Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-7000 32GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit Review

TweakTown's Rating: 96%

The Bottom Line

While not the brightest RGB sticks you can get, the performance and inclusion of software puts Corsair in our seriously consider list of DDR5. On top of that, we like the black ones over the white option of Vengeance RGB, and the styling is a big part of why we like them.

Pros

• + Dynamic 10-zone lighting
• + Thermal pad on PMIC
• + Lower timings
• + iCUE support

Cons

• - Limited overclocking headroom
• - iCUE support

Should you buy it?

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Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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The last time we had a look at the latest from the vengeance line, we were sent a white kit. Even though the design was clever, we had mentioned that the finer details get lost unless you see them at the right angle with proper lighting. Otherwise, you were looking at some matte white sticks. While the RGB is enough of a distraction not to be bothered by this minor issue, we now have a set in black, which shows off all of the time and effort Corsair put into the design without the need for a flashlight and a staring contest.

Not only has the color changed, but the last time we looked at a set of Vengeance RGB, the speed was set to 6000 MT/s, and the CAS timing was 36. With what we have now, speed has increased, and the CAS timing has also dropped to a lower number. Many might assume that this is accomplished with slightly better-binned ICs, and they would be correct. However, there may not be much left in the tank when it comes to overclocking, as the timing set for the rated speed is tight as-is, but that does not mean that they are not worth the investment, even if the XMP 3.0 profile is all you might get to work with.

As we do, we will be going over the latest Vengeance RGB to hit the lab in our set of 7000 MT/s DDR5, with its lowered CAS 34 profile, as we see how well it stacks up to the competition. With what we have for you today, you may notice that Corsair is asking a premium price, and that is not always a downfall of a product as long as you get what you pay for.

Not only that, we are dealing with a black kit, which will go along and blend in with many more systems than the previously reviewed white ones do, and to us, that is marketing 101. Make something awesome that can appeal to most of your potential customers, and hopefully, you will have a successful product. Let's see how well Corsair does in these aspects and look at the quickest Vengeance RGB we have tested.

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The set of DDR5 we have in hand goes by the part number CMH32GX5M2X7000C34. Within that part number, we know that this is Corsair's DDR5, with 32GB in total density offered. Beyond that, we can also see that the speed is set to 7000MHz, and the C34 at the end refers to the CAS latency. Following the list in the chart, as we move down, we can see that the aluminum heat spreaders that cover the black PCBs are also black this time.

Each stick has eight ICs with 16GB of total density, with the speed set at 7000 MHz, as we mentioned a bit ago. The timings are also tighter than the 6000 MHz kit we last looked at, where now they are set to 34-42-42-96 2T. Corsair sets the VDIMM to 1.45V in the XMP profile to run at this speed with those timings.

Dimensionally, we are looking at sticks that are 137.1mm long, 44.8mm tall, and 7.2mm thick, weighing in at 49.5 grams each. Under the spreaders are SKHynic ICs and a Richtek PMIC, all of which are backed with a limited lifetime warranty. The last bit of important information is in the revision, as we have version 5.43.01. It is possible that when it comes to buying these after reading this review, you may find slightly different ICs. For better or worse, it is something Corsair has always done.

Unlike the pricing we complained about heavily in the set of Netac we looked at last, Corsair knows the market better and knows how to place its products in a way where you don't feel like you are being taken advantage of. While only a few kits are currently listed with similar specifications, Corsair is asking slightly more than others, but with the inclusion of iCUE support, we can see why this rings true.

In contrast, you can get similar sets for TEAM at around $250 right now. When purchasing the Corsair Vengeance RGB we have, you will be asked to pay a slight premium, to the tune of $277.99. We do not feel that the price is extraordinarily high, but time will tell as we put them through their paces and see how well they stack up in our charts.

Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-7000 32GB Dual-Channel Memory Kit

	Today	Yesterday	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$259.99	$259.99	$259.99	-	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 3/20/2023 at 7:59 am CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission.

Packaging and Corsair Vengeance RGB

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As all of the Vengeance RGB have for quite some time, we find them packed inside a yellow box, helping to highlight the other things shown on the front panel. The Corsair name and logo are at the top, with the type, density, and speed to their right. In the middle is a look at one of the sticks inside, but the RGB is blown out and looks more realistic than we typically see. At the bottom, we find the Vengeance RGB DDR5 naming of the kit and are told it is performance DRAM, which is Intel-ready and has iCUE support.

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Ont e reverse, we are told to push the limits of your next-gen system with this DDR5. Corsair also covers the dynamic lighting and its addressability through iCUE. They continue by stating the PMIC is on the PCB and that they come with preset RGB profiles. Beyond that, we can see the product stickers on the sticks through the cutouts, and at the bottom is the company information along with a sticker showing the part number and that they are made in Taiwan.

