Windows Platform News, Late February Edition

Kingston DDR3 Crashes the 2GHz Speed Barrier

X-bit Labs has video of Kingston's new PC3-16000 memory modules running at 2.13GHz. These modules (the Kingston HyperX KHZ16000D2K2/2G) have a default clock speed of 2GHz, and join a small family of 2GHz modules from Chaintech, A-Data, and Corsair.

You Want Faster Memory? You Need Faster Chipset Logic!

If the idea of running memory at 2GHz or faster is making your mouth water, make sure you don't drool on your motherboard - never mind, go ahead! When it shorts out, you can shop for a new motherboard based on the forthcoming Intel X48 or nVidia nForce 790i SLI chipsets, which are designed to support 2GHz DDR3 memory.

The X48, due out in March, is based on the current X38, but has official support for 1600MHz FSB/2GHz DDR3 memory and better support for overclocking.

The 790i is nVidia's first PCI-Express 2.0 chipset, due out in April, and also features Enhanced SLI (PW Shortcut direct path between GPUs via North Bridge) and Broadcast technology (information sent to all GPUs with a single packet). The 790i is said to run very hot, and one of the first motherboards based on it, the ASUS R.O.G. Striker II Extreme, features a water block for chipset cooling.

These new chipsets will help you get the most out of Intel's newest Core 2 Quad processors.