Over the years, the memory technology has seen some interesting advancements. Just a few years ago, every enthusiast was running a 1066 MHz DDR2 kit, or trying to get there with their 800 MHz kit. Ambitious overclockers were trying to reach for the 1100 to 1200 MHz range. Then the world got introduced to DDR3 memory technology with 1066 MHz speed as the minimum. Now 1333 Mhz and 1600 MHz kits are the norm, with high end kits coming in at 2000+ Mhz. Intel’s Nehalem architecture brought along with it a triple-channel controller, allowing even more bandwidth to memory intensive applications. Owing to the fact that AMD’s latest Phenom II CPUs and Intel’s Socket 1156 CPUs still use a dual channel controller, a 2x2GB memory configuration is most widely used today.

In the test labs we have a 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 kit sample from Kingston. Carrying the part number KHX1600C9D3K2/4G, this dual channel kit is rated at 1600MHz with timings of 9-9-9-27.

Thanks go to our friends over at Kingston Technology for sending in the review sample.

About Kingston

Founded in 1987 with a single product offering, Kingston® Technology now offers more than 2,000 memory products that support nearly every device that uses memory, from computers, servers and printers to MP3 players, digital cameras and cell phones. In 2007, the company’s sales exceeded $4.5 billion. With global headquarters in Fountain Valley, California, Kingston employs more than 4,500 people worldwide. Regarded as one of the “Best Companies to Work for in America” by Fortune magazine, Kingston’s tenets of respect, loyalty, flexibility and integrity create an exemplary corporate culture. Kingston believes that investing in its people is essential, and each employee is a vital part of Kingston’s success.