Tweaking the Tech: Kingston HyperX Predator DDR3 8GB 2400 MHz Review

Even today, most motherboards are designed with DDR3 memory in mind, showing off its adaptation as the coveted industry standard. Within this class you can find many different economical and performance memory chipsets (RAM). Today we take a look at one such RAM module by Kingston called “Kingston HyperX Predator” which runs at overclocked speeds and features some high numbers in its performance. A while back we reviewed an SSD from Kingston’s HyperX line, a drive we were pretty happy with.

Kingston’s HyperX Predator

Kingston’s HyperX line of performance desktop memory was first launched in 2002. Since then many other brands like G.Skill and Corsair’s iterations of overclocked memory have taken over the market. The closest competition HyperX faces is from Corsair Vengeance Pro Series and G.Skill Ddr3 Cl10 Trident.

RAM kits are best planned around the motherboard’s specifications to derive the best performance out of your system. The 2400 MHz frequency of the HyperX (you can down clock it also runs at 2133Mhz for better compatibility) will make sure that your memory won’t be a limiting factor in your build.

Specifications

Advanced Specifications

The official description of the Predator on Kingston’s website is as follows:

HyperX KHX24C11T2K2/8X is a kit of two 512M x 64-bit (4GB) DDR3-2400 CL11 SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM), 1Rx8 memory modules, based on eight 512M x 8-bit FBGA components per module. Each module kit supports Intel® XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles).  Total kit capacity is 8GB. Each module kit has been tested to run at DDR3-2400 at a low latency timing of 11-13-13 at 1.65V. The SPDs are programmed to JEDEC standard latency DDR3-1333 timing of 9-9-9 at 1.5V. Each 240- pin DIMM uses gold contact fingers.

The  JEDEC standard electrical and mechanical specifications are as follows:

• JEDEC standard 1.5V (1.425V ~ 1.575V) Power Supply
• VDDQ = 1.5V (1.425V ~ 1.575V)
• 667MHz fCK for 1333Mb/sec/pin
• 8 independent internal bank
• Programmable CAS Latency: 9, 8, 7, 6
• Posted CAS
• Programmable Additive Latency: 0, CL – 2, or CL – 1 clock
• Programmable CAS Write Latency(CWL) = 7 (DDR3-1333)
• 8-bit pre-fetch
• Burst Length: 8 (Interleave without any limit, sequential with starting address “000” only), 4 with tCCD = 4 which does not allow seamless read or write [either on the fly using A12 or MRS]
• Bi-directional Differential Data Strobe
• Internal(self) calibration : Internal self calibration through ZQ pin (RZQ : 240 ohm ± 1%)
• On Die Termination using ODT pin
• Average Refresh Period 7.8us at lower than TCASE 85°C, 3.9us at 85°C < TCASE < 95°C
• Asynchronous Reset
• PCB : Height 1.827” (46.41mm) w/ heatsink, single sided component

Support for Intel XMP

Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) technology provides profile-based overclocking to easily overclock your system by selecting the predefined profile in the BIOS, or manually adjust frequency and timings to extract maximum performance from your system.

The JDEC and XMP profile information:

• JEDEC: DDR3-1333 CL9-9-9 @1.5V
• XMP Profile #1: D3-2400 CL11-13-13 @1.65V
• XMP Profile #2: D3-2133 CL11-12-12 @1.65V

Overclocking and warranty

Overclocking used to be a risk/reward scenario with enthusiasts often pushing components past their recommended limits to gain free performance boost coupled with sufficient cooling. Now overclocking has been accepted as a common industry practice now with manufacturers releasing special unlocked editions and factory overclocked hardware. The difference between an “at home” overclocked part and a factory provided one is the warranty that the manufacturer is willing to cover. They guarantee performance within safe voltage levels and components will not only run faster but do so reliably. So is it worth the added cost? It comes down to the individual. Kingston’s HyperX Predator is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.

[pullquote]Kingston’s HyperX Predator is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.[/pullquote]

Build and Design

High end memory tend to face heat up issues, the memory does have a rather large heat conductor on top of it but it would be best utilized with a setup that has a lot of airflow to stay cool. Kingston have tacked that issue with this chip. The heatsink is built of blue coloured anodized aluminium, two pieces wrapped into one by the interlocking fins at the top. The blue colour of the memory is standard for Kingston’s colour schemes but do lack a bit of aggressive styling for those custom built cases.This heatsink alone doubles the height of the memory. A black-coloured metal “X” on each side is added for style and branding. The use of such a large heatsink means that the memory is 54 mm tall. This may lead to issue with some tall coolers, naturally making this memory non-ideal for smaller setups. Although, owing to the huge size of the chips this one may not face many issues since there is a lot of surface area to dissipate heat.

[pullquote]Because of the huge size of the chips you will not face heating issues since there is a lot of surface area to dissipate heat.[/pullquote]

Kingston’s use of a unified packing system makes a great first impression to ensure that the product comes from a quality outlet. A bright red sticker across covers up most of the display of the transparent cover. There is a smaller white sticker underneath which hosts the details about the product’s specifications. The memory takes up the complete slot within the packaging leaving little room to wiggle. Yet owing to the soft plastic back they are easy to take out and replace. The size of the package is almost double when compared to the size of the Kingston HyperX Fury.

Page 1: Specifications & Build
Page 2: Benchmarks & Conclusion