When Intel first started getting detailed about hardware requirements for its Core i7 CPUs, one of the things that worried some enthusiasts was the low max voltage RAM could be ran at. This meant that new RAM was needed to get the best performance out of the Core i7 and X58 chipset combination.

Kingston was among the first RAM makers in late October to launch triple-channel kits specifically for the new Intel platform with its first triple channel HyperX RAM. Kingston is now back with more DDR3 triple channel kits specifically for the Core i7 platform and other platforms. The difference is that the new HyperX offerings Kingston has announced use a new heatspreader design.

Enthusiasts and computer geeks everywhere are waiting in anticipation for the latest Intel X58 chipset mainboards and the Intel Core i7 CPUs to hit the market. The X58 will be the first non-NVIDIA chipset mainboard to run SLI and has other interesting features.

One of the caveats of the new X58/Core i7 combo is that maximum voltage for RAM DIMMS has been lowered significantly from previous combinations. It’s not uncommon to see enthusiast RAM today require voltages over 2V. The X58/Core i7 combo can have a max of 1.65V for RAM.

Hard-core gamers and fans of overclocking like to spend money on quality computer components that can withstand extreme use. Buying cheap CPUs, motherboards, PSUs and RAM won’t cut it for this sort of user.

Kingston has announced a new RAM kit that is claims to be the fastest DDR3 modules available. The memory is Kingston’s HyperX DDR3 Ram running at 2GHz. Enhanced Performance Profiles are pre-programmed on the modules.

The storage capacity of SDHC cards is growing greater all the time. I can remember only a few short years ago a 2 GB SDHC card was huge. Today that amount of storage will hold but a few full resolution photos from my DSLR camera. Things are even worse if you try to record HD video from my camcorder that uses SDHC storage.

Kingston announced the perfect SDHC storage card today for users of HD camcorders that record to SDHC cards. The new SDHC Elite Pro card from Kingston has 32 GB of storage. Kingston says 32 GB is enough storage for 6000 full 10-megapixel resolution digital images or over eight hours of full HD video recorded at 6 Mbps.

Kingston Technology is getting colorful and miniature with some new USB flash drives tied to its DataTraveler line. These are called the Kingston DataTraveler Mini Slims and you’ll find them pricing around $11 for 2GB or $19 for 4GB.

The Kingston DataTraveler Mini Slim come in three different colors, including black, blue and pink. Memory capacity goes up to 4GB of storage and the drive measures 1.529- x 0.645- x 0.253-inches, making it one small device. It is definitely something you’ll have to be careful not to lose.

Kingston just revealed the limited edition 4GB DataTraveler Terra Cotta thumb drive in Japan. It’s aimed squarely at those who want a bit of style in their thumb drive, with nice art work on a gold-colored case. Those who want to be different and stand out from the crowd.

The Terra Cotta drive comes with password protection software, Vista ReadyBoost support, 15MB/sec read speeds, and 7MB/sec write speeds. No word on price yet, but standing out from the crowd will probably cost you. Art is never cheap.

Kingston Technology said today a new USB flash drive it has developed received Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 certification, meaning it supposedly is very, very secure. It is known as the DataTraveler BlackBox and you’ll find it pricing at a maximum of around $424 for an 8GB model.

This FIPS 140-2 certification, said Kingston, “requires a validation process that meets federal requirements set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Communications Security Establishment of the Government of Canada. This is critical because many governmental agencies in the United States and Canada mandate that sensitive “data at rest” (i.e., all information not in the network) must be encrypted with the FIPS 140-2 standard.”  Each time the drive runs it does a power-on self test to verify that the encryption architecture is functioning.

I am a big fan of computer hardware and when NVIDIA launched its new gear a few weeks back including the 9800 GX2, 9800 GTX and the 790i Ultra mainboards I was very excited. I was especially glad to see NVIDIA finally put out a DDR3 compatible mainboard.

Kingston announced its latest RAM recently that looks to be the perfect complement to the NVIDIA 790i Ultra. Kingston released 1600MHz DDR3 memory in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB kits. Anyone that has prices DDR3 Ram knows that the stuff is expensive. Kingston says its 1600MHz HyperX DDR3 is designed to be economically priced.

Kingston Technology is trying to connect with God knows which demographic by announcing today a microSD memory card preloaded with Ricky Martin material. You’ll find the Kingston 1GB microSD card with an accompanying USB reader kit available for around $11.

Now we really don’t have anything against Ricky Martin, but come on Kingston. This is a pretty lame promotion. If you must buy into it however you’ll find the 1GB microSD card loaded with Martin items like the tracks “Somos la Semilla,” “Tu Recuerdo,” concert images and a music video that opened his “Black & White” world tour.

If you carry your personal data such as emails and contact information between multiple PCs, you know how much easier it would be if you could keep it synchronized between the different machines. Kingston Technology is unveiling a new USB flash drive at CES, the Kingston Data Traveler 400 (DT400), aimed at doing just that.

The Kingston Data Traveler 400 (DT400), available in storage capacities up to 8GB and starting pricing at around $31, is a USB flash drive which comes pre-loaded with with MigoSync data synchronization software from Migo Software. This software allows one to work among multiple PCs by directly synchronizing files, email and Internet browser settings onto the drive.

Isn’t it a pain in the ass with so many different types of media cards for different devices? Universal card readers and similar products at least help in making it easier to be able to pull data off these many different formats. Kingston is introducing its own multi-media card reader, the new Kingston Media Reader. It’s priced at around $17.

The Kingston Media Reader is capable of supporting 19 different media card formats via its four slots. These include CompactFlash Type I and II, SD, SDHC, miniSD, miniSDHC, microSD, microSDHC, MMC, MMCmobile (DV RSMMC), MMCplus, MMCmicro, RS-MMC, Microdrive, Memory Stick Micro (M2), Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo. Connection is made to a host computer through a USB 2.0 port.

“Write speed…must have more write speed.” If you find yourself saying this phrase over and over again as you miss critical shots with your digital camera you’ll probably be happy to know Kingston announced today an increase in the speed of its Compact Flash Ultimate memory cards.

The new Compact Flash Ultimate memory cards are now rated by Kingston to have a 266x write speed. That’s twice the minimum sustained write speed previously available in the Ultimate line, said the memory products manufacturer. The cards measure 1.43″ x 1.68″ x 0.13″.

The Kingston TravelLite SD/MMC Reader is designed for SD and MMC Flash memory cards and provides you with fast and easy transfer of data between a PC, Mac, and many other devices. The reader is ultra portable and plugs into a USB port with no external power source required.

This reader works great to keep a backup of your photos using the SD card from your digital camera or just keep a second SD card in your reader at all times to have a backup at the ready. The 2GB SD card alone is worth the $33.

Kingston TravelLite Reader With 2GB Secure Digital Card - $33 at Buy.com