The Hardware Behind Overdrive

RAM: DDR3-2000+ by Kingston

Robust memory is the next critical item for successful overclocking. Kingston has been pretty active recently, announcing new high density heat spreaders for the new HyperX T1 series, which is available in both dual and tri-channel memory kits. DDR2 kits reach 800 and 1066 speeds, while the DDR3 kits go all the way up to DDR3-2000 speeds.

Hand-Selected Memory

When we discussed the sponsorship, we wanted to be sure that our overclocking teams would have access to the fastest memory possible, to avoid any memory bottlenecks and assist in reaching maximum performance levels. To assist us, Kingston went into its labs and hand-picked DDR3 HyperX DIMMs that are capable of running well above DDR3-2000 speeds at increased voltage.

All overclocking teams receive a total of four DDR3 DIMMs, which allows them to run three DIMMs in a tri-channel configuration on X58 and Core i7 at our finals, or different dual channel combinations on the P45D3 Platinum motherboards at the trials in the US, France, Germany, Italy and Taiwan. The HyperX DIMMs can be operated at voltages of 1.8V to 1.9 V when running at low memory speeds at JEDEC timings. At our Overdrive events, however, we expect the teams to push the memory to ridiculous DDR3 speeds to support maximum performance. This will require the voltage to be adjusted to 2.3V to 2.5 V. Although we don’t recommend doing this for your everyday PC, it is an important step in reaching faster clock speeds.

Also see:

• Kingston Launches HyperX Tri-Channel DDR3 Kits
• High-End DDR3 Memory on the Hook
• Mainstream-Ready? DDR3-1600 Shootout
• DDR3-1333 Speed and Latency Shootout
• Vista Workshop: More RAM, More Speed?