Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 Memory Kit Review

Today’s review presents the latest and fastest DDR5 memory kit in Corsair’s current product stack, Vengeance RGB DDR5-6600. We don’t review Corsair’s products often, and we’re happy we have the chance to take a closer look at the top DDR5 kit from this manufacturer.

The review kit is rated at DDR5-6600 and has very tight timings of CL32-39-39. These settings overclockers have been trying to stabilize at home in the last months, and now we can test it as a guaranteed stable profile. It’s even more exciting when we think that we’ll soon see new AMD and Intel platforms, so another reason to spend money on something faster, with hopefully higher overclocking headroom. Let’s begin with the specifications and features of the Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6600 memory kit.

Specifications and Features

CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 memory delivers DDR5 performance, higher frequencies, and greater capacities optimized for Intel® motherboards while lighting up your PC with dynamic, individually addressable ten-zone RGB lighting.

The below key features come from Corsair, and you can find them also on the product’s website.

Features

  • DO IT ALL, AND DO IT FASTER – In the multi-core era, the unprecedented processing speed of DDR5 DRAM ensures your high-end CPU gets data quickly with ease. Whether you are gaming, creating content, opening 100 tabs, or multi-tasking, your gaming PC can power through complex tasks faster than ever before.
  • DYNAMIC TEN-ZONE RGB LIGHTING – Illuminate your system with ten individually addressable, ultra-bright RGB LEDs per module, encased in a panoramic light bar. Select from dozens of stunning pre-set lighting profiles, or create your own with near-limitless customization in iCUE.
  • ONBOARD VOLTAGE REGULATION – You have the power and the control. Built-in voltage regulation plus iCUE software control makes for easier, finely-tuned output that provides more stable overclocking than ever.
  • CUSTOM INTEL® XMP 3.0 PROFILES – Ditch the tedious process of manually adjusting your performance settings each time you save your XMP profiles through iCUE. Easily customize and tailor your setting profiles by app or task for greater efficiency.
  • WIDE COMPATIBILITY – Optimized for the latest generation of DDR5 compatible INTEL® Motherboards.
  • LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY – For complete peace of mind and years of worry-free performance.
  • UNTIE YOUR SETUP – CORSAIR iCUE software brings your entire setup together, creating a fully immersive ecosystem with intuitive control.

Corsair YouTube Advert

 

Specifications

The Vengeance RGB DDR5-6600 CL32 is available in kits that contain two 16GB modules which is more than enough for gamers and most other users. The XMP profile worked fine on MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X and ASUS Strix Z690I-Gaming WIFI. It’s not guaranteed it will work on lower series Z690 motherboards. But in the last months, there have been multiple BIOS improvements, so there is always a chance. In the worst case, we can set lower frequency but even tighter timings. Regarding compatibility, Corsair guarantees functionality with ASUS Maximus Z690 Hero and Strix Z690-F Gaming, which are not even the highest-tier motherboards from Asus.

The Vengeance RGB DDR5-6600 memory modules are rated to work at 1.40V, which, for the timings, is low voltage. Not many competitive brands decide to release DDR5-6600 memory kits, not to mention CL32. While voltages may be similar in the most popular series at DDR5-6000+, the timings are more relaxed/higher. Below is a list of specifications from the Corsair website.

Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 Specifications
Fan IncludedNo
Memory SeriesVENGEANCE RGB DDR5
Memory TypeDDR5
PMIC TypeExtreme OC PMIC
Memory Size32GB (2 x 16GB)
Tested Latency32-39-39-76
Tested Voltage1.40V
Tested Speed6600
Memory ColorBLACK
SPD Latency40-40-40-77
SPD Speed4800MHz
SPD Voltage1.1V
Speed RatingPC5-52800 (DDR5-6600)
CompatibilityASUS ROG STRIX Z690-F, ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
Heat SpreaderAluminum
Package Memory FormatDIMM
Performance ProfileXMP 3.0
Package Memory Pin288

Packaging and Product Photos

Packaging

The Vengeance RGB kit arrived in retail packaging which is a flat box. The size is about the same as most other high-end RAM kits. In the box, we will find two well-protected memory modules. We don’t need anything else for the installation as it’s straightforward, and most users won’t have problems. Those who aren’t sure how to install memory modules on the motherboard should look at the user manual available on the manufacturer’s website.

 

RAM modules

We haven’t tested Corsair Vengeance RAM since the earlier DDR4 series, and I see that the DDR5 modules have significantly improved heatsinks. The aluminum heatsinks are slightly thicker and looks like a high-end part. The whole design is eye-catching, and even though it’s not the highest Corsair series (there is also Dominator), it definitely looks exceptional.

