14 DAY TRIAL // Kingston is probably among the first names that will pop in your head when looking for a new memory for your computer system, or a new module that will replace your old, worn-out memory. The Fountain Valley, California-based outfit has recently made a number of announcements in the market of RAM products. In addition, Kingston has been ranked by iSuppli as the world's number-one memory module manufacturer for the third-party memory market (in the first half of 2009), with a 38.3% market share. Back at CeBIT, earlier this month, we had a chance to sit down and talk with Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, who walked us through the company's current memory lineup.
Before we go into the details of our meeting with Mark, we should briefly note the recent announcements that Kingston made in the RAM market. First off, there's the line of 'LoVo' memory modules, a product that was designed to provide consumers with a more energy-efficient, high-performance HyperX DDR3 memory module. Announced early this month, these modules are specified at an impressive 1.25 volts, when working at 1,600MHz and 1.35 volts for 1,866MHz. Secondly, there's the impressive dual-channel DDR3 kit that was designed to work at speeds of 2,400MHz, straight out of the box. Featuring XMP certification, these modules can easily be paired with Intel's latest Core i7 processors.
At CeBIT, Kingston showed us the entire lineup, including the new watercooling-ready DDR 3 HyperX modules designed to appeal to those overclocking enthusiasts that typically spend hours tweaking and overclocking various hardware components. As you can see in the gallery below, Kingston now has an impressive line of memory modules, part of its HyperX series, designed to meet the performance requirements of different types of consumers. As a quick reminder, HyperX is Kingston's line of high-performance, overclocking-ready memory modules, with the company even ready to provide consumers with a notebook version of these modules.
The move to expand its HyperX family of memory modules is totally understandable, as Kingston wants to expand its reach in the enthusiast segment. These new products show the company's commitment in that field.
During our CeBIT encounter with Kingston, we were faced with a demo of what 24GB of DDR3 memory are good for, on a high-end rig. The demonstration is rather interesting, considering the fact that the majority of today's computer systems are featured with a maximum of 2GB of memory. As you'll see in the video below, there are applications, for desktop PCs that can take advantage of the extra memory. Obviously, the 24GB memory kit address the requirements of a niche market, but it's interesting to note that Kingston can provide support to those users.
The advancements in memory technology don't have the “wow” factor that is typically associated with CPUs or GPUs, but having the right memory for the right PC can make the difference. Kingston is clearly on the right track as it has expanded its lineup to focus on the needs of a wider range of users. In fact, if you have plans to upgrade your PC, be sure to check their offerings for memory, but also SSDs.
