Last week, we received in the lab a copy of the Corsair Vengeance RGB memory kit clocked at 7000 MT/s with timings of 40-52-52-114 for a voltage of 1.40 volt. The particularity of this kit is to have two memory bars with a capacity of 24 GB each and not 16 GB as we are used to. We will therefore be on Micron memory chips of 3 GB and not 2 GB. It seems that these new capacities are more optimized for modern processors with 16 or 24 cores. The Corsair kit is part of the “Vengeance RGB” series and is priced at 309.99 euros on the brand’s website.
So why a title that draws you to caution? Well this weekend we installed this kit on our test platform, that is an Intel i9-12900K processor and a ROG Z690 APEX motherboard. Of course we updated our motherboard with the latest BIOS and our operating system. But even if the XMP profile is perfectly recognized within the BIOS, we are systematically confronted with blue screens when loading Windows. A beta BIOS is also circulating but the observation was identical. After having questioned Asus, the answer is simple, this 2 x 24 GB kit is not made (yet) to work on the Z690 chipset of Asus.
And on our ROG Z790 APEX?
We decided to test it on our ROG Z790 APEX motherboard associated with an Intel i9-13900KS. Here again, we opted for the latest BIOS, the 0904, which specifies the compatibility with 24 or 48 GB memory sticks since revision 0812.
Once the BIOS is updated, we install the Corsair Vengeance RGB kit clocked at 7000 MT/s which is perfectly recognized. It remains to be seen if our operating system will load and if we will not be entitled to blue screens.
Finally, no problem with this Z790 chipset and the latest BIOS proposed by Asus. We were able to perform some benchmarks and our configuration is perfectly stable.
Check before you buy!
If you are interested in a kit with 24 or 48 GB memory sticks, check before buying that your motherboard has a BIOS that supports them, otherwise you might not be able to use them. We are waiting for an “official” answer from Asus to know if they plan to offer a compatible BIOS for the Z690 chipset in the coming weeks. Logically, if you have a motherboard built around the Z790 chipset, you should not have any problem since most manufacturers offer compatible BIOS like MSI and AORUS.
Of course, this is not only true for Corsair kits but for all brands that offer 2 x 24 GB memory kits! Thanks to Corsair for this sample and see you soon for the complete test!
