DDR3 RAM Final Thoughts

The RAM story hasn’t changed much over the past year or so (well, until DDR4 kits start making an appearance).  Still, the new HyperX Fury modules from Kingston have managed to refresh a popular line of memory modules and offer something distinctive, even if they are still DDR3 underneath.  I especially like the cosmetic touches – as the enthusiast market shifts ever more to a group that will pay more for the little details, things such as the black PCB and various colors help the Fury kits stand out.  And they come in white!  White chassis have become much more popular over the last year, so it is nice to have other component manufacturers on board (here’s hoping for white accents on motherboards…).

Fury HyperX RAM Conclusion

I have no complaints about the performance of the HyperX Fury modules.  The 1866 MHz kit I received was stable at the rated frequencies, and was detected with the correct timings on newer boards/BIOS versions.  A slight, easy overclock to 2133 MHz was simple to accomplish, and the gains on a Kaveri APU platform were worth the effort.  They weren’t the fastest kit I’ve tested, but with a little more tweaking I bet they’d be close.

Similarly, I can’t complain about their appearance either.  The asymmetric heat-spreader is interesting without being too extreme, and the various colors allow for a color match if desired.  The white versions received for this review had an attractive matte finish, and the black PCB contrasts nicely.  Overall, they are an attractive set that can either blend in with the rest of a build or shown off through a case window.

I didn’t get the sense there was anything shoddy about the construction of the HyperX Fury modules – quite the opposite.  Most RAM modules tend to feel the same, and the only time you really “feel” any differences is while you’re installing them.  The Fury modules installed smoothly in DIMM slots on multiple motherboards without excessive force, and seated with a satisfying “click.”  The flat surfaces on top of the heat-spreaders were useful for installation as well, providing a solid point to exert the slight pressure needed to seat the sticks in the motherboard.

Functionally the HyperX Fury modules performed as expected.  The “auto-detect” feature worked flawlessly on an A88X board with a Kaveri APU, and the speed was detected accurately on an older Z68 board too.  I’m willing to bet newer BIOSes and boards would have no issues detecting the correct timings, making the Fury memory kits a simple upgrade for a memory bandwidth boost.

Finally, we arrive at the price.  The HyperX Fury modules tested today are now available online for $79.99 (Newegg / Amazon).  While the DDR3 market has been pretty volatile over the past year with prices constantly changing, that is an excellent price point for a dual-channel 8GB kit of 1866 MHz RAM (and they overclock pretty nicely too).  The 1866 MHz modules seem to be the best deal of the bunch, as it seems they are only a few dollars more than the 1333/1600 kits with similar latencies.

Overall, Kingston has a winner with their HyperX Fury memory kits.  They offer quite a bit of performance for the price, are decent overclockers and look great.  With a little tweaking they can keep pace with faster memory kits, but even in stock trim they make for an easy upgrade.  I feel that I could recommend the HyperX Fury RAM to anyone looking to complete a new build or add capacity to an existing one.

Pros:

+ Works as advertised
+ Stable at stock timings
+ XMP profiles detected
+ Overclocks easily
+ Attractive, well-done heat-spreaders
+ Black PCB
+ Available in white!
+ Lifetime warranty

Cons:

– Some boards may not detect timings with 100% accuracy (BIOS dependent)
– Not available in speeds over 1866 MHz at this time

Ratings:

• Performance: 8.50
• Appearance: 9.00
• Construction: 9.00
• Functionality: 8.50
• Value: 8.50

Final Score: 8.70 out of 10.

Recommended: Benchmark Reviews Seal of Approval.