Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4-3000 16GB Quad-Channel Memory Kit Review

As we have mentioned in our review our first X99 motherboard review for the GIGABYTE X99-GAMING G1, DDR4 will be the memory of choice for this new platform and with that they bring along a variety of improvements over their DDR3 predecessor. With DDR4 also being the intended memory architecture of future Intel motherboards, its inevitable to see more and more of these kits flood the market.

Kingston has sent us their latest top-end model to crown their DDR4 line-up in the form of the HyperX Predator DDR4. These memory modules feature the signature Predator heatsink, black PCB and a refined monochrome colorway. As these are DDR4 modules they are also expected to arrive fully-equipped with XMP profiles for their rated speeds. Our test sample for today are the DDR4-3000 modules with CAS15 latency. 

So far no product range or lineup has been detailed for Kingston’s DDR4 offering aside from what we have. We currently have a couple of kits for review but at different speeds so we’ll focus on each individual product more and then expand our database as time goes on. For now we have the new HyperX Predator DDR4-3000 in the bench and we’ll what these flagship kits can bring.

[section label=”DDR4 Overview”]

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DDR4 Overview

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[section label=”Features”]

Features

• Quad channel available
• Capacity 16GB (4×4 GB kits)
• Speeds of up to 3000MHz
• 1.2 & 1.35 voltages for stable overclocking
• Intel XMP-ready profiles optimised for Intel X99 series motherboards
• Exceptional clock and latency timing specifications to enhance overall system performance
• Heat sink design achieves effective consistency of speed while prolonging the memory lifecycle
• 100 per cent factory tested

[section label=”Closer Look”]

Closer Look

Our pre-production samples arrived in a plain brown cardboard box, padded inside were clamshell plastic trays padded with foam that housed the actual HyperX Predator DDR4 kits.

The HyperX Predator DDR4 distinguishes itself from the existing DDR3 Predator by its distinct black, sand-blasted paint job. The signature metal “X” insignia is emblazoned on the entire heatspreader in a dark gunmetal shade. The HyperX logo, Predator branding and DDR4 designation are printed on the insignia styling.

We feel like we’re a bit at fault for having Kingston change their PCB color to black given that we’ve obsessively called it out in every HyperX memory product review up until the HyperX Beast kit review we got earlier.

There’s really nothing special about the HyperX Predator DDR4 kits in terms of visuals. It uses the same heatsink from the original Predator DDR3 and it will technically deliver the same cooling performance. Selecting DIMMs for DDR4 would be just the same as with any other memory type: look at your budget, your purpose and what you intended to pair it with. Some people will take looks as a priority though.

The HyperX Predator DDR4 are very tall memory and will instantly present compatibility issues for large, tower coolers like the Phanteks PH-TC14PE and Noctua NH-D14 (or the new D15) so make sure you plan ahead unless you’re watercooling which should alleviate any issues.

And a parting shot before we proceed to testing :3

[section label=”Performance Testing”]

Performance Testing

Test Setup

Processor: Intel Core i7 5930K
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X99-GAMING G1 WIFI (GA-X99-GAMING-G1-WIFI)
Memory: Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4-3000 (pre-production)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K SSD 120GB
PSU: Corsair AX860i
Cooling: Custom loop (XSPC Raystorm block, XSPC D5 Dual Bayres (set to medium), BlackIce Stealth GT 360 rad)
Monitor: LG E2350V
VGA: Palit Jetstream GTX 780Ti

DDR4 JEDEC standards set the minimum DDR4 frequency rating at DDR4-2133. Kingston also uses the JEDEC default out of the box for improved compatibility.

Above is the screenshot of our memory profile running at full DDR4-3000 with timings at 16-17-17-40 2T. A bit loose for our tastes but we’ll talk about that later. If you noticed also, our clock rate has been overclocked. This is due to the way DDR4 speeds are currently handled with the higher frequencies past 2800 requiring a gear ratio change, upping the BCLK to the next stepping which is 125Mhz hence our 4.3Ghz clock speed. This seems to be the trend for most memory makers as both our samples from Kingston and Corsair exhibit the same behavior for their DDR4-3000 XMP profiles.

Benching the modules we get the above results in SuperPI32M: a benchmarking tool used in many overclocking competitions and is quite sensitive to memory performance. Thanks to the increase in clock frequencies as well as memory speeds, we get some very good numbers. You can refer to our Kingston HyperX Fury DDR3 review for an idea of the performance difference.

