror heat spreader finish.


On one side of each DIMM module is the identification sticker listing the SKU, rated XMP operating frequency, corresponding voltage of 1.45, and XMP related timings. One thing Corsair does well is to include a revision number on the sticker that quickly identifies which memory ICs are used. Corsair changes this number every time an internal revision is made.


Laying the DIMMs on the side, you can barely see the Corsair logo in the center. The entire plastic strip in the middle will be illuminated when the system is powered on and lighting can be controlled with the iCUE software.


The Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-8800 Z-Height is 44.5 mm measuring with calipers and weighs 50 g on the scale.


After taking the heat spreader apart, we see that Corsair once again is using a custom PCB for the entire Vengeance RGB and Corsair Dominator Platinum/Titanium RGB series so far. A few changes to the PCB and LED implementation makes the Dominator series different, while still similar enough in dimensions and layout. The Dominator series has the LEDs separated onto a secondary PCB and attached with a ribbon cable. In contrast, the Vengeance RGB has its LEDs on the main PCB instead. The last thing to note here is this Corsair kit does have a thermal pad for all the ICs and critical components. This is extra important due to increased temperatures from the higher voltages accompanying increased memory frequencies.


Currently, Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix are the three big suppliers of DDR5 ICs. However, only Micron / Spectek and SK Hynix have released Non-Binary 3 GB ICs to the consumer market. Both of which may "perform" worse than their 2 GB counterparts at the same frequency due to different primary and sub-timings. So far, Micron 3 GB ICs have shown to reach at least 7000 MT/s, while SK Hynix is much higher at 9600 MT/s+.

A closer look at the ICs shows that these are SK Hynix (H5CGD8MGBD-X021). Which can be abbreviated to SK Hynix 3 GB M-Die, not to be confused with SK Hynix's first DDR5 M-Die (2 GB) in 2021. Up until the release of (24 Gbit) 3 GB ICs, the previous world record crown was held by SK Hynix A-Die (16 Gbit) 2 GB, which is still considered a good choice for high frequency overclocks paired with lower primary timings, only to be outdone by the SK Hynix 3 GB variant for highest frequency.


The Client Clock Driver (CKD) part number is "DR5CKD1GC0," with the manufacturer being RAMBUS.


With DDR5, one of the major changes is how the motherboard directly provides 5 V to the memory module's PMIC, which is then stepped down and split accordingly. No longer is the motherboard responsible for regulating the voltages, as with DDR4. The PMIC has the part number "MP5431" software reports this as Monolithic Power being the manufacturer.