Kingston Intros Low-Latency RAM for Netbooks

Kingston Intros Low-Latency RAM for Netbooks

CeBIT 2009 - Kingston introduced a 2GB HyperX low-latency memory module for netbook computers using the Intel Atom processor. It runs at 533MHz and has timings of 3-3-3-8. The module has an MSRP of $35 and comes with a lifetime warranty. It is available immediately.

Kingston Press Release (BusinessWire.com)

 

What advantages would this have?

 

It means the RAM is faster. Low latency means it won't take as long sitting around to do something. Think of it like a Track athlete. The person with the lowest latency kicks off a lot quicker than the one with higher latency. This means better performance in video editing, gaming, multitasking, etc. It may also mean better battery life because the memory is more efficient, which means you're getting things done a lot quicker than normal, and that means your computer to take a breather a lot sooner.

 

Thanks I was wondering too what it meant.

 

The advantages are basically none. Just marketing and making you pay more. Yes, technically it makes it faster but how much faster? 1usec? 1ms? You won't notice the difference at all.

 

Low latency memory is usually better for running at higher clock frequencies. So the advantage of having lower latency ram is that it'll be better for overclocking.

 

I got this explained to me here.

 

...Hmm.....Lifetime warranty too, that alone merits a purchase in a way.

 

I don't know about you, but all the memory I've purchased came with a lifetime warranty (and a warranty-void-if-removed sticker).

 

This seems a little... unnecessary. Especially for a netbook. What little gain you're going to see from lower latency is mostly going to be in overclocking, gaming, and heavy editing/(en/de)coding. In all those situations, you're going to be limited by the chipset, FSB, processor, and graphics anyway.

 

CL=3 at 533MHz is nothing new. This timing is provided by many PC6400 modules (see the attached example). What is new is that the other timings are a bit tighter.

Perhaps benchmarking software will reveal a difference in performance but I doubt if it will be noticeable in everyday usage. The Atom isn't going to be as demanding on memory bandwidth as a dual core CPU.

John

 

The low latency of this chip will make no difference in everyday use; even in benchmarks I think users will have trouble telling the difference. I agree, it's pointless in a netbook.