One of the best reasons to adopt a Skylake processor from Intel is to enjoy the benefits of using DDR4, and this kit delivers a performance boost you’ll feel compared to DDR3. This Ballistix Elite kit is clocked at 2,666 MTps (megatransfers per second), which means this system can complete tasks that much faster, applications respond better, and the frame rates in our games will be as high as possible. The kit is capable of supporting theoretical memory bandwidths starting at 21.3GBps, and even in a dual-channel configuration that is some blazing-fast memory.
This is an unbuffered, non-ECC kit that’s ideally-suited to gamers and other types of home users. In addition to operating at superior speeds compared to DDR3, this kit also consumes less power, at 1.2V. That’s up to 40% more power-efficient than equivalent DDR3 modules running at 1.65V. These modules also feature built-in thermal sensors that report to Crucial’s Ballistix M.O.D. (Memory Overview Display) utility and let you keep an eye on temperatures in real-time. If you like the idea of being able to monitor your memory temperatures but want an extra bit of flair, Crucial’s Ballistix Tactical Tracer modules also work with the M.O.D. software and feature orange and blue or red and green activity-indicating LEDs. These kits also let you use the utility to tweak the LED patterns and brightness independently per channel.
Crucial’s Ballistix Elite DDR4 may not have LEDs, but it’s no slouch in the aesthetics category. The memory chips are attached to a black PCB, and the anodized matte black aluminum heat spreaders feature a distinctive profile that looks like a Picatinny rail, for a military look and feel that’s as functional as it is attractive. We also like that the all-black modules match the motherboard’s PCB and heatsinks. Given current motherboard designs, we imagine this kit looks good installed in a vast majority of the motherboards currently available.
Of course, this kit fully supports Intel XMP 2.0 profiles, and is optimized to work flawlessly in virtually any motherboard that also supports 288-pin DDR4 UDIMMs. We dropped them into the Silent Knight, set the speed in the BIOS, restarted the system and were in business. The CAS latency is 16 and timings are set to 16-17-17, making this a particularly low-latency option for your build.
Crucial, as always, backs this kit with a limited lifetime warranty, letting you buy with confidence. Although the price we’ve listed is the one you’ll find on Crucial’s website, we found this kit readily available online for just a hair over $200. Crucial’s Ballistix Elite DDR4 is perfect for those who want a bottleneck-free, blazing-fast computing experience, backed by a company that knows DRAM inside and out.
SPECS
Capacity: 32GB (4 x 8GB)
Timings: 16-17-17
Frequency: DDR4-2666
Voltage 1.2V
Unbuffered
Non-Ecc
Warranty: limited lifetime