Kingston HyperX Predator – 8GB Kit (2x4GB) – DDR3 2666MHz CL11 DIMM
Memory’s importance has taken on a new meaning with both SandyBridge and IvyBridge. The re-worked IMC (Internal Memory Controller) on the newer Ivy plus motherboards pampers your hardware with more bandwidth bringing overall performance to a different level. I have seen a slew of memory lately from multiple manufacturers with frequencies hitting all time highs of 2400MHz and more.
The competition in the memory sector also remains at an all time high. Name brands such as Kingston, G.Skill, Crucial, and Corsair are still the major players. Of these brands, Pure Overclock has always turned to Kingston memory in situations where compatability is an issue with a new motherboard product.
You cannot go wrong when inserting Kingston’s HyperX modules into a new board with a fresh BIOS. Their reliable HyperX branding has been a mainstay in the industry for sometime now.
Today, Kingston has a change of pace for you memory junkies. Their newest HyperX Predator series has a re-designed heat spreader plus a 2666MHz frequency rating, which should pack a serious punch for those looking to add some serious bandwidth to their SandyBridge and IvyBridge systems. Let’s get the new Kingston HyperX 2666MHz Predator modules to the lab and see what kind of “horsepower” they add.
Close Up
Starting off with Kingston’s packaging, I have a sneak look at the modules. Their package does not change and still uses the much-appreciated front re-sealable tranparent cover. The modules can be inserted back into the plastic for storage and/or transportation. Kingston seals the kit with a red tape and the Kingston HyperX logo predominently displayed.
Also, they include a sticker with the part number and module specifications. Simple and sweet.Here are the HyperX Predators out of the box. They look great! Kingston makes some HyperX models with low profile heat spreaders, but here with the Predators, they use tall ones. The tooth design has changed on the heat spreaders. Kingston now uses a large X that spans the entire module for the branding.
Looking at one individual stick, I see the green PCB and the full monte. I have seen black PCB used recently by other manufacturers but when the modules are installed, the color of the PCB is moot anyhow. Up close I see Kingstons tradition of fine machining. And here is the module label. Make sure you do not remove it or your warranty is voided.
3DMark 11 is the latest version of the world’s most popular graphics benchmark. Designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance, 3DMark 11 makes extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading. In 3Dmark 11, I do not see a major jump in total performance when increasing frequencies. Heaven Benchmark is a DirectX 11 GPU benchmark based on advanced UNIGINE™ engine.
It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. Interactive mode provides emerging experience of exploring the intricate world of steampunk. The same holds true with Unigine Heaven. Gaming sees no practical advantage to overclocking your ram.
Memory has taken a giant leap in frequencies in the last year. Intel has upped the ante with IvyBridge’s reworked IMC (Internal Memory Controller) and I have seen a few companies produce memory modules with some off the chart frequencies and performance. Kingston happens to be one of them, and I saw a glimpse of things last month with their 2800MHz HyperX I tested. Well Kingston has engineered a new series called the Predators, and as I saw today, they default out of the box to 2666MHz.
Regardless, the bottom line on the Predators is that they are simply outstanding performers. A price of $188 for 8G may seem a bit steep, but top shelf products always have a premium price. If you’re looking for the best in memory, the Kingston 2666MHz Predator 8G kit should be on your short list, earning Pure Overclock’s Editor’s Choice Award.
Benchmarking: Aida 64, MaxMemm2
When testing memory, I am more interested with read/write/copy speeds but also we threw in a small handful of benchmarks to measure the performance at various frequencies. Let’s rock and roll.
Finalwire Aida64
Finalwire AIDA64 is a system diagnostics and benchmarking utility that provides system and overclock information, advanced hardware monitoring and diagnostics capabilities, and includes tests for the memory subsystem. Here the utility runs the benchmark and records the Read and Write bandwidths, as well as the Latency.
With Aida 64, the read write copy speeds are good at 1600MHz but really rock at 2400MHz. These are top notch speeds to say the least. I used X.M.P profile with 2666MHz and the setting was 2T with a slight reduction in scores.
Latencies are off the charts with these Predator modules at 2666MHz. 30.9ns is the lowest latency score to date of all memory I have tested.
MaxMemm2
MaxxMEM Preview is another memory benchmark which measures memory performance in areas such as, Copy, Read/Write speeds and Latency.
MaxMemm2 gives the same thump as Aida 64 with some incredibe read/write/copy speeds for these modules!
MaxMemm2 shows different latencies from Aida64. Remember, these are different programs too. The scores using MaxMemm2 are awesome.
Summary
Memory has taken a giant leap in frequencies in the last year. Intel has upped the ante with IvyBridge’s reworked IMC (Internal Memory Controller) and I have seen a few companies produce memory modules with some off the chart frequencies and performance. Kingston happens to be one of them, and I saw a glimpse of things last month with their 2800MHz HyperX I tested. Well Kingston has engineered a new series called the Predators, and as I saw today, they default out of the box to 2666MHz.
These Predator memory modules definitely live up to their name in performance. Our testing in read/write/copy and lantencies were the highest I have seen to date in all of our benchies and they overclock to 2772MHz which is some serious horsepower! There is nothing negative to say about these Predators, they are a superior product.
The only pebble I can kick is the blue coloring. Blue seems to be on the way out in the fashion world of PC hardware. Gigabyte, ASRock, Biostar and ESC all have some version of black in their high end products. Also, the Asus Republic of Gamer motherboards use black and red, as does ASRock’s Fatal1ty series.
The only Z77 product using blue is Sapphire, MSI and Asus’ P8 series. I could see Sapphire and MSI bucking their blue aesthetics and moving to the black mono look to keep up with the industry. I don’t want to look like some picky interior designer, but many enthusiasts now model their hardware around their motherboard. I would hate to see the Predators lose out because of aesthetics, especially considering they are one of the best. I would love to see them available in both blue and red in the near future.
Regardless, the bottom line on the Predators is that they are simply outstanding performers. A price of $188 for 8G may seem a bit steep, but top shelf products always have a premium price. If you’re looking for the best in memory, the Kingston 2666MHz Predator 8G kit should be on your short list, earning Pure Overclock’s Editor’s Choice Award.
