Kingston is one of the major manufacturers when it comes to RAM, with its HyperX range being the product of choice for a large amount of system builders. HyperX RAM can be classed as an enthusiast product as it generally runs over 1333Mhz, however, it does not break the bank. The kit Kingston have sent me to review is the KHX1800C9D3K2/4G. This is a HyperX ‘Genesis DDR3’ kit comprised of 2x2GB modules which should cost you around the £60 mark. This is a competitively priced kit featuring high memory speeds and a heatsink.
Specifications
DDR3-1800Mhz
Non-ECC
Unbuffered DIMM
4GB 2x2GB
Latency timings: 9-9-9-27
1.7-1.9V
A closer look
Let’s get a little closer and have a look at these modules. They come packed in blister packaging with an information leaflet nestled underneath.
The RAM has a nice, dark-blue heatsink with a raised contoured HyperX logo. This coloration will compliment many motherboards colour schemes from manufacturers such as ASUS and GigaByte.
The Heatsink isn’t any taller than a standard RAM module and so shouldn’t be affected by large CPU coolers. However, some memory in the HyperX range such as the T1 line does have a taller heatsink. The heatsink did a great job of keeping the RAM cool even when overclocked to 2000Mhz. Overall, this is a very good-looking kit with practical dimensions with a colour scheme that will compliment many motherboards.
Performance
Now, to the key part of the review, how the memory actually performs.
As mentioned earlier, this RAM runs at a frequency of 1800Mhz. This is faster than most RAM, even system builders use 1600Mhz the majority of the time. This gives the HyperX an advantage over many competitors.
The rated speed can also aid when overclocking both the CPU and the RAM. For example, you can underclock the RAM and set it to a speed such as 1600Mhz which then gives you a lot of headroom for overclocking. This means you don’t have to drop your memory speeds to below standard when ramping up your processor. This then leads me to overclocking the RAM itself. It was a breeze to crank the HyperX up to 2000Mhz with only a slight adjustment and a little fiddling in the BIOS.
The HyperX has timings of 9-9-9-27 (CAS 9). These are not the tightest timings possible, however the latencies have differing importance depending on the tasks and activities being undertaken.
Value
The Kingston HyperX costs around £60 for the 2x2Gb set, this is slightly more expensive than offerings from competitors such as Corsair where you can get a 2x2Gb kit FOR £45.(however this runs at a slower 1600Mhz). This is not ludicrously over-priced, but you will have to decide for yourself whether it is worth paying the premium.
Benchmarks
Conclusion
In conclusion, this is a fantastic kit of RAM. It looks great, has excellent memory read speeds and is a great overclocker. The only downfall of this is the price in relation to similar alternatives. For these reasons I am awarding the Kingston Hyper X ‘Genesis’ my Silver Award. I can recommend this RAM for those searching for high performance memory.
Video Review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH_UcmjNDbU
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