Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 5200 RAM Review: ‘Is it time to pass the torch?’

Corsair gave us a chance to test its Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 5200MHz C38 RAM, which helps us to commemorate the passing of a torch. We’re once again at the end of an era. The 12th generation Intel processors brought with them a new set of chipsets and support for DDR5 RAM. But, you don’t have to make a clean break. Alder Lake CPUs support DDR4 and DDR5, so those looking to upgrade to the latest and greatest processors have a big decision to make.

Unfortunately, non of the LGA 1700 motherboards (that we know of) support both types of RAM, so you have to commit to one or the other. Most people upgrading their PCs will already have some DDR4 RAM, so the big question is whether it’s worth the added trouble to upgrade to DDR5. From my time testing the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB RAM, I can safely say…. maybe.

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Aesthetic and Design

Some people aren’t picky about the aesthetic of their RAM, but a build is so much more satisfying if it runs and looks good. These black Dominator Platinum sticks go with pretty much anything, which is great considering it’s one of a handful of DDR5 products that are readily available.

Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB RAM comes in attractive but minimalistic packaging. Open the outer, slightly polygonal box, slide the tray out, and boom, there’s the RAM. I like the understated design of the heatspreader as well. The last set of DDR4 ram I used was from G.Skill, and the design was a bit ostentatious. Also, for some reason, the upper edges were filed into razor-sharp points. That’s not the case here. Instead, you get a smooth side with the Corsair logo, and the Dominator Platinum RGB nomenclature blazoned on it in a tasteful, elegant font.

Of course, you’re not really going to see the sides of your RAM once it’s installed. So, the part that counts is the top. These sticks each have 12 ultra-bright, multi-color LEDs that mark them as part of Corsair’s Capellix range. Through the iCue software, you can set these to any color you want or have them rotate through a series of colors and effects.

The only (theoretical) caveat to the design of this RAM is that it’s rather tall. I use an AIO cooler, so there was no issue with clearance. However, those that use air coolers, especially low-profile ones, might find some problems with installation when using this product.

Performance

Most people who decide to move to DDR5 will be doing so because they’re interested in getting the most out of their PCs. Unfortunately, the real-world performance benefits of DDR5 don’t entirely make it worth the money just yet. You can get similar performance in gaming from a good DDR4-3600 kit. However, there are some advantages to using DDR5 outside of performance, like on-die ECC, that make an upgrade more attractive.

We also found that these sticks, in particular, did not take well to even a mild overclock to 5600MHz. In fact, anything over the default XMP profile of 5200MHz was unstable. However, we’ve heard reports that the 5600MHz variation of this RAM takes to overclocking better, so those interested in that should check it out. However, those who are patient might be able to coax these sticks into overclocking better than we did since we didn’t get too far into it.

AIDA64 Memory Benchmarks

Read: 80886

Write: 74094

Copy: 73475

Latency: 71.4



Cinebench R23 Benchmarks

CPU: 27310

CPU Single: 1915

As you can see from the numbers above, we got decent performance out of the Dominator Platinum 5200MHz sticks. These are part of the initial generation of DDR5 RAM, so we didn’t expect to see any huge benefits over DDR4. The same thing happened with DDR4 and DDR3 before it.

Value

32GB (16GB x 2) Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 5200MHz RAM retails for $349.99, while the 5600MHz version can be had for $369.99. Obviously, getting the faster RAM for $20 extra is the better deal. However, availability is still spotty, which means it’s easy to get stuck with a worthless CPU and motherboard if you’re too picky. Fortunately, DDR5 supply issues are easing, and it’s not nearly as hard to find either variation as it was when they were introduced last year.

Again, though, the question of whether it’s worth buying DDR5 over DDR4 is worth asking. I remember paying even higher prices for DDR4 RAM during the shortage a few years back, so dropping $340-360 isn’t that unreasonable. However, DDR4 prices have plummeted, and you can get twice the amount of RAM that’ll give you similar performance as this product for the same price.

For me, it’s an easy decision. I’m going with whatever is newest. DDR5 isn’t really even for the general public right now. It’s for enthusiasts who want to be on the cutting edge. It’s like buying a motherboard with PCIe 5.0 slots. Nothing can use that massive 128GB/s bandwidth, and you’ll probably have been forced to switch to yet another chipset by the time it does. But, man, it’s cool to have, right?

Luckily, for those who just care about practical performance, there are DDR4 versions of the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB with a similar design and are much more affordable.

Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 5200 RAM Review: The final verdict

Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 5200 RAM is a great middle-of-the-ground option for those who want to take the plunge and upgrade to DDR5. Again, DDR5 RAM is somewhat scarce, so this might be your only option. However, if the 5600MHz version is available, it’s worth the extra bit of cash to upgrade to that model.

• Buy Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 5200 RAM on Amazon
• Buy Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 5600 RAM on Amazon