Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red 800 MHz 4 GB Kit Review 37

Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red 800 MHz 4 GB Kit Review

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Value and Conclusion

  • The Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4 GB kit (2 GBx2) Red Edition memory kit sells for $149.99 US Dollars at Newegg.com at the time of this publication and is indicated as a limited time offer.
  • Runs at stock rated 800 MHz at CL4 with as little as 1.8V so great for motherboards with limited voltage adjusting as it is highly independent of supplied voltage.
  • Great potential for overclocking, reaching 1120 MHz with CL5 timings at stock 2.2V.
  • Roughly half the power consumption of 4 GB (1 GBx4) kits.
  • Red LEDs and heatspreaders look amazing!
  • Wouldn't run at CL3 timings.
  • Smaller than expected gains with voltage increases.
  • Slight premium in price over similarly rated RAM on the market currently.
Crucial has once again succeeded in producing a set of special edition memory that truly tailors to the PC enthusiast on all levels. While this kit is rated to run at 2.2V, it easily managed 828 MHz with CL4 timings at only 1.8V. On the other end, 1120 MHz was achieved at CL5 without any voltage increase beyond the stock 2.2V! I was a bit disappointed that this kit was incapable of CL3 timings, though it's simply a limitation of the newer high density module technology. Also, while being only slightly disappointed in the voltage scaling I saw at higher voltages, I was otherwise quite pleased with how they scaled with timings. An almost consistent ~100 MHz (~200 MHz DDR) was attainable at each voltage by loosening timings to CL5.
From their exquisite appearance to their great overclocking headroom, the Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red Edition are a must-have for any enthusiast looking to improve system performance and add a little bling to their interior at a reasonable price. The whopping 4 GB these modules provide should leave very few users wanting for more!
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Apr 25th, 2024 19:02 EDT change timezone

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