Aeneon. Probably not the first name you think of when it comes to system memory upgrades. I was unfamiliar with the name before noticing reviews of their XTUNE DDR2 and DDR3 enthusiast grade memory kits, but quickly took note of the performance being reported. Digging deeper showed that perhaps the rest of the world was more familiar with the brand, and it was just being kept a secret from the US market.
Aeneon is the retail brand of memory from a company called Qimonda, of Munich, Germany. While I was also unfamiliar with the parent company, they are a serious player in the global memory market. Born from Infineon Technologies in 2006, they are now the third largest DRAM manufacturer in the world, providing memory not only for personal computers, but also for handheld devices, graphics cards, and mobile phones. With over 13,000 employees around the world, about 1/5 of which are dedicated to research and development, Qimonda has a good deal invested in producing memory for today, as well as developing memory for tomorrow's applications.
This review is going to take a look at some enthusiast grade DDR3 memory from the Aeneon XTUNE line up. The promotional image above provides a glimpse of the AXH760UD00-13GM98-K3-2G 2GB dual channel PC3-10600 kit provided by Qimonda North America, of San Jose, California. This kit consists of two 1GB modules rated for a speed of 1333MHz, timings of 8-8-8-15, and 1.5V. Before taking a closer look at the kit provided for review, let's look at the rest of the published data taken from the Aeneon website...
Features:
» 2 x 1GB (2GB KIT) Memory Modules
» Speed grade DDR3-1333 CL8 at 1.5V
» Provides up to 10664 MByte per second on module level
» 240-Pin Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) with gold contacts
» Highest quality heat spreader for preventing critical operating temperatures
» Fitting in industry standard motherboards
Specifications:
» Part Number: AXH760UD00-13GM98-K3-2G
» Module Size: 2GB kit (1GB x 2)
» Package: 240-pin DIMM
» Feature: DDR3 PC2-12800
» Configuration: 128Meg x 64
» DIMM Type: Unbuffered
» Error Checking: Non-ECC
» Speed: DDR3 1333MHz
» Voltage: 1.5V
» Memory Timings: 8-8-8-15
Packaging:
This Aeneon DDR3 memory is sold in fairly typical plastic packaging that will require you to hack into it with scissors. The front side provides a look at the modules and some basic data regarding them, while the back side provides some general information on Aeneon XTUNE memory in six different languages.
 
One item of interest from the packaging that was not included in the list of features or specifications is that these modules are covered by a lifetime warranty. While there is some information [PDF] on the Aeneon website regarding warranty issues, it seems to need updating and a bit more detail on what is covered and how a claim might be submitted. The packaging's insert provides a bit of detail on the warranty as well, but it directs you to a page on the Aeneon site that does not exist.
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