Kingmax Hardcore Memory: Tiny BGA Reaches For Top Speed

Conclusion

While BGA memory has been widely used in video cards, it just simply has not proven an effective technology for computer memory in the past. Those in the memory industry cite yields and great variations in performance as the major reasons why they have not adopted BGA for computer memory. Regardless of history, you will be seeing more "micro BGA" packaging very soon in DDR2 modules, which will be introduced with Intel's new 775 socket and new chipsets in the near future.

To their credit, Kingmax has stuck with the BGA concept, and brought to market some unique high-speed memory with stellar performance curves. The advantages of BGA seem perfect for the new computers that we are now seeing. As we saw in testing, the tiny BGA modules are much smaller than TSOP memory. They dissipate heat better than the TSOP package, making them exceptionally cool - they don't even require a heatspreader for cooling at speeds like DDR500.

This makes the Kingmax DDR500 and DDR466 ideal for small dense systems like the SFF (Small Form Factor) computers that are very popular. Current TSOP memory is often cramped in the close-together memory sockets in SFF boxes, and regular memory can run very hot in those systems. Tiny BGA has a low profile, no heatspreader is required, and it runs a lot cooler in SFF boxes.

These advantages by themselves make Kingmax DDR500 and DDR466 ideal for SFF systems, but they are not nearly as important in traditional computer systems. There, we are looking for performance first. Fortunately, the performance of Kingmax Hardcore Series, in particular DDR500, is stellar. Kingmax has delivered the first DDR500 modules that we have ever tested which will run reliably at the fastest 2-2-2-5 timings at DDR400, and they achieve that outstanding performance at default 2.5V. In fact, across the performance curve from DDR400 to beyond DDR500, Kingmax DDR500 performed with complete stability at 2.5V. This also makes it the first DDR500 memory that we have tested to run at DDR500 at a default 2.5V. In fairness, we found the Kingmax most stable at 2.55V to 2.65V, but our benchmarks had no problem at all with the default 2.5V. In addition, the most stable 2.6V setting is a memory voltage option available on almost any motherboard or SFF, a far cry from the 2.75V to 2.9V often required for best performance with competing high-speed memory.

In the end, Kingmax DDR466 was very competent, but fairly average. There are many competing products that perform just as well or better than Kingmax DDR466. Choose it where cost is a factor or if you want the small profile or very cool operation. Kingmax DDR466 will not disappoint, but it does not stand out from the crowd in performance.

Kingmax Hardcore Series DDR500, on the other hand, provided spectacular performance in our tests. It proved to be exceptionally fast while running at exceptionally low voltages across the full range of memory speeds. It is one of the best at DDR500 and the best performing DDR500 that we have tested when running at DDR400. Based on the sample we tested, we could easily award our Editor's Choice to Kingmax Hardcore Series DDR500. Our only reservation is the spotty past performance of Kingmax tiny BGA modules. Once we have seen more evidence of consistent performance of Kingmax DDR500, we can be much more comfortable recommending these wonderful little DIMMs without reservation.

If you are building an SFF, you owe it to yourself to take a look at Kingmax tiny BGA memory. It is the best match we have seen to the memory requirements of most SFF systems - particularly if you intend to overclock your CPU.

If you are in the market for new DDR memory, either single or dual-channel, you should also take a close look at Kingmax along with the brands that we normally recommend. The DDR500, in particular, is all we could want in a memory module given the realities of current technology. Performance is about the same as the outstanding OCZ PC3700 Gold Rev. 2, and with Winbond chips discontinued, Kingmax DDR500 is one of the few available memories that was able to reach the fastest 2-2-2-5 timings at DDR400. The fact that it also performed to DDR528 provides the kind of headroom that you will never see on PC3200 or PC3500 DIMMs.

A word of caution is also in order. While test results with the Kingmax DDR500 were outstanding, the memory is actually rated at DDR500 3-4-4-8 at 2.6V. These are very competitive specifications at this speed, but our samples performed significantly better than this specification. We suspect that micro BGA chips which meet the Kingmax specifications for DDR500, will also perform consistently at levels like 2-2-2-5 at DDR400 - but there is no assurance that you will find the same results. The results are promising enough, however, that Kingmax DDR500 is certainly worth a close look. If Kingmax prices their new Hardcore Memory as they have in the past, you should also find Kingmax a very good value compared to competing products.