Now compare that to the XMP Profile #2 of the HyperX Predator DDR4 which features DDR-2666 speeds:

Note that you get a clock speed bump with with the XMP DDR4-3000 settings while you remain at the stock 5930K clocks with the DDR4-2666 profile. Here is the CPUZ screenshot for your reference:

[section label=”Overclocking & Conclusion”]

Overclocking & Conclusion

Overclocking DDR4 is quite a new experience to us as the highest we’ve had in our bench in the past has been DDR3-2800 and that was indeed already treading the limits of DDR3 capacities back then. Now that DDR4 introduces lower voltages and higher frequencies, this makes it easier for overclockers to achieve a fairly higher clock speed than what can be had from the previous generation.

Due to the limited time we’ve had with the X99 motherboards, it was not possible for us to venture further into overclocking our memory kits. We’ve yet to establish anything definite so we will share our experience for now overclocking the HyperX Predator DDR4 kits. As of this writing, we are still reaching out to our rep from Kingston to give us confirmation on the status of the voltages for retail samples as LegitReviews has stated that Kingston mentioned to them that the company will be lowering the voltages on their retail kits to 1.35v. This is corroborated by the official product page stating voltages of 1.2v and 1.35v. If you’ve noticed, our kits are running at 1.5v for both XMP profiles (2666 and 3000) which would give anyone with a fear of electricity to wet their pants. Our samples are pre-production models and are tested to operate at the voltages it came with hence our successful tests. Intel has also released a statement via LegitReviews supporting Kingston’s decision on their pre-release sample voltages. We have received confirmation that Kingston will be shipping their DDR4 kits in 1.2v and 1.35v configurations.

With that out of the way, we started bumping up the BCLK from the gear-ratio defined 125Mhz to get to around DDR4-3200. Given that 1.5v is already coursing through the kit, we should have plenty of power to go past the defined rating but we were unsuccessful. Lowering to DDR4-3150 was a bit more welcoming although stability wasn’t still satisfactory. We settled for a slight bump of DDR4-3100 for a stable experience.

With no X99 board in our lab currently, we feel like there’s still more to explore from the DDR4 kits but for now we’ll leave that for another article in which we’ll explore lowering voltages (we can confirm we have ran the HyperX Predator DDR4 at 1.4v) and trying out tighter timings with supporting data.

So in closing, let’s break it down:

Performance. Since we don’t have much to go by in terms of quad-channel DDR4 performance data, so we’ll leave this one for your own conclusion. Still, our opinion is that performance is dependent on your workload and memory-dependent applications would benefit well from having faster memory especially on a quad-channel configuration like that on the X99. The Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4 offers speeds at both DDR4-3000 and DDR4-2666 which both have their strengths.

Build Quality. If you’ve read the striked-out area in our review, you’ll know that we have pre-production samples with an XMP voltage of 1.5v. That is Intel’s threshold for XMP certification and certainly a bit high for DDR4 in our books, yet still the kit managed to run smoothly without hitch. We did try to lower voltages and we’re happy to say we did get manage to get the HyperX Predator DDR4 kit to run at its DDR4-3000 rating. Backed by a lifetime warranty, that speaks a lot to what Kingston puts into their kits and regardless of them junking too much voltage to their samples, we’re confident that the company is also confident in their product by doing so and the HyperX Predator DDR4 is a prime example of what the expect from Kingston.

Value. Pricing as of right now is currently being finalized and Kingston will update us when prices for the Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4 kits become available.

The Kingston HyperX Predator DDR4 presents the next step in Kingston’s evolution. The company is now heavily promoting their HyperX line-up, not only memory but everything from SSDs to peripherals. As the flagship memory for the DDR4 fleet of Kingston memories, the HyperX Predator DDR4 shows off Kingston’s new-found aggression in the enthusiast market.

We still look forward to taking some time and really squeezing the living daylights out of this kit and we’ve only seen a glimpse of what the HyperX Predator DDR4 memories can do. We currently do not have pricing info but we expect that to arrive soon but for now, we can say that the HyperX Predator DDR4 are high-quality, good-looking DDR4 memories that can really show-off what the X99 chipset can do.

As it is right now, basing off the quality and performance of the kits we can definitely say Kingston has an excellent product with the Kingston HyperX DDR4 memory kit. Kingston backs the HyperX Predator DDR4, as well as their entire memory port folio, with a lifetime warranty. We give the Kingston HyperX DDR4 our B2G Silver Award for its excellent build quality.

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Gallery