Corsair Vengence DDR5: Great performance on a budget

Corsair Vengence DDR5: Two-minute review

While the Corsair Vengence DDR5 RAM kits might not look like much, they pack a powerful punch at an outstanding price that can't be ignored, especially for those looking for cheaper components for a budget-to-midrange LGA 1700 build.

It can almost go toe-to-toe with some of the best RAM out there, like the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5, while cost-conscious features like low-priced kits, single-stick options, and newer, non-binary RAM modules like 24GB and 48GB make this a perfect workhorse DDR5 RAM no matter what build you've got planned.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

In terms of design, the Vengence DDR5 module cuts a fairly low profile inside the case. Without any RGB lighting to draw attention, the lower height of the module compared to other brands or models makes it easy to miss, but it does come with a aluminum housing to protect the actual memory components inside, something more budget-oriented RAM kits leave exposed.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

A Note on Testing

Some motherboards aren't compatible with some modules under dual-channel configurations, while others will limit the speed of the DDR5 RAM when run in pairs, so needless to say it's hard to give quantifiable data to demonstrate the Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5's performance in a way that makes it comparable across different systems. 

For this reason, we only benchmark a single DDR5 module to get comparable performance figures. This does mean that adding a second module will offer substantially better performance in real-world usage. We also only compare modules to other modules running at the same speed and memory profile (XMP/EXPO).

In terms of performance, the Corsair Vengence DDR5 has some seriously competitive numbers against other DDR5 RAM which is significantly more expensive. Starting at $54.99 / £54.99 (about AU$85) for a single 16GB module, this is arguably the best DDR5 RAM on the market by value.

Now you could pay a bit more and get Vengence RGB DDR modules as well, but those only come in kits of two or four, so you can't get a single module. So if cost savings is your biggest consideration, then the Vengence DDR5 non-RGB kits are the way to go.

It's also worth pointing out again that you can get the new non-binary RAM module kits (modules of 24GB and 48GB) in the Vengence DDR5 kits as well, something that can't be said of the Dominator Platinum, or the Kingston Fury Beast lines. If you want a non-traditional setup with oodles of memory (up to 192GB with four 48GB DDR5 modules!), then the Corsair Vengence DDR5 is very hard to beat, whether it's performance, price, or capacity options. Who needs RGB anyway?

Corsair Vengence DDR5: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

• How much does it cost? Starting at $54.99 / £54.99 (about AU$85) for single 16GB DDR5 modules, $109.99 / £104.99 / about AU$165 as reviewed.
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

The MSRP for the Corsair Vengence DDR5 32GB (2 x 16GB) kit I'm testing is $109.99 / £104.99 / about AU$165, though you can get single modules of 16GB starting at just $54.99 / £54.99 (about AU$85).

Meanwhile, more expensive kits like the Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB DDR5 or the Kingston Fury Beast DDR5, both of which are 36% and 45% more expensive, respectively, perform on par or only slightly better than the Vengence kit, and in the case of the Kingston Fury Beast DDR5 kit we tested, you don't even get any RGB to go with it, so it's not nearly as good a value as the Vengence kits.

Corsair Vengence DDR5: Specs

Should you buy Corsair Vengence DDR5 RAM?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Buy it if...

You're on a tighter budget
With single stick options and a low-priced 32GB kit to start, this is one of the best RAM kits you can get on a budget.

You want fantastic performance
Compared to the competition, the Vengence DDR5 holds its own very well, if not outperforming more expensive RAM.

Don't buy it if...

You want to show it off
If you're looking to do a flashy build, this RAM is going to disappear amid all the RGB your other components might be running.

You want a super-budget RAM option
While cheap, you can't get less than 16GB and the performance and design make it somewhat more expensive than the best cheap RAM out there.

Corsair Vengence DDR5: Also consider

If my Corsair Vengence DDR5 review has you considering different RAM kits, here are two that might better suit your needs.

How I tested Corsair Vengence DDR5 RAM

• I spent about two weeks testing a Corsair Vengence DDR5 32GB kit
• In addition to general computing, gaming and creative use, I used professional third-party benchmark tools as well
• In addition to general testing, I measured performance with PassMark and AIDA64, specifically

I used the Corsair Vengence DDR5 kit as my main gaming and content creation RAM for several days in my home PC.

In addition to gaming, I edited photos, videos, and other illustrations in Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, and Illustrator. I also tested the RAM out using Lumion 12.5 to test its creative chops on CAD-like software. 

In addition to years of computer science education and training, I have been a hardware reviewer for a number of years now, so I know how memory is supposed to perform at this level.

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

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First reviewed May 2023