As Kingston Technology launched high-performance memory products for Intel’s high-performance Skulltrail platforms, the firm’s marketing team said it would have to work to change the perception of the high-end computing platform.

Kingston released the low-latency 800MHz DDR2 fully buffered dual-inline memory modules (FB-DIMMs) last week. The products are designed for system builders who want to create high-end workstations, servers and gaming systems.

The HyperX PC2-6400 FB-DIMMs are shipping now in 2GB kits.
The new products fall into the HyperX range, which is perceived
by the market as an over-clockable product, explained Jim Selby, manager of Kingston Technology’s product marketing team.

“Because this is a HyperX product a lot of people seem to assume that it is purely for over-clockers and gamers,” said Selby. “But this product range is capable of so much more. We will be contacting our channel partners and explaining the possibilities this creates for them.”

Intel’s Skulltrain platform uses dual quad-core processors based on the top-end Intel 5400 chipset. Intel perceives applications for this technology to include gaming systems, but Intel marketing manager Earl Kemp explained the chip maker sees the potential as far greater.

He identified speciality workstations, CAD CAM users, multi-media users, video editors and virtualised server builders as target markets for the system builder and assembler.

“If you are building a powerful processing platform, you need a memory component that can keep pace,” he said. “A lot of customers deal with increasingly rich media. This creates demand for better systems. Not to mention the effects virtualisation will have on the market.”

Kingston’s 800MHz FB-DIMMs were built to support the specifications provided by Intel, but perhaps the marketing aspirations need to be aligned as well, admitted Selby.

With memory latency timings lowered to 4-4-4, the new FB-DIMMs are capable of delivering high data bandwidth when installed in quad-channel mode, he explained. In layman’s terms, this product set has a wide market.

“We always communicate the benefits of our products to our channel,” said Selby.
“We will be marketing the products through the channel, and working hard to raise awareness of it. Meanwhile, we have an extensive sales group that will be driving the message home to assemblers and system builders. It is important that the channel knows our commitment to support them.”