The height of the heatsink is also slightly shorter/lower than the older series, which should help with large CPU coolers. On the other hand, the light bar is larger, and we can enjoy a smoother backlight. On the lighting, I also like that there is only a small Corsair logo instead of a large sign, as most competitive brands do. It looks much better, especially when we install four memory modules.

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RGB Illumination

The RGB illumination works without issues on ASUS and MSI motherboards. Depending on the motherboard, you may need to use iCUE software from Corsair for best results and is available for download from the official website. Besides the RAM, it also synchronizes all Corsair devices and recognizes some other components. It may recognize your motherboard and manage its RGB connectors or light bars. In our case, it recognized the Z690 Unify-X as a standard Unify motherboard and had some problems with synchronization, so we had to use MSI software to set the same modes on all devices. There are often updates for iCUE, so I assume it will be fixed soon.

Below are some of the test rig photos with RGB illumination on the MSI Z690 Unify-X motherboard.

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LEDs are bright, and the light bar is evenly illuminated. All the colors are perfectly synchronized with other light sources on the motherboard, fans, and graphics card.

 

Test Results

Test Setup
ProcessorIntel i9-12900K
MotherboardMSI MEG Z690 Unify-X BIOS A31.U2
Graphics cardASRock Phantom Gaming RX6800XT 16GB
OS StorageSilicon Power XS70 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
Power SupplyCorsair HX1200, 1200W 80+ Platinum
Used memory kits
  • ADATA XPG Lancer 32GB DDR5-6000 CL40-40-40 1.35V
  • Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB DDR5-6200 CL36-39-39 1.30V
  • Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32-39-39 1.40V
  • G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-6400 CL32-39-39 1.40V
  • G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30-40-40 1.35V
  • V-Color Manta XSky 32GB DDR5-6600 CL34-40-40 1.40V
Operating System Windows 11 Pro x64 with the latest updates

 

Stability at Rated Speed

The XMP profile was tested in AIDA64 System Stability Test and passed without problems. The same as all performance tests, this test was performed on the MSI Z690 Unify-X motherboard.

Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 XMP #1- AIDA64 Stability Test
Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 XMP #1 – AIDA64 Stability Test

 

 

Comparison Tests

Tests were performed on popular synthetic benchmarks and benchmarks included in popular games. The list consists of tests that react well to memory performance. Older popular benchmarks and tests based on pure CPU performance were skipped as we wouldn’t see any difference.

For readers’ convenience, I added all overclocking results to the comparison so you see if it’s worth the overclocking.

Benchmarks list includes:

  • AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark
  • PCMark 10 – default benchmark
  • 3DMark: Time Spy, Time Spy Extreme, and Fire Strike Extreme
  • Superposition Benchmark – 8K Optimized
  • Final Fantasy XV Benchmark – 4K High Details
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider – 1080p, high details, default benchmark
  • Far Cry 6 – 1440p, high details, default benchmark
  • Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 1440p, high details, default benchmark

 

AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark

AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark
AIDA64 Cache & Memory Benchmark

 

AIDA64 offers us the most popular synthetic memory benchmark. Results are easy to read; as we can see, it’s scaling great with memory frequency.

The best results are on the overclocked memory kits with tightened sub-timings, but the XMP of the Vengeance RGB is also pretty good. Our second kit passed 100GB/s read on the XMP profile, and the results are slightly better than on the previously tested V-Color memory.

PCMark10

PCMark 10
PCMark 10

PCMark 10 uses popular applications to perform tests close to daily tasks. Even though results are slightly different, when translated into daily work wouldn’t make any difference.

3DMark – Fire Strike Extreme

3DMark – Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark – Fire Strike Extreme

In 3DMark series benchmarks, results are similar as every DDR5 is already fast and isn’t limiting other components. The differences would be higher if we had the slowest available memory kits in the comparison, but it still wouldn’t show us significant performance gains on the fastest kits.

3DMark Time Spy

3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Time Spy

As in all 3DMark benchmarks, we can quickly notice the difference in scores, but these scores won’t translate into a significant performance gain in games. Overclockers participating in competitive benchmarking would see RAM tweaking as worth the time, while gamers should use the XMP profiles and enjoy favorite titles. Especially since the Vengeance RGB delivers excellent results without further tweaking. 

3DMark Time Spy Extreme

3DMark Time Spy Extreme
3DMark Time Spy Extreme

In Time Spy Extreme, the story repeats. The Vengeance RGB is the fastest, as expected.

Unigine Superposition

Unigine Superposition
Unigine Superposition

Results in the Unigine Superposition benchmark are on the edge of the margin of error. They’re so close that rerunning the benchmark may change the order.

Final Fantasy XV Benchmark

Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark

The Final Fantasy XV Benchmark suggests a trend visible in most other benchmarks. The higher the frequency, the higher the performance. On the other hand, similar to the Unigine benchmark, these results are close to the margin of error.

