2GB Kingston ultra low-latency 1375MHz CL5 DDR3 Memory Review

Kingston Finds DDR3 Memory Can Run Tight Timings

The DDR3 memory market is very small as just the Intel P35 Express chipset has a memory controller that supports DDR3 memory modules, but that doesn’t mean memory companies have been ignoring this niche market. With several motherboards now supporting DDR3 memory kits and many more on the way later this year when Intel releases the X38 Express chipset more and more gamers are starting to look at DDR3 memory kits to see if it is right for their upgrade path. When DDR3 memory kits first started came out a number of months ago 1333MHz memory kits seemed to be the standard for gaming systems. Leading memory companies Corsair, Kingston, OCZ and Super Talent all released PC3-10666 (1333MHz) kits, but the timings ranged from CL7 to CL9. As the weeks went by it seems Corsair, OCZ and Super Talent went to improve clock frequency, while Kingston aimed at tighter timings on their current speed grade. In its second foray into the DDR3 overclocking market, Kingston’s ultra low-latency 1375MHz, CL5 product is the first production DDR3 module to achieve CL5 timings at PC11000 frequencies (1375MHz).

Before we get into the details of this new ultra low-latency memory kit, be sure to read our previous DDR3 memory articles to make sure you know what the changes in DDR3 are and how it performs compared to DDR2.

• Getting To Know DDR3 Memory Modules
• Intel P35 Express Chipset: DDR2 Versus DDR3 Memory
• Corsair Has Working 2000MHz DDR3 Memory Modules
• Corsair, Kingston, OCZ & Super Talent 1333MHz DDR3 Roundup

The DDR3 memory kit we will be looking at today from Kingston is the 2GB ultra low-latency PC3 1375MHz DDR3 HyperX memory kit. Last month, LR reviewed at the Kingston HyperX low-latency CL7 DDR3 memory kit and found that it was the fastest of the four brands in the article. This kit should be even better as it is identical to that part other than the fact it has gone through tighter screening and testing to make sure it can run aggressive 5-7-5-15 memory timings. These ultra low-latency timings should improve system performance over the low-latency kit with its 7-7-7-20 timings.

The ultra low latency HyperX DDR3 memory kit is available in 1GB modules and 2GB memory kits, but gamers and enthusiasts will be more interested in the 2GB kit than anything else as 2GB of memory is a must for gaming on Windows Vista operating systems. For Kingston to be able to offer 5-7-5-15 timings at 1375MHz they did have to increase the voltage up to 1.8V from the previous kit that needed just 1.7V to get 7-7-7-20 timings. It should be noted that on our test kit that the label was marked with the voltage at 1.75V and the kit was perfectly stable. Kingston informed Legit Reviews that in order to increase the production yields that they bumped up the voltage to 1.8V. The first batch of modules had the original voltage value printed on them, so our review kit is from the first batch of modules.

It should be noted that the SPDs on these modules are programmed to JEDEC standard latency DDR3-1333Mhz timings of 8-8-8 at 1.5V, so one has to manually set the timings to 5-7-5-15 at 1.8V in the BIOS to properly install and operate this kit.

Key Features:

• Memory amount: 2 x 1024MB
• 240-pin Unbuffered DIMM
• IC Brand: Elpida (sixteen 64M x 8-bit ICs)
• 1375MHz (PC3-11000) Unbuffered non-ECC DDR3 Modules
• CAS latency: 5 clock cycles
• RAS precharge: 5 cycles
• RAS active to precharge: 15 cycles
• Blue heat sinks for thermal diffusion
• Latency: 5-7-5-15 2T
• Power Required�1.80V
• Lifetime Warranty

Now that we know what memory kit we are looking at today and the main features, lets take a look at stability testing.