Final thoughts and rating
Crucial's introduction of a number of Ballistix Tracer DDR3 modules ensures that it keeps reasonable pace with noted specialists in the Core i7-based high-speed stakes. The top-of-the-line modules, operating at 1,600MHz with 8-8-8-24-2T timings, are decent and stable, and available in either 3GB or 6GB tri-module kits.Our testing has shown that Core i7 doesn't really benefit from high-speed DDR3 in any form, even if the BCLK clock is pushed up to 200MHz and the CPU overclocked. DDR3-1,333 CL9 modules deliver 95 per cent-plus performance of these 1,600MHz CL8 modules and do so less than one-third of the price. Put it this way, would you buy a £300 graphics card if a £90 model delivered practically the same performance in real-world benchmarks?
Crucial's greatest enemy to the Ballistix Tracer memory is its own vastly cheaper line of regular DDR3 which has seen another huge price-cut in recent weeks. Faced with the prospect of shelling out £200 extra for, say, five per cent performance gain, which is what we observed in the benchmarks, the money would be better spent on a higher-specification graphics card, capacious hard drives, or better motherboard, we feel.
Bottom line: Crucial's Ballistix Tracer DDR3-1,600 CL8 is a solid, dependable pack, but such is the price differential and lack of performance deviation from a £90 set, that the near-£300 asking price needs to be snipped to, at most, £150 for it to make any real sense.
HEXUS Rating
HEXUS.net scores products out of 100%, taking into account technology, implementation, stability, performance, value, customer care and desirability. A score for an average-rated product is a meaningful ‘50%’, and not ‘90%’, which is common practice for a great many other publications.We consider any product score above '50%' as a safe buy. The higher the score, the higher the recommendation from HEXUS to buy. Simple, straightforward buying advice.
The rating is given in relation to the category the component competes in, therefore the memory is evaluated with respect to our 'extreme components' criteria, where performance and technology are weighted far higher than value.
Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3-1,600 CL8 (BL3KIT25664TB1608)
