Kingston Hyper-X PC2-8500
Kingston Technology was founded in 1987 and originally produced a single product. Today, they manufactuer over 2000 different memory products for all sorts of high-tech devices. Kingston has long been regarded one of best in the industry. Kingston’s Hyper-X series memory modules have been their enthusiast offering for several years now. I remember how fond I was of an old 2x256MB Hyper-X dual channel PC-3500 kit a few years back.
Kingston was kind enough to send us a 2GB Hyper-X PC2-8500 kit to include in our roundup.
Specifications (taken from the Kingston Hyper-X product page)
- Part Number: KHX8500D2K2/2G
- Capacity: 2GB kit (1GBx2)
- Type: DDR2 240-pin DIMM, Unbuffered, NON-ECC
- Rated Frequency: DDR2 PC2-8500 (1066MHz)
- Rated Timings: 5-5-5-15
- Rated vDIMM: 2.2V
- Approximate Retail Price: $79.99USD
Kingston’s memory products come packaged in a familiar packaging. Their memory has used this two piece container for many years. It holds the DIMMs securely and provides some protection. Kingston is known for not being overly flashy with their packaging. All of the pertinent specifications are printed on the small sticker.
I must admit, I love Kingston’s new DDR2 heatspreaders. They are some very good looking modules.
Kingston addressed any heatspreader gap by doubling up on the thermal pad on one side of the DIMM. Although this is not ideal, it is certainly better than having the heatspreader making poor contact with the ICs. During testing, the modules got nice and toasty without active cooling–the heatspreaders are definitely functional, although they could have been even more effective had the interior gap been smaller.
I had no issues getting the system up and running with the Hyper-X modules. I simply went into the BIOS, and manually set the voltage to 2.2V and set the 1:2 memory divider for 1066MHz. As CPU-Z shows, there are no ‘enhanced performance profiles’ set in the Hyper-X kit. Not a big concern, as most enthusiasts are not afraid of the BIOS. Those with EPP enabled motherboards will have to set the frequency manually. The modules will default to 800MHz (PC2-6400) at 1.8V to ensure compatibility at first boot.
Overclocking and Frequency Scaling
I put the Hyper-X PC2-8500 kit through its paces on our Intel 775 test rig outlined in the ‘Testing Methodology’ section.
WARNING: Increasing memory voltage beyond manufacturer specifications can be harmful to the modules and other system components. Although we subject modules to high levels of vDIMM for testing purposes, many of these results are not suitable for 24/7 use. Always consult with your memory manufacturer to see what a maximum ‘safe’ voltage is for 24/7 use. Increase memory voltage at your own risk!
At the default 5-5-5 timings, the Hyper-X kit was able to reach 1120MHz. A small boost to 2.3V did benefit the modules a bit, but anything beyond that did not help.
The Hyper-X kit painted a completely different picture at tighter 4-4-4 timings. I was pleased to see an impressive 1020MHz! Only 100MHz shy of what it acheived at 5-5-5 timings.
At very tight 3-3-3 timings, the Hyper-X kit managed 750MHz. It actually benefited from about 2.4V, however, it would not be wise to run these modules with that much vDIMM as a 24/7 solution.
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