Kingston HyperX PC4000 512MB Dual Channel Kit

Company: Kingston
Product: HyperX PC4000 512MB Dual Channel Kit
Street Price: $185 USD
Date Reviewed: September 13, 2003
Reviewed By: Joey Chao

The Memory Up Close:

The HyperX PC4000 dual channel kits come packaged in a black case with a clear plastic top. Holding the case and protective cover together is a sticker, which displays the model number of these particular modules and some basic specifications. For the record, this is the 512MB kit and consists of two 256MB sticks. Kingston also has a 1GB kit (2 x 512MB) in the PC4000 flavor.

Each stick is covered with a blue heat spreader bearing the Kingston logo and the HyperX trademark. Heat spreaders are designed to help dispel the heat that is produced by the memory chips. Technically keeping the memory cool should aid in overclocking as well as prolonging the life of the product. It is our opinion that heat spreaders are not necessary unless high voltages are applied to the chips. Most motherboards, excluding a few, only provide VDIMM options up to 2.8V. If you have options above 3V+ then these heat spreaders might just do the trick to help gain those few extra MHz.

These modules are also single sided meaning that the semiconductors are only on one side. Some believe that single sided memory is able to overclock higher than double sided because they are less dense and have less noise. HyperX PC4000 is rated to run at DDR500 at 3-4-4-8-1 timings at 2.6V. The timings are relatively conservative but allow for the higher speeds. It is extremely difficult to find memory that can run significantly tighter timings at the same speeds unless extreme voltages are used.

Here is a closer picture of the label which gives the model number (KHX4000K2/512). Also the label does specify that the HyperX PC4000 modules are rated to run DDR500 at 2.6V. The label says "Warranty Void If Removed" meaning exactly what is says. It would be a shame to waste a lifetime warranty attempting to pull off this label or the heat spreaders.