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Shadow of the Tomb Raider

We can see expected improvements in benchmarks based on popular games due to higher RAM performance. As long as higher frequency memory kits at tighter timings all have close results to each other, then we can see 5-7FPS gain going from DDR5-6000 memory at relaxed timings up to Vengeance RGB at DDR5-6600 XMP or its even more overclocked settings.

 

Far Cry 6

Far Cry 6
Far Cry 6

In Far Cry 6, overclocking gave us only 1FPS. Even going from DDR5-6000 up to DDR5-6600 isn’t changing much.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

In the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, results are very close, giving us up to 4FPS between the slowest and the fastest setting. The XMP profile performs great, but it clearly waits for more significant challenges.

All results in games or benchmarks based on games suggest that the DDR5 is already fast, regardless of the frequency. Another thought can be that the current memory controllers can’t use their full potential. I’m sure we will get an answer to that question soon when new chipsets reach the stores.

 

For those users who expect more performance than using XMP settings, there is always overclocking. Let’s take a look at our results.

 

Overclocking

Temperatures and Voltages

The Vengeance RGB is scaling well with the voltage, but our test platform is quite limited, so there is no need to set more than 1.50V. Some memory kits in previous reviews required higher voltages for the same settings and tested up to 1.55V. On the other hand, Vengeance RGB generates errors in tests at lower temperatures than the previously reviewed V-Color or ADATA memory kits. As long as we use additional cooling, the overclocking results will be better than on the mentioned competitive brands.

Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 - Typical temperature during work
Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 – Typical temperature during work

For daily overclocking, including games, I’m not recommending anything above 1.45V as the performance gain at tighter timings or higher frequency won’t be really visible. At the same time, memory may generate random errors, or we may require direct cooling or multiple push-pull fans in the PC to force good airflow. As long as we have a very good motherboard, 1.40V will be enough for even DDR5-7400 but at more relaxed timings.

For the performance comparison tests, I’ve used MSI Z690 Unify-X. However, this motherboard has some problems with memory above DDR5-6800, so I had to move to an additional setup based on ASUS Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi to try something more. ASUS motherboard also isn’t the best, but it works at DDR5-7000 without problems.

The below results were stable in various benchmarks but were not tested in long stability tests. If you wish to use these settings, you may need to adjust some timings or voltages to make it work without issues.

If you have a motherboard that can’t make more than DDR5-6400, then I recommend tight timings like all higher binned Hynix kits. Also, Vengeance RGB should work at CL28 or even CL26. For that, it will need higher voltages, but the performance can be close to that at DDR5-6800.

DDR5-6800 CL30-39-39-32 1.50V

CL30 could run up to DDR5-6800, and this setting was surprisingly easy to stabilize. If the motherboard has some problems with stability, then we can try CL32 or CL34, as the performance won’t be much worse.

On our test setup, DDR5-6800 CL28 couldn’t work up to 1.55V.

Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 - Overclocking DDR5-6800 CL30
Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 – Overclocking DDR5-6800 CL30

 

DDR5-7000 CL32-40-40-38 1.50V

Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 - Overclocking DDR5-7000 CL32
Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 – Overclocking DDR5-7000 CL32

One more time, the limit of our test rig was DDR5-7000. I will try to add better results once new motherboards are released as I’m sure the Vengeance RGB DDR5-6600 can make much more. I haven’t had much luck with motherboards so far, but I bet some of our readers can share even higher frequencies. Feel free to share your results on our forums.

Conclusion

Corsair Vengeance RGB is a well-designed memory series. The memory kit looks amazing, provides exceptional performance, and there were no problems during our tests. The XMP profile is fully compatible with higher ASUS and MSI Z690 motherboards. Also, RGB illumination works well with all the popular motherboard brands. Overall, we’re delighted with what Vengeance RGB has to offer. The tested memory kit is lightning fast, and 32GB of capacity will be plenty for most users for a long time. We can safely say that this RAM is a good investment.

The Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 memory kit is available for $382.99 directly in the Corsair store. Currently, it’s the highest Vengeance RGB memory kit from Corsair. Even though it’s not cheap, it’s a pretty reasonable price assuming that the competition doesn’t have anything cheaper or of higher quality. For most users, lower frequency memory kits will be more than enough and significantly more affordable. For enthusiasts or overclockers hunting for the best products available, the DDR5-6600 CL32 kit is a top pick.

Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6600 CL32 is so far the fastest DDR5 memory kit reviewed by Overclockers, so it’s clear it deserves our Approved Stamp!

Click the stamp for an explanation of what this means.

 

Bartosz Waluk – Woomack

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Today's review presents the latest and fastest DDR5 memory kit in Corsair's current product stack, Vengeance RGB DDR5-6600. We don't review Corsair's products often, and we're happy we have the chance to take a closer look at the top DDR5 kit from this manufacturer.

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