Final thoughts, rating and HEXUS.right2reply
There's undeniable logic in suggesting that desktop systems benefit from increasing the amount of installed RAM. Most operating systems can get by with running only 1GB of memory, but the degree of performance improvement and system responsiveness is most marked when upgrading from a relatively low level - 1GB being a prime example - to, say, 4GB.We reckon that a mid-range system should ship with 4GB of RAM for creamy-smooth responsiveness. Appreciating that most new mid-to-high-end systems are equipped with DDR3 support, putting a little thought into the purchase of RAM is always wise.
Designed for Intel's LGA1156 (Lynnfield) platform, Kingston's DDR3-1,600MHz CL8 XMP kit offers decent performance for a £90 outlay. Relatively high speeds and low-ish latencies make it a touch better than generic modules, and the fact that it overclocks to 1,948MHz is a bonus.
Spend almost double the amount for a same-capacity set and the Kingston DDR3-2,133MHz CL8 modules can be yours. Our benchmarks show little variation in pragmatic performance from the 1,600MHz set, with the lack of delta down to how well the CPU is able to use its on-chip cache, hiding a lack of theoretical memory bandwidth. The modules are near the very limit of current performance, which means that overclocking headroom is constrained.
Then there's an 8GB DDR3-1,600MHz kit from Corsair. For Joe Average, run with Windows 7 64-bit it's reasonably difficult to increase actual memory usage above 4GB without engineering it such. The mantra of more memory is always better still applies here, but 8GB is only truly useful for folk who really, really multitask to the hilt. It makes sense if you can find a pack on a special deal or if you're contemplating a truly high-end system that's as futureproof as possible. There's a definite niche for 8GB+ and Corsair services it well, but it would be nice to see it in two sticks rather than four.
Bottom line: there's intrinsic merit in all three kits. Our recommendation would go to the sub-£100 Kingston DDR3-1,600MHz CL8 kit because its appeal is the broadest.
HEXUS Rating
We consider any product score above '50%' as a safe buy. The higher the score, the higher the recommendation from HEXUS to buy. Simple, straightforward buying advice.
The rating is given in relation to the category the component competes in, therefore the modules are rated with respect to our high-end and extreme criteria.
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Kingston KHX1600C8D3K2/4GX
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Kingston KHX2133C8D3T1K2/4GX
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Corsair CMX8GX3M4A1600C8
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HEXUS Where2Buy
The Kingston KHX1600C8D3K2_4GX (4GB DDR3-1,600, CL8) can be purchased for around £90.
The Kingston KHX2133C8D3T1K2_4GX (4GB DDR3-2,133, CL8) can be purchased for around £170
The Corsair CMX8GX3M4A1600C8 8GB DDR3-1,600, CL8) can be purchased for around £235.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