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Fresh out of the cardboard box, we find the Vengeance RGB placed inside plastic, protecting the finishes and preventing static discharge from damaging the product. Corsair also ships a user guide with safety information to help those through the installation, where to get the software, and how to use or dispose of them properly.

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With nothing to block our view of these Vengeance RGB sticks, we see the brushed metal nameplate in the center with the Vengeance name painted in white and yellow. Above it is the white diffuser, while below and to the sides, they are shipped in matte black this time. The black version shows off the triangular design applied to the bulk of the aluminum heat spreaders, and with white paint, Corsair puts DDR5 at the bottom and //RGB at the right end.

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The back of the sticks are nearly identical with one omission. Rather than the brushed metal nameplate, we are given the product sticker. You will find all of the information we covered earlier on this sticker. The type, density, speed, timings, voltage, and revision are along the top. Next comes the part number, the serial number, and where they are made.

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Even though we have seen them from this side, we want to cover the diffuser more. Not only is it angled at either end for a bit of styling, but the white is also a nice contrast to the brushed metal plate and the deep black heat spreaders. Even if you decide to turn the lighting off via iCUE, you still have a stellar-looking set of DDR5 to look at.

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At this angle, we get a better look at the diffusers. Being white, the angled bits at the ends do not have a definitive line where the slope starts visually. The other noteworthy aspect of the diffusers is the tiny Corsair logos found on them, which almost disappear when the RGB is in full display.

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Under the hood, we find fibrous thermal tape adhering to the ICs, thermal tape covering the PMCI, and double-sided tape along the top to help attach the spreaders to the sides of the diffuser. We can see eight of the ten LEDs at the top and get a good view of the eight SK Hynix H5CG48AGB0 ICs.

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The PMIc on these Vengeance RGB sticks is made by Richtek and is the 0D-9C chip. This IC is of the unlocked variety, which allows the potential for more voltage to be applied for overclocking headroom.

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Installed into our Z790 APEX, we have no complaints about the visual appeal of this DDR5. The black fits well with the black trim of the chassis and motherboard, and it pops against that sea of white and silver. All that is left is to boot the system and see how well the RGB illuminates.

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Much like what we saw on the box, the diffuser dulls the brilliance of the RGB illumination under bright lighting. However, looking at the ring on the head unit in comparison, they are similar in their brightness, and with both cycling the same colors, we have to say it is a perfect mix of products.

Test System Details

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To obtain the Intel CPU-Z screenshots, you will see directly following this image; this is the system we used to do it, as well as in getting the results seen in the following pages. Thanks to Intel, be quiet!, ASUS, MSI, Corsair, and Sabrent for supporting us with this venture. Detailed specifications of the system can be found below.

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After doing what was needed before running a new kit of RAM, we took a trip back into the BIOS and enabled the XMP 3.0 profile. Once that was done and the system was running, we opened up CPU-Z to check what was happening. We have them running at 7000MHz, and the timings are as described, at 34-42-42-96 2T. We then looked at the BIOS one more time to check voltages, where we found the VDIMM set to 1.45V, the system agent voltage set to 1.281V, and the memory controller using 1.296V.

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In our attempt to lower the timings, we boosted to voltages. We currently use 1.55V for the VDIMM, VDDQ, and Tx while setting the system agent to 1.380V and the memory controller to 1.39375V. Doing so allowed us to drop the timings, but only slightly. We played around quite a bit to see if other options would run, but the bottom line is that 32-40-40-96 2T is as tight as our kit would allow.

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Keeping the voltages we used to reduce the timings, we reset them to what the XMP profile delivers and attempted to get the most speed from the Vengeance RGB. While we did not expect much movement with the timings set at CAS34, we were pleased to see that we could still run them at 7476MHz without much fuss, even with them that low. Anything more was a hard no, but your mileage may vary.

Chad's Intel DDR5 Dual-Channel Test System Specifications

• Motherboard: ASUS Maximus Z790 APEX - Buy from Amazon
• CPU: Intel Core i7 13700K - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i Elite LCD - Buy from Amazon
• Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming Trio 24G - Buy from Amazon
• Storage: Sabrent Rocket 4 PLUS-G 4TB - Buy from Amazon
• Case: Custom Thermaltake Core P3 TG
• Power Supply: be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 12 1500W - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Home - Buy from Amazon

Intel Performance

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With as well as the Vengeance RGB 6000MHz kit did, we had hoped that these new 7000 MHz sticks might top the chart. However, placing right behind the TEAM 7200MHz kit is nothing to be mad at. We got a little more performance with additional speed, but as you can see, in this metric, lowering the timings does not do well at all.

