Many PC enthusiasts are already familiar with Kingston, primarially as a source of name-brand “value” memory that doesn’t suck. Their ValueRAM is only one of their product lines, and Kingston is bringing new RAM and Flash products to the table to compete with the likes of OCZ, Corsair, and Crucial. Kingston was showing off their new wares at the World Cyber Games in Seattle, and I had a chance to chat with them about their new products.
HyperX DDR3 Technology
Kingston is supporting the next generation of PC RAM by offering HyperX DDR3. The HyperX line targets the PC enthusiast by offering higher speeds and lower latencies, and is competitively priced with other performance memory. DDR3 has lower voltage requirements (to try and keep a lid on the heat generated by the faster modules), so HyperX DDR3 requires only 1.7 volts.
CAS latencies vary between 5 and 7, which is still very low for DDR3. HyperX DDR3 modules are also available in speeds up to 1.5Ghz and in capacities of 2GB kits. Just in case you were wondering, DDR3 is not physically compatible with DDR2, because the memory is notched at a different place (much like DDR2 won’t fit in a DDR1 slot).
Even though these memory modules support low voltages, only a timing of 7-7-7-20 can be reached at 1.7 volts. Kingston’s higher-latency HyperX RAM must run at 1.8 volts to sustain a 5-7-5-15 timing.
DataTraveler USB Flash drives
Kingston had several portable USB drives available, and I asked how these products stand out from the sea of USB key drives. Kingston did not seem to offer any drives with U3 or Ceedo technology, and Cameron mentioned that drives with these portable technologies haven’t been very popular. People are more concered with capacity and speed above anything else, and that’s where Kingston’s Flash products are aimed.
Kingston does offer drives with MiGo technology, which allows users to carry their desktop profiles with them. Unlike U3, which is a standard for “portable applications” , MiGo is a methodology that supports synchronization between several computers. Essentially you “take your desktop with you”, including your Outlook mail, contacts, desktop, and other personal customizations. Additionally, your web browser’s Ineternet Cache can be stored on the flash drive, keeping your desktop machine completely ignorant of your browsing history.
4GB mini-SD flash cards
Flash memory is going through some major miniturization. Mini-SD cards are popular upgrades for cell phones and other compact devices, and are approximately one-quarter the size of its bigger brother. The memory cells can only be made so small, so a 4GB capacity is really quite an achievement. The mini-SD cards come with a full-sized SD adapter so it can be used in just about any SD device you have.
8GB SDHC Flash cards
Cameron showed off Kingston’s 8GB SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) memory. He mentioned that most people will buy this for their digital cameras, although it can be used to upgrade other devices like Pocket PCs, MP3 players, and even high-definition video cameras! These cards use the FAT32 file system, so you need to make sure your gadget can support it (otherwise it will only see 2GB of the 8GB available, and will probably want to format it to FAT).
Kingston’s SD cards are available in different classes, which identify their performance
- Class 2: 2MB/second
- Class 4: 4MB/second
- Class 6: 6MB/second
Class 6 8GB Kingston SD card should be priced around $100,and the lower classes are available for less. If your device has a built-in write butter (as a good SLR does), then you could get away with purchasing a slower-speed card. It’s amazing how the flash industry has changed over the past several years, because I remember purchasing a measly 128MB card for about that price. It is actually cheaper (per gigabyte) to purchase an 8GB card that it would be to purchase four 2GB cards at $30 each, making this card an even better value since you won’t have to switch out modules.