DDR is old, that's what the manufacturers claim and we can really see it on the market also. Review sites review only DDR2 and the manufacturers have finally been able to push down the timings on the ram kits and at the same time done the same with the price. Therefore DDR2 has taken over the memory market, but what should you get then? Today we might have something on your hands that actually looks like a good choice. Crucial sent us their latest 2GB kit named Ballistix which runs at a 5-5-5-15 latency, we are going to look at these and compare them to other 8000 memory out on the market so stay tuned.
About Crucial:
The Crucial story starts with Micron Technology, Inc., one of the largest dynamic random access memory (DRAM) manufacturers in the world and the only one based in the U.S. Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Micron manufactures DRAM chips and assembles them into high-quality memory modules for sale to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") worldwide. For nearly three decades, Micron has learned that when you make some of the very best memory in the world, lots of companies want it, from computer makers to wireless device manufacturers to printer producers. (And we're really glad that they do!)
But then Micron asked, well, what about the end user? What about the everyday folks who want to upgrade their existing systems with OEM-quality memory � the home desktop user, the IT network guy, the student notebook user? Why don't we offer our memory to the public, at factory-direct pricing?
So in 1996, Micron responded to a growing demand for high-quality memory upgrades among end users who wanted the best possible performance from their systems. Micron launched Crucial Technology in September of that year, and for the first time, end users had the opportunity to buy directly from the manufacturer the same memory modules bought by the world's major OEMs for original installation in their systems.
Having a direct sales division focused on selling Micron's DRAM to the public was apparently an idea whose time had come, and 10 successful years later, we have expanded our product line to include graphics cards, flash cards and readers, and USB flash drives. In fact, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary at www.crucial.com/ten!
Why is Crucial thriving? We offer our customers a number of clear advantages over our competitors.
Features:
A Ballistix dual inline memory module (DIMM) consists of a number of memory components that are attached to a black printed circuit board. The gold pins on the bottom of the DIMM provide a connection between the module and a socket on a larger printed circuit board. The pins on the front and back of a DIMM are not connected to each other.
Ballistix 240-pin DIMMs are used to provide DDR2 SDRAM memory for desktop computers. DDR2 is a leading-edge generation of memory with an improved architecture that allows it to transmit data very fast. Ballistix 240-pin DIMMs are available in DDR2 PC2-4200 SDRAM (DDR2 533), DDR2 PC2-5300 SDRAM (DDR2 667), and DDR2 PC2-6400 (DDR2 800).
To use DDR2 memory, your system motherboard must have 240-pin DIMM slots and a DDR2-enabled chipset. A DDR2 SDRAM DIMM will not fit into a standard SDRAM DIMM socket or a DDR DIMM socket. (Information about which memory technology your system uses is included in the Crucial Memory Advisor� tool.)
The number of black components on a Ballistix 240-pin DIMM can vary, but it always has 120 pins on the front and 120 pins on the back, for a total of 240. Ballistix 240-pin DIMMs are approximately 5.25 inches long and 1.18 inches high, though the heights can vary. While 240-pin DDR2 DIMMs, 184-pin DDR DIMMs, and 168-pin DIMMs are approximately the same size, 240-pin DIMMs and 184-pin DIMMs have only one notch within the row of pins. The notch in a 240-pin DDR2 DIMM is closer toward the center of the module.
The memory comes in a standard crucial packing box, I have to admit this is probably the best way to ship ram, they kit is packed in their own anti static bags and they are separated inside the box to prevent damage during shipping or storage. The Ballistix ram as you can see have a orange heatsink on them, which feels a bit thinner than other ram heatsinks I have worked with before.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
On each ram stick you will have a small sticker that gives you some information on what type of ram this is. On each heatsinks there is also a Ballistix print which gives them a better look. The right picture shows the ram mounted on a motherboard just as an example on how it can look.
