Crucial is one of the most respected names in the system memory business, and have been providing reliable modules for just about any system for just over 10 years. In that time performance memory modules were born and have seen a major surge in popularity. Back in 2003 Crucial told Bigbruin.com that they had no plans to jump on that bandwagon and would not offer products outside of the JEDEC standards. To the delight of overclockers and gamers, Crucial changed their mind in 2004 and launched their own performance system memory products, the Crucial Ballistix line.
Back when the Ballistix line first launched we were able to check out a 1GB kit of their low latency PC3200 DDR modules, and now just over two years later we're checking out our second set of Ballistix memory. Up for review today is the Crucial Ballistix 2GB (1GBx2) PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory Kit, which doesn't look much different than the PC-3200 DDR kit (unless you've got a keen eye for notch placement). A golden heatspreader is clipped on to each module, and the edges of a black PCB can be seen on three sides. Under the heatspreader is where the real difference will be found, as this 2GB kit is rated at DDR2 800 MHz speeds, with default timings of 4-4-4-12.
Before taking a look at the Crucial Ballistix 2GB (1GBx2) PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory Kit, let's take a look at some more of the published data from the Crucial website...
Features and Specifications:
» Part Number: BL2KIT12864AA804
» Module Size: 2GB kit (1GBx2)
» Package: Ballistix 240-pin DIMM
» Feature: DDR2 PC2-6400
» Configuration: 128Meg x 64
» DIMM Type: Unbuffered
» Error Checking: NON-ECC
» Speed: DDR2-800
» Voltage: 2.2V
» Memory Timings: 4-4-4-12
» Other: SLI-Ready
Although there are faster performance modules out there, PC2-6400 DDR2 seems to be the popular speed at the moment, as it offers a balance of performance, pricing, and compatibility. The timings are also not the lowest available at PC2-6400 speeds, but 4-4-4-12 is better than your typical module, and I would consider these to be "low latency".
Packaging:
I think I bought my first modules from Crucial back in the late 90's, and the packaging hasn't changed all that much since then. The two 1GB sticks were packed in the cardboard box shown below, which was then merely sealed in an envelope for shipping purposes.
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