HyperX on Igromir 2017: Part 1 - SSD and DRAM

Hi GT! This year was a real gift for iron lovers: here is the renewed competition of the giants of the industry, and new standards, and the revision of the product lines in one bottle. We also did not stand aside and worthily celebrated the 30th anniversary of Kingston and (15-year-old for HyperX) at Igromir: they presented a compact version of our keyboard, talked a little about the new headset and planned changes in the market of RAM and drives. Let's get everything in order.

Anniversary at Kingston and HyperX

We have already told about our double celebration, but it can be briefly repeated.



The story began with enhanced reliability SIMM modules (in 1987). Six years later, the product line has expanded to storage systems and data traveler drives. In 2002, a sub-brand for high-performance models appears: HyperX. Two years later, we became so confident that we provide (so far, by the way) a lifetime warranty on RAM.

Changes in product lines

Kingston has a lot of experience in creating RAM, and HyperX has an experience in bringing them to a logical finale: we release the best modules and are confident in them that ... we kill the middle segment. Modernization of production allowed to equalize the performance and quality of the modules of the initial line of HyperX DDR4 Fury and the “average” Savage: and if there is no difference, why pay more? So users think so. Enthusiasts still followed the top performance and took the older series - HyperX Predator. So now only two recognizable names will remain on the market: just the Fury lineup will receive new models with higher frequencies that will cover the gap between the two market segments.

Interview with Alexey Knyazev, Business Development Director, Kingston Technology in Russia

- Are there any planned changes in product lines? In terms of memory, you went in the direction of simplification. There are now several competing technologies and trends in the SSD, what will you do with them?

The key direction in terms of working with SSD drives is the introduction of a new type of 3D NAND memory. Now, because of this, there is a problem with new products, and with the availability of old ones: there are few memory chips, manufacturers are switching production lines to a new standard. There are bad batches, equipment debugging, and delays, all at once. Wait for the beginning of the new year: there will be a new memory, there will be new products, and there we will bring order. It's too early to talk about this now.

- What will happen to Type-C, will it become a “silver bullet” that will solve the problems of all other formats? You, as a person from the industry, probably see some trends.

We cannot answer for all Type-C: we work in this direction, we study possibilities. You know, Kingston rarely launches something first on the market. But if released, the product is completely ready and high quality. Almost all of us have transferred drives to USB 3.1, it’s too early to talk about a massive transition to a Type-C connector: the market is not ready.

- Tell us about the share of HyperX in the DRAM and SSD market

The question is interesting. HyperX is hard to evaluate, most analysts consider us part of Kingston. According to our calculations, HyperX occupies about 65-67% of the DRAM market, 6-7 of the 10 RAM modules are ours. SSD share is even harder to calculate. Kingston itself takes about 27% of the market, and HyperX out of this - about 5-7%. We want to make our products more accessible and of higher quality, but now the market of the components themselves is hindering this ( author’s comment: the components of which drives and memory are built).

- How did you achieve such results?

Here it is in two aspects. Quality and price. Many say that Kingston is slowing down: it is late in coming out with new technologies, when everyone already has them. In fact, we simply do not release the product, if we can not achieve proper quality. Lifetime warranty on the RAM - not a fad of marketers, but a consequence of the culture of production.



Plus, we have excellent relations with partners: we try to work with local suppliers so that customers are offered bonuses and gifts. Many people think that this is not important, but our results show the opposite.

- Why memory becomes more expensive (both RAM modules and NAND drives)

In terms of RAM, the processes are the same as in the production of chips for SSD. Hynix, Samsung and Micron are three major manufacturers, and they are switching to a new process technology. The old is not produced, the new - they do not have time to produce in the necessary volumes; other suppliers simply can not give the desired amount or quality. We are waiting for established and deliveries without marriage in the first quarter of 2018, prices should be settled.

- What is more important for eliminating the bottleneck in modern computers?

For a modern gamer, 16 GB of memory is enough; this is a kind of standard that igrodels are guided by now. I tell you, as a person familiar with the industry. So I advise first of all it is the issue of RAM to decide when there is enough processor power and graphics card performance. The second aspect is the transfer of the system to SSDs with a capacity of 120-240 GB. The effect is noticeable, even if the games remain on the classic HDD. Well, for adherents of high performance, of course, the NVMe-drive is a must have.

- How often do they buy DDR4 modules with a frequency higher than 3333 MHz?

Not often, but take. What is most surprising, the demand for it is very uniform. For the most part, these are modules for enthusiasts and overclockers: those who care about maximum performance for almost any amount of money. By the way, almost everywhere it is a memory from the “on demand” series, which cannot be bought just like that - it is in warehouses of retailers, but not in retail stores. The share of sales of such strips is very small, but we are slowly tightening it: 2133 MHz leaves the market, 2400 MHz will become the “minimum” in the near future. By the end of the DDR4 life cycle, it will probably leave as well - the starting point will be at 2666 MHz.

- When to wait for DDR5 on a consumer platform?

In the announcements - the beginning of 2019. According to my estimates, most likely, the first samples will appear in mid-2019. Next will be a very long stage of replacement and coexistence of several standards. DDR4 for how many years, and not a single major vendor has sold more than 48% of sales, that is, DDR3 is still popular. It is unlikely that it will completely withdraw from the market by 2020, so even with the advent of DDR5 one should not expect any breakthrough and a global transition to a new product.

- How to deal with hot NVME? Are factory samples planned with integrated cooling?

Yes, we are planning, but primarily for the corporate sector. Where such speeds and IOPS are needed, it is usually not possible to use something custom. Need a solution out of the box. But PC enthusiasts and overclockers often do not like factory cooling, and they choose custom kits that are suitable in style and size to their PC. We do not refuse this segment: for powerful workstations and lovers of all the finished products, there will also be products, but later. And for installing a radiator on our drive, we do not deprive the warranty.

- What other industries would like to learn in the near future?

I can not share, because the information ... well, if not secret, then at least not public. Yes, we are considering new opportunities both in the gaming segment and in the consumer segment, but for now we want to gain a foothold on those new platforms that we already have (gaming peripherals).

- Say something specifically for GT readers.



Alexey Knyazev long laughs and thinks

You all know everything there. The only thing I want to warn you is - beware of fakes. Recently, you-know-from-countries-there are non-original products with our identifying marks. They take abroad, trying to save an extra 500-700 rubles, and then come to us for technical support, but the product is not ours.

Kingston / HyperX products have excellent warranty and after sales service. Buy here, from authorized partners (the list is on the site), and be 100% sure that our experience is our experience, our production and our guarantee. And thank you, thank you for staying with us.

PS: the second part of the report will be released tomorrow, about our periphery. Subscribe to our blog - so you do not miss anything.