For those who want to run truly high-end gaming PC’s, there’s usually a common inclusion… water-cooling. The reasons to go this route are obvious… improved temperatures, quiet operation, and of course… it looks cool. Over the years, we’ve seen some companies water cool everything from north bridges to hard drives, but today, we see Kingston getting in on the action as well.
That’s right… Kingston has introduced HyperX “H2O” memory modules. I admit, I didn’t see this coming from a company like Kingston, because while it does develop high-end products, it hasn’t become that well-known for things other than fast and faster memory in the enthusiast scheme of things. It’s clear that the company is very comfortable with where it is, and is now interested in expanding its ideas.
The H2O modules feature a rather clean-looking heat-spreader, with water-cooling barbs that “flow” straight along the module. This is an ideal design, because though the barbs could be enlarged if sticking upward, it’s harder to work around them in a fully-built system. This configuration here allows you to keep a rather clean build, without much airflow impedance.
Speed-wise, Kingston has released three different specs, two 4GB kits at DDR3-2000 and DDR3-2133, and a 6GB kit at DDR3-2000. The timings are 9-11-9-27, except for the 6GB kit where they’re 9-10-9-27. Prices are $157 for the DDR3-2000 4GB kit, $205 for the DDR3-2133 4GB kit and $235 for the DDR3-2000 6GB kit.
As a sidenote, the press release for the H2O also mentions that the “standard” HyperX modules we’ve come to know are now going to be known as “Genesis”. So as it is, Kingston’s DDR3 HyperX line-up consists of blu, Genesis and T1, and also H2O.
“Kingston is also proud to announce that the original HyperX module is now called Genesis,” said Vincent Kim, HyperX product 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.”