Kingston 2GB 800MHz HyperX FB-DIMM Memory Kit Review

Benchmarking and Conclusion

When it comes to benchmarking, we ran a few benchmarks to see how the memory kits performs in both dual-channel and quad-channel configurations.

The image above shows the Everest Benchmark test results that were a result of the memory in quad channel mode as shown above. Just how much does quad channel improve performance over dual channel?

Overall we found a 12.2% performance improvement by running in quad-channel versus dual-channel. The largest performance increase was during heavy write tasks, so Everest Read and Sony Vegas 8.0B had the biggest performance increases. Everest Ultimate 4.50 showed an 82.9% improvement in the read test when we took the average of three runs with each configuration. Overall the performance improvement was 12.2%.

Final Thoughts and Conclusions:

The Kingston 800MHz HyperX FB-DIMMs are hands down the most innovative cooling design that we have seen Kingston bring to market. The design is flawless and the modules run cooler than any other FB-DIMMs that we have seen. For those that want even better cooling, simply place a fan on the modules like we did and you’ll notice another massive temperature reduction. When it comes to building a high-end enthusiast platform using the Intel Skulltrail motherboard having the right memory modules is critical and Kingston should be the top brand on the short shopping list.

If the cooling improvement alone hasn’t sold you, then maybe the performance has. The 800MHz HyperX FB-DIMMs come out of the box ready to run at 800MHz with 5-5-5-18 timings at 1.8V. For those that want to improve performance, Kingston has tested the modules and are sure thay the timings can be tightned to 4-4-4-12 with a voltage increase to 2.0V. We went a step farther and found that the modules could run just fine at 3-4-3-12 timings at 2.0V with full stability. By running 3-4-3-12 timings performance will improve by another percent or so, which isn’t much, but remember it is a free performance gain.

Our testing of dual channel versus quad channel memory test showed that the FB-DIMMs operate better with quad channel. If you are going to be building a Skulltrail system be sure to run four memory kits to get the most out of the platform. The only negative to running four FB-DIMMs is power consumption. Our testing showed each FB-DIMM modules consumes between 10-15W, so running quad channel memory will increase the overall system power consumption by ~30W.

Kingston did a great job with the 800MHz HyperX FB-DIMMs with the only downside being the fact they only offer them in the 2GB kit with part number KHX6400F2LLK2/2G. That means that each module is only 1GB, so the most memory you can run on the Intel D5400XS workstation motherboard is 4GB. This is fine for many users, but for a platform as robust as Skulltrail many will want to run 8GB. Remember this is a dual socket motherboard that supports eight cores, so 4GB isn’t that much for a platform like this. Kingston does have 2GB modules, they just aren’t in the HyperX series. The2GB Kingston 800MHz HyperX FB-DIMMs that we tested here today currently run $134.99 shipped per pair and are backed by a lifetime warranty. This is about 20% more than a standard 2GB kit, but remember you are getting better cooling and tighter timings.

Legit Bottom Line: Kingston’s new 800MHz HyperX FB-DIMMs are the cooolest running FB-DIMMs we have ever seen and offer super tight timings that can go all the way down to 3-4-3 with a voltage boost.