Conclusion:

The Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-11000 DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit intrigued me from the start due to its unique speed rating. With an E6850 Intel Core 2 Duo processor featuring a 1333MHz bus, I was interested in taking a look at a memory kit capable of at least the same speed, and being able to overclock from there would just be icing on the cake. Testing at 1333MHz was thrown in for good measure, but things got more interesting as the frequencies climbed.

Testing showed that the performance of this kit is solid at its rated speed, and can improve with even a slight overclock. While the test setup used here was capable of hitting 1400 MHz, other review sites were able to get a bit higher, meaning that the serious tweaker might be able to really get their money's worth out of this kit. Another positive feature realized during testing was that even at elevated frequencies, the timings were able to remain tighter than many other lower speed kits available on the market today. The kit is rated for 7-7-7-20 at 1375MHz, and was able to maintain 7-7-7-23 timings up to 1400MHz. If that isn't enough for you, Kingston does offer a different 1375MHz kit rated at 5-7-5-15!


A search of PriceGrabber finds this 2GB PC3-11000 kit from Kingston available for as low as $452 (US). For those who are gagging at the thought of $452 being reasonable for a pair of memory modules, you have to remember it is all relative. While it is about what you might pay for 8GB of decent DDR2 800MHz, it is just slightly more expensive than the 1333MHz 9-9-9-26 OCZ Technology kit we recently reviewed. Depending on differences like brand and timings, you can expect to pay anywhere from $400+ to $600+ for a 2GB kit of similar memory, so no matter how difficult it may be to say, $452 isn't all that bad. And on the bright side, prices should only get better as time goes on!

Considering the price and the slight boost in speed as compared to other DDR3 kits rated 1333MHz, the Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-11000 DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit is an interesting choice in the dynamic field of DDR3 memory. While it doesn't offer the speed of some of the extreme overclocking kits out there, it does perform reliably at the current bus speed of Intel's top processors, and just beyond. Given the balance of price, frequency, and timings, this kit is easy to recommend to someone looking to make the move to DDR3 without settling for entry level specifications and performance.


Pros:

» Offers solid performance beyond the typical 1333MHz plateau
» Competitively priced with slower DDR3 with looser timings
» Respectable timings (7-7-7-20 at 1375MHz)
» Already overclocked at the rated speed, but able to squeeze out a few more MHz anyway
» Kingston's lifetime warranty

Cons:

» 1375MHz is an odd frequency to choose
» Effectively an overclocked DDR3 1066MHz kit
» Heatspreader doesn't make contact with all memory chips

Special thanks to Kingston for providing the Kingston HyperX 2GB PC3-11000 DDR3 Dual Channel Memory Kit to Bigbruin.com for review!