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Product:
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Kingston Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit |
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Price:
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$412 (CAN) / $309 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Kingston Technology
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Author:
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Mantis
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Date:
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March 28th, 2003
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Rating:
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Benchmarks:
The Kingston Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit will be run through a series of benchmark applications to
record overall system performance All tests were run multiple times to derive a performance average. The
benchmark applications used in this test consist of the following:
- SiSoftware Sandra 2003 Pro (Memory Bandwidth Benchmark)
- AIDA32 (Memory Read & Write Benchmark)
- PCMark04 (System, CPU & Memory Benchmark)
- Super Pi (1M calculation)
- 3DMark 2001 SE
SiSoft Sandra 2003 Pro: SiSoftware Sandra 2003 Pro (System Analyzer, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant)
is an information and diagnostic utility which allows the user to retrieve information about the CPU,
Chipset, Video adapter, Ports, Printers, Sound Card, Memory, Network, Windows internals, AGP, ODBC
Connections, USB2, 1394/Firewire and more. I will be using the built in CPU Multimedia and Memory
Bandwidth benchmarking modules. More information on this application can be found
here.
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Overall memory bandwidth at 200 MHz topped out just under 3GB/s for both modules. At overclocked speeds, the test
results demonstrate the Kingston Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G achieving near same performance as the comparison despite the
CAS latency of 2.5 versus that of the Corsair XMS PC3500C2PT at CAS2. A maximum 3.3GB/s of theoretical memory
bandwidth was achieved at PC3700 levels.
PCMark04: PCMark04 is a widely used benchmark that consists of a series of tests relevant
to that of common tasks in home and office programs. PCMark04 tests the CPU, RAM and Hard Drive
and returns individual results for each. More information on this application can be found
here.
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The Kingston Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G manages to excel in practically the majority of the PCMark04 test suites
delivering a score of 2803 in the memory portion slowly trailing behind the comparison pulling in a score
of 2811. Once again we see that the increased latency of 2.5 doesn’t seem to keep the Kingston Hyper-X
KHX4000K2/1G from very achieving respectable results.
3D Mark 2001 SE: 3D Mark 2001 Second Edition is a DirectX 8 and higher based benchmark that runs
through a series of renderings and game sequences to test several aspects of the system including video
card and CPU stability and performance. A final score is then received upon completion in which can be
used to compare to an online database of thousands of results and system configurations. All default
settings were used. More information can be found here.
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The set of recorded scores throughout 3DMark 2001 SE testing were marginally separated, as the benchmark at these
speeds is severely bottlenecked by low end video card. A maximum of 6503 points was recorded while
using the Kingston Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G modules operating at 233 MHz.
Super Pi: Super Pi is a program that computes Pi to a set amount of decimal places and returns
a time result. Similar to the other benchmarking software used, users compare their result as a basis
for a performance indicator. I will be using the 1M option, which calculates Pi to 1 million decimal
places.
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Super Pi is a very processor/memory frequency dependant small benchmark. Unable to break my previous record
of 46 seconds due to running the processor at a mere 2 GHz, a total calculation time of 50 seconds was
recorded. The majority of scores demonstrate little fluctuation due to sustaining a 2 GHz CPU speed
throughout testing.
AIDA32: AIDA32 is a professional system information, diagnostics and benchmarking program. This
application has the capability to extract details of all components inside a PC. The application includes a
built-in hardware database which has detailed information on 27000 components well as a full hardware & software
report that spans over 85 pages.
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Similar to SiSoftware Sandra 2003, AIDA32 is a synthetic benchmark used to test various aspects of
performance on a variety of machines. The Read scores demonstrate maximum read times in the 3.3GB/s
bracket while operating at 233MHz and just below the 3GB/s at 400MHz for either memory configuration. Memory
write results were steady in the 1.3GB/s area which do not fluctuate as greatly.
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Conclusion:
The Kingston Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit represents a high quality memory solution for those wanting to run
synchronous speeds up to and possibly above 250MHz DDR. The quality of each module is excellent and carries a Kingston
Technology Lifetime warranty, which will appeal to many consumers. The 1GB capacity will cater to a wide range of users
for various memory intensive applications and leading edge games. As with any high performance memory module, the
effectiveness of the aluminum heat spreaders is questionable yet the royal blue design and color of the Kingston
Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit does manage to provide a great level of aesthetics. Overall performance and stability
was excellent even at tighter than recommended timings at PC3700 speeds on an nForce 2 Ultra 400 platform, the Kingston
Hyper-X KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit managed to produce close results to competitor modules operating at CAS2. Consumers
should note results will vary amongst system configurations. Being unable to test on an Intel i865/i875 prevents me from
commenting on the ability to run the modules past the rated speed of 250MHz. The price point of the Kingston Hyper-X
KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit will appeal to many ringing in at the currently most affordable quality Dual Channel PC4000
1GB memory kit available at the time of writing. Aside from a few minor issues, , I’m rating the Kingston Hyper-X
KHX4000K2/1G DDR Memory Kit a 9 out of 10. If you have any
questions regarding this review be sure to visit the Kingston Technology
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Price
- Performance
- Ability to run tighter timings at lower frequencies
- Quality
- Lifetime Warranty
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Cons:
- No native design for nForce 2 Ultra 400
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