Kingston to Release Their First Water Cooled RAM

Yep, now there is a little competition for OCZ in the works. We received the announcement yesterday, but like all good water coolers we had to ask some more details before telling our readers. Here’s the press release:

Kingston Technology Adds Water-Cooled Modules to HyperX Family

HyperX Lineup Grows with New ‘H2O’ High-Performance Memory Kits

Fountain Valley, CA — August 2, 2010 — Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of HyperX^® ‘H2O’ water-cooled DDR3 dual- and triple-channel memory kits. With frequencies up to 2133 MHz and capacities up to 6GB, H2O is the newest addition to the HyperX product family and supports the needs of enthusiasts building with water-cooled systems.

“Water cooling is desirable for its quiet operation and long-term reliability. We are bringing HyperX H2O to market as a solution for PC enthusiasts who want to build water-cooled systems using high quality Kingston products,” said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston^®. “HyperX H2O is a natural extension of Kingston’s offerings for performance users. Our goal is for users of all levels and interests to have a Kingston product that meets their needs.”

Kingston is debuting three HyperX DDR3 products in the new H2O line: two 4GB dual-channel kits (2000MHz, 2133MHz) and a 6GB triple-channel kit running at 2000MHz. H20 is available through Kingston’s channel of authorized distributors, resellers, e-tailers and retailers.

“Kingston is also proud to announce that the original HyperX module is now called Genesis,” said Vincent Kim, HyperXproduct manager, Kingston. “The core of the HyperX family is the blu, Genesis and T1 series as they offer solutions in a range of densities and frequencies for enthusiasts of all levels. For system builders with specific requirements, H2O adds high performance in a water-cooling environment while LoVo is the perfect choice for an energy-efficient build.”

Kingston HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free 24/7 technical support. For detailed information please visit the Kingston Web site at www.kingston.com

Kingston HyperX H2O DDR3 Specifications
Part Number	Capacity and Features	MSRP (U.S. only).
KHX2000C9AD3W1K2/4GX	4GB DDR3 2000MHz (CL9-11-9-27 @ 1.65v) kit of 2 optimized for XMP	$157.00
KHX2133C9AD3W1K2/4GX	4GB DDR3 2133MHz (CL9-11-9-27 @ 1.65v) kit of 2 optimized for XMP	$205.00
KHX2000C9AD3W1K3/6GX	6GB DDR3 2000MHz (CL9-10-9-27 @ 1.65v) kit of 3 optimized for XMP	$235.00

Here is the product page on Kingston’s site.

Of course, no press release would be complete without a bit of eye candy to whet your appetite!

After reading the release, the nagging water cooled part of my brain came up with a few important questions that needed to be addressed. Kingston was kind enough to reply promptly:

• What is the metal used in these pipes?
  • Kingston said they would have to check and get back with me on that. It looks like nickel coated something or other just looking at the photos. I fear aluminum but would be very happy if that were incorrect. If you’re interested in this answer, stay tuned to the thread accompanying this article and I’ll post the info as soon as it is received.
• What is the inner and outer diameter of the tubing?
  • They were quick with the answer on that one – it’s contained in the data sheet. Unfortunately for most water coolers these days, the answer is 8.0 mm OD / 6.0 mm ID, meaning it’s made for 1/4″ ID hose.
  • While that’s not exciting to a lot of folks, it’s no worse than OCZ’s already-on-the-market water cooled FLEX series, which also sport the same dimensions.
  • On the plus side, it’s a straight tube with the heat transfer accomplished via the heat spreaders. So, unlike the FLEX series (which has two 90° turns), the water in these goes straight through – helping with flow through an already restrictive tubing size.
• Last, but not least – how does it perform?
  • Kingston was kind enough to supply a couple thermal images showing the performance testing of their initial engineering samples.

• Without water flowing, the heat spreaders kept the RAM around 50° C and with it flowing, the RAM stayed around a cool 40-42° C. Almost a ten degree difference is quite impressive!

How beneficial this is really depends on how you plan to use the RAM. For 24/7 use, Intel has strongly advised we not go over 1.65 V, so the kit can do two things for you – run cooler, presumably increasing longevity and run quieter, negating any need for a fan to cool your RAM. Quiet running is one of the great benefits to water cooling and if that’s your goal, these may help in that regard.

For suicide runs and more extreme clocking, as I said – almost ten degrees is a significant drop in temperatures. For those runs where overclockers want to push more than the suggested voltage, this could end up being a very good thing assuming the sticks are up to the challenge. It’s no RAM LN2/DICE pot, but it’s definitely better than air.

There you have it folks, new water-cooled RAM from Kingston. Whether putting 1/4″ ID tubing in your loop is worth it is up to you!

–Jeremy Vaughan (hokiealumnus)