Kingmax Hardcore Memory: Tiny BGA Reaches For Top Speed

Test Results: Kingmax DDR500 and Kingmax DDR466

To test overclocked stability, we used the very demanding Gun Metal 2 - - Benchmark 2, which pushes systems with its DX9 routines. To be considered stable for test purposes, Gun Metal, our Quake3 benchmark, UT2003 Demo, Super PI, Halo, and Comanche 4 had to complete without incident. Any of these, and in particular, Super PI and Gun Metal, will crash a less-than stable memory configuration.

Kingmax DDR500 Hardcore Series - 2 x 512Mb Double-Bank
Speed	Memory Timings & Voltage	Quake3 fps	Sandra UNBuffered	Sandra Standard Buffered	Super PI 2M places (time in sec)
400DDR 800FSB	2-2-2-5 2.5V	329.2	INT 2892 FLT 2930	INT 4526 FLT 4524	129
433DDR 866FSB	2-2-3-6 2.5V	351.2	INT 3014 FLT 3071	INT 4853 FLT 4847	120
533DDR 1066FSB	2.5-4-4-7 2.75V	411.9	INT 3345 FLT 3362	INT 5842 FLT 5819	102
466DDR 933FSB	2.5-2-3-7 2.5V	376.1	INT 3257 FLT 3277	INT 5164 FLT 5164	112
500DDR 1000FSB	2.5-3-3-7 2.5V	396.4	INT 3341 FLT 3389	INT 5527 FLT 5528	106
528DDR 1056FSB	3-3-4-8 2.85V	416.3	INT 3477 FLT 3524	INT 5860 FLT 5866	99

It is amazing that the Kingmax BGA modules managed to run form DDR400 to DDR500 at the default 2.5V. This is the first DDR500 memory that we have tested actually to run at default voltage over such a wide range of memory speeds. The absolute ceiling for the Kingmax DDR500 modules was DDR528, and we were able to achieve this speed at voltages from 2.65V to 2.85V. Increasing the voltage at DDR528 just allowed tighter timings. At 2.65V, we could run stable 3-4-4-8 timings; at 2.75V, 3-3-4-8; and at 2.85V, the 3-3-3-8 timings as reported in the chart. While we were able to complete our benchmark tests at 2.5V at most Memory speeds, top stability was achieved at a 2.55V or 2.65V setting on the Asus P4C800-E motherboard.

Kingmax DDR466 Hardcore Series - 2 x 512Mb Double-Bank
Speed	Memory Timings & Voltage	Quake3 fps	Sandra UNBuffered	Sandra Standard Buffered	Super PI 2M places (time in sec)
400DDR 800FSB	2-2-3-5 2.5V	323.8	INT 2783 FLT 2833	INT 4459 FLT 4447	130
433DDR 866FSB	2.5-2-3-6 2.5V	349.0	INT 3002 FLT 3019	INT 4840 FLT 4837	121
466DDR 933FSB	2.5-3-3-7 2.5V	372.4	INT 3179 FLT 3201	INT 5154 FLT 5146	114
500DDR 1000FSB	3-4-4-8 2.85V	388.8	INT 3446 FLT 3518	INT 5429 FLT 5398	108

We really expected Kingmax DDR466 Hardcore Series to perform about the same as their DDR500 at lower speeds, but in fact, the DDR500 is also a better performer at the DDR400 end of the range as well. That is not to say DDR466 is not a good performer, since you would never call 2-2-3-5 at 2.5V a bad DDR400 performance. It is not as extraordinary as the DDR500 modules matching the fastest timings that we have ever seen at DDR400. DDR466 performance was very competitive with the best modules that we have tested across its operating range, with the memory topping out at DDR500. We could not achieve 1 MHz higher than DDR500, but performance was stable with higher voltage at that memory speed.