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Out of the box, the Vengeance RGB jumped into the chart with 104,120 MB/s read performance, which is nothing to scoff at. By lowering the timings, we gained another 1290 MB/s, but the best gains are had in read performance was when we pushed the speed higher, resulting in a 6660 MB/s increase.

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Write performance lands Corsair in second place overall, with the baseline at 100,620 MB/s. Reducing the timings netted us a small 350 MB/s gain, but increasing speed delivered a boost of 6960 MB/s.

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The XMP copy performance keeps the Vengeance RGB in second place with 102,095 MB/s throughput. Using the reduced timings, we took a hit to the tune of 915 MB/s, but with the increased speed applied, we gained a 5435 MB/s advantage over XMP.

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Out-of-the-box latency tells the same story, with the Corsair Vengeance RGB again landing in second overall. We were able to lower the latency more by overclocking, but hat default 63.4ns is pretty good compared to the rest of the samples in this chart.

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We wholeheartedly expected much better results in Super Pi, but for some reason, the Vengeance RGB at XMP did not perform near what we would have predicted. Overclocking this et of DDR5 got much better results in the runs, but oddly we got better results with lowered timings than we see by pushing the speed higher.

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While the physics score in 3DMark Fire Strike is not astounding, the XMP profile still keeps Corsair in the top half of the chart. We did marginally better with the CAS30 settings, but adding more speed to the kit dropped five places from the XMP results.

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PCMark 10 overall scores tend to be all over the place, where speed is less the factor, and the overall settings of speed, timings, and sweet spots tend to rule the roost. Even so, Corsair takes second place in this chart. With more speed applied, we topped the chart, where lowering the timings hindered the results in this metric.

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7-Zip is another time where Corsair kept that second-place slot. At 225 seconds to completion, only three seconds behind the faster TEAM kit, it is what we would expect to see. With minimal headroom, overclocking does not deliver an astounding drop in time to competition. Still, we did get two seconds back by running them at CAS30 and seven seconds versus the XMP run with additional speed applied.

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The Cinebench results put the Corsair Vengeance in fourth place, which is not horrible, but slower kits can compete head-to-head. We could climb up the chart a bit by overclocking, where we find both options reaching the same score, tied for second.

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If transcoding with something like Handbrake is your jam, the Corsair Vengeance RGB is the current go-to kit. They came out slightly better than the faster TEAM kit, and with additional speed added, they completed the run even faster. With them set to CAS30, they land where we assumed they would overall, but we cannot complain when the XMP results are so good.

Final Thoughts

Initially, we would like to cover the visual appeal of this set of Vengeance RGB from Corsair. When we tested the 6000 MHz set, they were sent to us in white clothing, and we lost much of the aesthetic appeal as the matte and shiny white portions blended from many angles. However, in this black suit, the contrast is easy to see and shows off the time and Corsair's effort to add some visual pop to the kit. We also like the contrast of the kit in our system, and the slight dulling of the RGB through the diffuser isn't all that bad, as we have seen worse over the years.

While they do not come with crazy angles, wing-like designs, or pops of other colors, we have no complaints about how they will look in any system out there that they are compatible with. While we tend to use the motherboard sync to deliver the RGB lighting, this is one of the kits that come with software. In doing so, not only can you do whatever you want with the RGB, but it also has predefined settings to choose from, and you also get other advantages of iCUE.

The XMP performance was good in most of the tests. There was a time or two when we would have thought that this 7000MHz kit should have fallen into a higher slot in those charts. Overall we feel they did rather well. Most of the tests showed these Vengeance RGB to stick to the top of the charts, right behind the 7200MHz TEAM offerings, and with a bit of tinkering, many times we were able to get much better results, like those seen in the AIDA64 results.

We would have liked to see more flexibility in this DDR5, but we also know that not all RAM will overclock, which is a bonus. Even so, any flexibility is appreciated, and in this revision, we were given some, so there are no complaints. Sometimes overclocking worked to our advantage, and sometimes it didn't, but that is the fun in doing it, to find where the best settings are for each kit.

The only thing that may hold buyers back from running out and grabbing a set of Vengeance RGB like these comes down to the price. The TEAM set that kept first place in most charts is sold for a fiver less than what Corsair priced the Vengeance RGB we just tested. However, you do need to depend on the motherboard sync for control options of the RGB display with the TEAM RAM. That being said, to get all of the benefits of iCUE for the lighting and other features, we do not feel that that $5 difference will make or break the deal.

However, at $277.99, we cannot say they are the most affordable solution, but compared to the Netac we just saw last, you get quite a bit more bang for your buck with Corsair. Based on what we have seen this far in DDR5, Corsair offers up a sweet deal in these black Vengeance RGB at 7000MHz, and we see no real reason why anyone should pass on such a kit.