More Testing:

Using Enemy Territory Quake Wars, Call of Duty 4, and Fear offer up a little more of what to expect in terms of real world 3D performance. Stock and overclocked settings were tested as well.

Compared to the OCZ kit, performance is almost identical at stock frequencies even though the kit has a slightly lower 7-6-6-24 timing versus a 7-7-7-24 timing on the Ballistix kit. The one setting that really changes memory bandwidth performance is the CAS Latency. If the OCZ kit were 6-6-6-24, then that kit would really, really shine.

The big difference between memory kits occurs when you start overclocking. Some kits do better than others depending on the modules used to build the kit. The OCZ kit can break 1800MHz at higher 9-9-9-24 timings and voltage which I don't feel is completely worth the risk in this particular case. Games are already extremely playable at 1066MHz or 1333MHz Front Side Bus as it is. Cranking your system higher than 1600MHz just doesn't make much since unless you are a full time enthusiast.

If games are all you really want to do, then something a little slower like Mushkin's DDR3 PC3-10666 memory operating at 1333MHz with 6-6-6-18 timings are more feasible. If you really like to show your system off, or happen to crave the upper most extreme gaming on a system on DDR3, then 1600MHz is your ideal choice. This is especially true with all the newer Intel Extreme processors on motherboards that support 1600MHz XMP profiles. Now, you've got something to brag about!

Conclusion:

The Crucial Ballistix DDR3 PC3-12800 2GB Dual Channel Kit is a great performer in its on right. The kit's XMP profiles allow a user the best of both worlds in case the motherboard in use just isn't up to par with the lower 7-7-7-24 memory timings. If that's the issue, then the default 8-8-8-24 timings will allow a much greater chance of achieving perfect system stability.

Another Successful Kit

Now, if you're a user on a DDR3 motherboard that just isn't quite up to the 1600MHz spec, you can always down clock the memory a bit and use lower timings. If your system has a limiting issue such as a weaker PSU, stock CPU cooler, or a 1066MHz FSB Conroe processor, then the kit will operate at 1333MHz 6-6-6-20 at stock voltage so you won't have to worry about tweaking anything else other than memory timings. And when you do finally upgrade to a faster processor, you'll already have the memory on hand to feed the beast.

Comparable and matching 1600MHz kits are a few bucks more even after any rebates. Currently, the kit can be found on Newegg for about $296.00 after a worth while mail in rebate. If you're looking for a good DDR3 option that comes preconfigured for quick XMP Profile performance, the Ballistix DDR3 PC3-12800 is an excellent choice given it's flawless stability and price.

We would like to thank Crucial for the memory kit and look forward to future DDR3 improvements soon to come. Perhaps we'll see the return of the Ballistix Tracer series in the form of 1600MHz XMP Memory as well.

Got News? Send 'em in!