Kingston HyperX DDR3 3GB 2GHz Triple-Channel Memory Kit Review

The World’s Fastest DDR3 Triple Channel Kit

Now that the Intel Core i7 family of processors is available for purchase it is time to start taking a look at various memory kits that have been designed just for the Intel Core i7 platform. One of the very first triple channel DDR3 memory kits that we got in to use on the Core i7 was the Kingston HyperX DDR3 2GHz triple channel memory kit. This memory kit contains three 1GB modules that are Intel XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) ready and they meet the Core i7 platform recommendation of having the memory voltage being no higher than 1.65 Volts. That makes this kit interesting as Kingston was the first to market with a 2GHz triple-channel memory kit that were not at a crazy high voltage setting. Since the memory controller is now located on the processor, memory voltage plays a key role and Intel has said that 1.65V is the safe limit for their processor. Since the Intel Core i7 platform is so new it’s risky to run much more than 1.65V as you might decrease the lifespan of the processor or worse yet, kill it.

The Kingston KHX16000D3K3/3GX memory kit that we will be looking at today is already pushing the limits of the Intel Core i7 platform and that is exactly what HyperX memory kits are designed to do. With a clock frequency of 2000MHz and manufacturer rated timings of 9-9-9-27 at 1.65v this kit might just be enough to tame many Core i7 users as you’ll have to overclock the system to reach the settings for this kit. Our test kit came in the box pictured above, but Kingston made it clear that our kit came in to us before the final packaging was made. The retail kits will come in clear clamshell packaging, which will obviously cost less to produce and ship.

Inside the box were three memory modules that were placed inside a large static bag that had compartments for each module. I remember opening my first dual-channel DDR memory kit and how cool it was; I got that same feeling again opening this triple-channel memory kit for the very first time.

With the HyperX modules removed from the static bag we get a chance to see the Kingston HyperX modules up close and personal for the very first time. The Kingston KHX16000D3K3/3GX memory kit comes clad in blue aluminum heat spreaders that have been designed to help dissipate heat away from the memory chips.