Crucial Ballistix PC3-16000 (DDR3-2000) 2GB Kit
Conclusion
When entering into the review of the Crucial Ballistix PC3-16000 our worst fear was that we simply wouldn’t be able to get the kit to run at its stock speed of DDR3-2000. After all, an effective speed of 2000mhz for a DDR3 memory kit is simply insane, and coupling it with a fairly immature chipset such as the nForce 790i is just asking for trouble. HOWEVER, Crucial have pulled through yet again by producing a memory kit that is not only insanely fast, but is also rock solid and works as intended with no messing around required.
Add to this the fact that we managed to overclock the kit to a respectable DDR3-2114 with only a 0.1v increase in voltage, and also managed to satisfy our hunger for lower latencies by dropping the timings down to 8-8-8-28 while still at DDR3-2000, and the Ballistix show that you don’t need fancy heatspreaders or complex cooling to get the best out of their modules.
Unfortunately, despite the slight drop in prices for some of the more average speed DDR3 kits, the high end modules still carry quite a hefty price tag. This is certainly reflected in the price of the Crucal Ballistix PC3-16000 kit which will set you back a rather hefty £303 from Crucial’s online shop.
The Good
• Stupendously fast stock speed.
• Excellent overclocking potential (DDR3-2144)
• Ability to tighten timings to 7-7-7 at DDR3-1900
• Responds well to increased voltage.
• Works straight out of the box. No Faffing!
The Mediocre
• Gold heatspreaders really are getting a bit dated.
• Price….But its coming down slowly!
The Bad
• Nothing.
