| Kingston KHX13000D3LLK2/2G PC3-13000 DDR3 1625MHz |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Memory | |
| Written by Olin Coles | |
| Sunday, 23 December 2007 | |
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Final ThoughtsKingston is one of the largest independent memory manufacturers in the world, but this industry edge doesnt give them any particular lead when it comes to producing new standards. With no historic data or testing to rely on, DDR3 is going to be a product closely watched among chip makers. The Kingston KHX13000D3LLK2/2G kit hits a buyer sweet-spot by offering excellent clock speed matched to conservative timings and value pricing. Since early adopters of DDR3 will either settle for entry level or go all-out for the fastest product available, having one of your first product offerings hit two targets certainly helps introduce your new modules to a broad market. Some of the faster kits we reviewed are not going to be something system builders and casual users should purchase for vanilla systems. But this Kingston KHX13000D3LLK2/2G 1625MHz DDR3 kit offers something for everyone, and delivers more than you bargain for. If you visit the Kingston Technology website you'll see system memory solutions for every market segment. The Kingston KHX13000D3LLK2/2G kit may be multi-purpose in scope, but with plenty of performance headroom for hardware enthusiasts and overclockers this kit can lend itself to any purpose.
KHX13000D3LLK2/2G ConclusionSince beginning this DDR3 series, the presentation rating has been replaced with a performance score. In our system memory reviews, we offer this score to represent the overclocking potential and memory timing capability of the product reviewed. The Kingston 1625MHz HyperX DDR3 RAM Kit successfully overclocked to a stable 1720MHz while maintaining CL7-7-7-20 timings and 1.9 volts. With a high-speed rating of 1625MHz, it surprised me to actually achieve a notable overclock. While the overclocking headroom was enough to give most enthusiasts and overclockers a smile, it's still not enough to compete against our top readings. Moving on to the appearance rating, I find myself a little dissatisfied by the lack of innovation. Kingston may have used an attractive design for their HyperX DDR3, but it's the same look that has been used since they introduced DDR to their lineup. Although the anodized aluminum look is nice, I think that If they had used a polished mirror-finish it would make the modules look better overall and separate this new product from the aging look of the product line.
With regard to product construction, Kingston's KHX13000D3LLK2/2G DDR3 kit offers a good level of durability thanks to the heatspreader covering both sides. The PCB is protected, and the IC chips are not going to come into direct contact with anything that could damage them. This DDR3 system memory kit could survive harsh abuse, but I still recommend you handle with care. Even at this early stage of DDR3's introduction, Kingston offers a product above and beyond the JEDEC expectations. At this particular point in time the HyperX PC3-13000 DDR3 RAM kit offers an opportunity to reach into the highest speeds currently possible. Add in the additional overclock for a total of 1720MHz, and this HyperX kit receives a high rating. High-Speed DDR3 is going to grow more popular with time, but for early adopters who don't want to wait another year this means that the 1625MHz guaranteed to perform at CL7-7-7-20 in the KHX13000D3LLK2/2G kit will give them the chance to significantly overclock their system. Because DDR3 is still very much a new standard to the industry, pricing has not been as discounted as you see with DDR2. I explained earlier how manufacturers have dropped DDR2 retail prices to match production costs, if only to help dodge the depreciation of a fabrication factory with a looming expiration date. This leaves DDR3 with a price slightly higher than cost, which appears expensive in comparison. At this early stage of introduction, Kingston's PC3-13000 CL7-7-7-20 KHX13000D3LLK2/2G DDR3 1625MHz 1.9V 2x1GB RAM Kit was found on PriceGrabber starting from $418.00. In conclusion, Kingston's KHX13000D3LLK2/2G PC3-13000 DDR3 1625MHz 2x1GB RAM Kit offers excellent performance for hardware enthusiasts while also remaining an attractive OEM solution for higher-end system builders. Resellers may find this an attractive kit to meet the needs of two separate consumer groups. The HyperX modules are good for pushing the rest of your system well beyond the manufacturer's intended specifications, however until enthusiast and overclockers can create a larger demand the price of such products will remain high. Pros:
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