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Product:
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Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency Memory Kit |
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Price:
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$475 (CAN) / $356 (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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August 9th, 2004
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Rating:
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Benchmarks:
The Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency 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)
- PCMark04 (System, CPU & Memory Benchmark)
- 3DMark 2001 SE
- Super Pi (1M calculation)
- AIDA32 (Memory Read & Write Benchmark)
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 peaked at just over 3GB/s at stock speeds of 200MHz. We can see the slight performance
gain from the Low Latency modules when compared to the competition running with a CAS of 2.5. Scaling
our speeds to 233MHz allows for a final result of 3.4GB/s of memory bandwidth available from the Kingston
Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency modules.
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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Using the Memory Bandwidth benchmark, the Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency Memory modules
achieve respectable results yet trail slightly behind that of the similar Corsair TWINX 1024 3200XL PRO
modules. A 436 point increase from stock speeds allows for a maximum result of 2845 to be achieved at
an operating frequency of 233MHz. The CPU benchmark scores topped out at just under 3400 points while
still maintaining the intense timings.
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 3D Mark 2001 SE testing were marginally separated, as the benchmark
at these speeds is severely bottlenecked by the MSI GF4 MX440. At an operating speed of 233MHz, a final
score of 4265 3D Mark points was achieved.
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 2GHz, a total calculation time of 49 seconds was
recorded. The majority of scores demonstrate little fluctuation due to sustaining a 2GHz 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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AIDA32 is a synthetic benchmarking application that can be used to test a variety of performance aspects
of any machine. Using the Memory Benchmark, a final read score of 3509 is achieved at 233MHz and just
above 3GB/s while operating at 200MHz. The memory write scores also are subject to a welcome increase
delivering a final result of 1.1GB/s at 200MHz and scaling to 1.37GB/s when overclocked to 233MHz.
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Conclusion:
The Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency Memory Kit represents a high performance memory
solution paired with the currently fastest timings available for those seeking low latency operation at
high frequencies. With a capacity of 1GB, the Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency Memory
Kit will cater to a variety of demanding software and leading edge gaming titles released. The anodized
royal blue aluminum heatspreaders do not necessarily improve performance yet allow for a nice touch of
aesthetics along with strong sense of quality and protection against damage. As stated, the Kingston Hyper-X
KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency Memory Kit incorporates impressive timings of 2-2-2-5 squeezing the
most theoretical memory bandwidth out of a given configuration. The overall performance and stability of
the modules was excellent allowing for me to easily scale to PC3700 speeds of 233MHz with a small voltage
increase with potential for even greater scalability. Users will appreciate the readily available low
latency timings eliminating the quest for the ideal modules that are capable of the high frequency low
latency operation. With a price point of roughly $474 CDN, the Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low
Latency Memory Kit falls into regular pricing of similar competitor offerings. I didn’t encounter any
overly negative aspects during the evaluation period. As a final note, users should be aware that the
modules to require a minimum of 2.7V for operation. Overall, I was impressed with the quality and performance
of the Kingston Hyper-X KHX3200ULK2/1G Ultra Low Latency Memory Kit and award a final score of
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:
- Ultra Low Latency 2-2-2-5
- Performance
- Quality
- Lifetime Warranty
- Overclocking friendly
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Cons:
- Higher stock voltage requirement (personal preference)
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