why is it called value ram?

[georgeb]

is there anything --performance or otherwise-- that differentiates 'value' RAM from (regular, un-value) RAM? or is it solely a marketing/packaging thing? TIA

georgeb

[rkawakami]

Are you referring to Kingston's ValueRAM line of memory modules? If so, this may help:

http://www.kingston.com/literature/pdf_ ... _vr_hx.pdf

It is somewhat of a marketing ploy. Memory modules generally must conform to an industry standard specification for size, timing and voltage. As such, they are guaranteed (or should be) to operate correctly when installed in a system with a specific timing scheme (i.e., PC2-5300 DDR2).

In order to add extra "value" to memory, it needs to be tested differently. Memory chips are manufactured on large silicon wafers and then cut up and installed into the familiar packages that you see on the modules. Due to slight processing shifts, some memories may be faster or slower than the "normal" target spec. Kingston, as an example, buys individual memory chips from one or more vendors. Those chips have been tested to meet certain minimum specifications. They could be "faster" or perform better than those specs. I'm assuming (since I don't work for Kingston or know their assembly techniques, but I am in the industry) that for their ValueRAM products, they do not do any special screening to find these "bettter" parts. For their HyperX modules, it appears that they do. That's basically why you can "overclock" those particular modules. Additional testing has been done which identifies those better components. That testing costs money, so module makers pass that onto the consumer. In the case of Kingston, their use of "value" means "lower cost".

So, the short answer to your question is "yes". Performance is usually the difference between "normal" RAM and any "value-added" memory.

[georgeb]

great response ray, thank you much

georgeb

[carbon_unit]

It is also possible that they test all the memory chips they receive and the stuff that just meets minimum specs goes in the value ram product, the stuff that far exceeds the minimum spec goes into the HyperX product while the rest goes into the standard product line.
It would not make sense to possibly put premium chips in the value ram product line. I guess it depends on the cost of testing vs the price of the chips.

[rkawakami]

I can ask my boss when I get into work today and see what Kingston's incoming QA procedure is. He probably knows since he deals with them and many other module builders. As long as it's not covered by a non-disclosure agreement, I'll probably have an answer in a couple of hours.

My gut feeling is that Kingston may just do a samping of product just to keep the vendor's outgoing test honest. To do a 100% screen on those parts would be time and cost-prohibitive in an industry with already thin profit margins. This is assuming that we're talking about "jelly bean" products like DDR2. The figure from the article I quoted below is $4.90 for each 512Mbit memory. I believe that test costs are around $0.15 to $0.25 for each socket insertion. That estimate may be on the low side since I haven't dealt with production test costs in many years. If accurate, that means that for Kingston to test each memory they receive, it costs them a quarter or 5% of the cost to buy the memory in the first place.

(ref: InformationWeek article on ASPs)

[rkawakami]

Okay, sorry it took an extra couple of days but here's the scoop (or as much as I can talk about)...

Kingston turns out to be a major customer of ProMOS (parent corporation of the company I work for). They buy tested wafers at a certain price, cut them up, assemble the chips into packages and then attach them to the module. I wasn't aware of that; I thought they bought assembled chips. It's assumed that for parts destined for ValueRAM modules that they get a very minimal check (test) to see if they survived the packaging operation intact. For their HyperX product they must be taking the time to fully test and possibly "speed grade" (sort out the fastest parts). This costs them money and thus the higher selling price for those modules.