INTRODUCTION

   Amount (GB), frequency (MHZ), timings (CL) and looks (RGB/heatspreaders), this is undeniably the proper order in regards to what people should prioritize when out to get new RAM for their systems. Yes, there are always those who may choose to put frequency above amount (primarily due to cost concerns) while others may place too much weight on looks (mostly gamers and enthusiasts) but for people who are after the best in terms of performance there's simply no other way to look at this. Of course, there are other things that also matter like the number of channels supported by your motherboard (dual/quad) and both the types of die used and their manufacturer (especially for overclocking purposes) but these are details that obviously don't concern the majority of users out there. The latest Ballistix MAX RGB line of DDR4 RAM kits by Crucial combines all of the above and so today with me i have not one but two of their latest 16GB 4000MHz CL18 (BLM2K8G40C18U4BL) kits which I’ll be testing in both dual (2x8GB - Z390) and quad (4x8GB - X299) configurations.

   Crucial is a global brand of Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory (DRAM) upgrades are compatible with over 100,000 new and old desktops, laptops, workstations and servers. Crucial Ballistix gaming memory delivers a performance edge to gamers and enthusiasts and enhances the overall PC gaming experience. Available worldwide at leading retail and e-tail stores, commercial resellers and system integrators, Crucial products enhance system performance and user productivity. Learn more at www.crucial.com.

   Just like with the Gaming line the the Ballistix MAX line by Crucial is currently available in both RGB and non-RGB models (the kits i received were both RGB ones) and only in dual-channel configuration (2x8/16GB - you can of course pair these kits for quad channel systems) with frequencies all the way to 4400MHz (4000/4400MHz), CAS latency timings as low as 18 (4000MHz CL18 / 4400MHz CL19) and voltages set at 1.35v for all kits. Under the low-profile anodized aluminum heatspreaders we find single rank 8GB E-Die memory chips by Micron (at least in this kit), 3D printed cover (you can create your very own with files provided by Crucial) and a LED bar that has a total of 16 RGB LEDs (8 zones with 12 effects) and is fully compatible with all the popular mainboard sync technologies (including ASUS AURA Sync, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync and ASRock RGB Sync). As with their previous lines Crucial covers the Ballistix MAX DDR4 RAM with a limited lifetime warranty.