Kingston Hyper X – 8GB Kit (2x4GB) – DDR3 2800MHz CL12 DIMM
Overview
Hardware: MemoryWHAT WE LIKED:
Top performance, excellent frequencies and timings, great warranty.WHAT WE DISLIKED:
Fine tuning needed for rated speed, tall heat spreaders.
Introduction
Manufacturers always like to boast performance and love the “King of the Hill” title. In the computer hardware business, achieving the performance king can be a daunting task. Technology always nips at your tail and when you think you have the bomb, there is always someone looking over your shoulder especially in the memory sector which is a very competitive industry. Recently, we have seen a major boost in frequency speeds in memory modules thanks to the release of Ivy Bridge. It brings a re-worked Internal Memory Controller (IMC) to the table that takes memory frequency, bandwidth and performance to a higher level.
Last month, G.Skill introduced their 2400MHz Triton series memory kits that broke the 2500MHz barrier in our testing. If you think for one moment that Kingston is going to let G.Skill get away with holding the hype crown, think again. Today we’re looking at a set of Kingston Hyper X – 8GB Kit (2x4GB) – DDR3 2800MHz CL10. Yes, you read it correctly, 2800MHz. We are stoked about getting these modules on a Z77 motherboard so let’s rush the Kingston 2800MHz sticks to the lab and see if these modules can unleash fury on the competition.
“Founded in 1987 with a single product offering, Kingston Technology now offers more than 2,000 memory products that support nearly every device that uses memory, from computers, servers and printers to MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones. In 2007, the company’s sales exceeded $4.5 billion. With global headquarters in Fountain Valley, California, Kingston employs more than 4,500 people worldwide. Regarded as one of the Best Companies to Work for in America by Fortune magazine, Kingston’s tenets of respect, loyalty, flexibility and integrity create an exemplary corporate culture. Kingston believes that investing in its people is essential, and each employee is a vital part of Kingston’s success.”
Specifications
Kingston’s KHX2800C12D3T1K2/4GX is a kit of two 256M x 64-bit 2GB (2048MB) DDR2-1066 CL5 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) memory modules, based on sixteen 128M x 8-bit DDR2 FBGA components per module. Total kit capacity is 4GB (4096MB). Each module pair has been tested to run at DDR2-1066MHz at a latency timing of 5-5-5-15 at 2.2V – 2.3V. The SPD is programmed to JEDEC standard latency 800Mhz timing of 5-5-5-18 at 1.8V. Each 240-pin DIMM uses gold contact fingers and requires +1.8V. The electrical and mechanical specifications are as follows:
| Manufacturer | Kingston HyperX KHX2800C12D3T1K2/4GX |
| Type | DDR3 |
| Capacity | 4 Gbyte (2 x 2 Gbyte) |
| Frequency | Kingston HyperX 2800 MHz |
| Timings | 12-14-14-32-2T |
| VDIMM | 1.65 Volt |
| Registred/Unbuffered | Unbuffered |
| ECC | No |
| Cooling | Passive Heatspreader |
| Waranty | Limited lifetime warranty |
The packaging continues Kingston’s branding with the Hyper X series. The transparent package easily breaks for easy removal and storage. We also see the label with model and bar coding.
Let’s take a closer look.
These tall heat spreaders kill me…I have a pair of OCZ reapers with the double arm heat spreaders and bc of my dual fan cpu heatsink, I had to move my DIMM’s to slot 3 and 4 from 1 and 2…I honestly think since that move I’ve had a slight drop in performance. So, unless you have the right amount of clearance, stay away.
Running in slots 3 and 4 will give less performance becuase you are now in single channel, Slots 1 and 3 or 2 and 4 runs in dual channel. Obviously Listless needs a little more information and do not stay away from these modules if Kingston produces them. They are off the chart frequencies however, if you have a large heatsink, you need to insure slot 2 is not covered. It is a problem with every platform and not the Kingston hyper X’s doing.