Crucial Scored a Major VICTORY!! Their new Ballistix RAM owns

[amdguy]

A while a ago, some of you might remembered me posting several threads about what RAM to buy. There were many flavours from OZC and corsair and crucial just introduced the ballistix series. At that time, there was not a single review yet for that RAM and I've decided to risk it.

Today anandtech tested the ballistix and it ran superbly. It is also sooo much cheaper compared to the OCz stuff in Canada. I have the full flexibility of running at DDR400 using 2.2.2.6 or throttle it up to DDR 500 with a looser timings!

GO CRUCIAL!

 

[amdguy]

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2145

linky added

 

[So]

You still wasted money that would have been better spent on a new video card.

 

[eva2000]

hopefully this stuff is better than Buffalo's Micron 46v32m8 5B-C chips (earlier die revision of the Crucial Ballistix chips) i'm testing here

 

[pookie69]

"We have seen reports of some variability in the performance of the Ballistix memory, and overclocking results are never guaranteed. However, our results with another pair of Ballistix DIMMs were very similar."

There has been speculation by ppl as to whether or not these results of Crucial's Ballistix memory modules are actually representative of the actual memory modules sold in the shops. Some ppl are suggesting that Crucial 'cherry picked' the modules they sent AT for testing.

>>> what's your experience like with them? Have you o/c'ed?

Notably also from the AT article, was the fact that the Crucial Ballistix were the only memory modules tested that translated their very good performace on the intel testbed to an AMD platform. All other memory modules didn't o/c or perform as well on the AMD platform as they did on the intel.

Without a doubt Crucial Ballistix come off very good in the article, but that comment made about them above kinda makes me think twice

 

[oldfart]

Its good to see memory with low latency returning. A lot of people bought into the lie of the cr@ppy PC3700 - PC4000 stuff with 3-4-4-8 timings thinking they were getting something "faster".

 

[pookie69]

Originally posted by: oldfart
Its good to see memory with low latency returning. A lot of people bought into the lie of the cr@ppy PC3700 - PC4000 stuff with 3-4-4-8 timings thinking they were getting something "faster".

Im confused. I thought the whole reason ppl opted for PC3700-PC4000 memory modules was because they allowed decent headroom above the PC3200 memory speeds of DDR400 for good o/c'ing?

But the PC3200 memory modules reviewed have HUGE o/c'ability along with tighter timings than the PC3700-PC4000 group.

Has this always been the case with PC3200 memory modules? Why would anyone opt to buy anything greater than PC3200 given the huge o/c'ability these offer???


... i hate memory ..... so confusing.

 

[Rapsven]

They did get something faster.

You'll still see that those RAM modules are still at the top of the charts, even with their loose timings.

2-2-2-5 from 3-4-4-8 won't make that much of a difference, really. 5% on average.

 

[FullRoast]

Originally posted by: pookie69
[
Has this always been the case with PC3200 memory modules? Why would anyone opt to buy anything greater than PC3200 given the huge o/c'ability these offer???


... i hate memory ..... so confusing.

Usually, PC3200 with tight timings will not overclock well at faster speeds, even when the timings are relaxed. There were some good articles around about this after the first DDR boards came out. Dimms sold for PC4000, etc. are designed to work with higher clock rates but ususally don't work well at slower (PC3200) speeds with tighter timings. You can go to slower bus speeds but the timings still stay loose.

As you pointed out, the Ballistix that were tested were exceptional in that they do 2-2-2-8 at PC3200 and will overclock to PC4000 with relaxed timings. It remains to be seen if all PC3200 Ballistix will do as well as the ones Anandtech tested. The Ballistix will not go to bus speeds as high as some of the PC4000+ dimms.

Your choice in dimms depends on your overclocking goals. For a lot of us, being able to run 2-2-2-8 at PC3200 and still have the option of running DDR433 or DDR 466 with tight timings is great. For those OC'ing to the max., the dimms designed for DDR500+ are better.

 

[Lyfer]

I want some. But $140 a stick plus tax will put a dent in my wallet for a 1gb.