32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 Memory Review

Introduction

Prior to the release of Intel’s LGA1151 chipset, consumers could only access the benefits of DDR4 memory including lower voltages and higher frequencies by entering into the very expensive X99 platform. Thankfully, Skylake dramatically changed the status quo and it’s now possible to acquire high capacity memory kits at affordable prices. While there are DIMMs on the market with speeds beyond 3200MHz, it’s not usually sensible from a price to performance perspective. Therefore, it’s advisable for mainstream users to opt for modules between 2400MHz-3000MHz.

Crucial is one of the most respected companies in the technology industry and their reputation for creating reliable memory products is unprecedented. Even though the Ballistix Sport LT was released some time ago, Crucial have recently added a new colour. Upon seeing this striking design, I instantly become enamoured with the retro-inspired pixel finish and couldn’t wait to put the memory kit through its paces. The edition provided for review includes four 8GB modules with a low voltage rating of 1.2v. Additionally, the memory utilises 16-16-16-39 timings and is backed by a comprehensive lifetime warranty.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Typically, memory packaging isn’t very exciting and I’m not going dwell on it too much. As you can see, the memory is contained in a traditional blister pack with a sticker denoting key details about its core specification.

A Closer Look

Aesthetically speaking, the memory’s low-profile heat spreaders which implement stylish cut-outs look stunning. This is due to the contrast between the black PCB and red colour scheme. On another note, the 8-bit pixellated section is unlike anything I’ve seen before on a memory kit and it’s a wonderful idea. This pays homage to games from a bygone era and caters to the DIMMs target market extremely well. Also, the subtle silver accents add to the memory kit’s finesse and contribute towards a more striking design. Even the Crucial Ballistix logo works alongside the red theme and it’s certainly an eye-opener.

Motherboard Installation Pictures

Unfortunately, our Z170 testing motherboard isn’t the best fit for the majority of memory kits sporting a red and black colour scheme. Thankfully, it’s an anomaly and the modules’ styling lends itself pretty well to popular motherboard models from MSI, ASUS and other leading vendors.

From an overhead position, we can see the attractive heat spreaders which evoke a luxury feel and look superb through a chassis’ side-panel window.

Test System and Procedure

Before we delve into any testing we would like to take this opportunity to review our test system.

Test System (Intel Z170 DDR4)

• Motherboard – ASRock Z170 Extreme7+
• Processor – Intel Core i7 6700K @ stock
• RAM – Varies By Review
• Graphics Card – Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 980Ti
• CPU Cooler – Thermaltake Water 3.0 AIO unit with Gelid GC-Extreme thermal paste
• Power Supply – Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 1000W
• Main Storage Drive – Crucial MX100 256GB SSD over SATA III interface
• Chassis – Lian Li T80 Test Bench
• Operating System – Windows 10 64 Bit

Software Used

• SiSoft Sandra Tech Support Engineer
• AIDA 64 Engineer
• 3DMark
• WPrime
• CPU-Z

Methodology

In our RAM reviews, we keep things relatively simple. We put the RAM kit that is being tested into our test system and we benchmark it at its primary XMP profile using a variety of benchmarks and tests. Once complete we then overclock the kit to see how far we can push it in raw frequency terms, then benchmark it again using the same combination of tests with a CPU-Z validation of the overclock.

• Cinebench R15 Test
• AIDA64 Engineer Edition Memory Bandwidth and Latency Test
• SiSoft Sandra Tech Support (Engineer) Memory Bandwidth Test
• WPrime 1024M Calculation Test
• 3DMark Fire Strike Physics Test

Overclocking

Overclocking the 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT was incredibly easy and I managed to obtain a final frequency of 2806MHz. Not only that, this was achieved with tighter 15-15-15-38 timings and a small voltage increase to 1.301v. Additionally, I attempted to reduce the Command Rate to 1T but this caused instability even when applying other tweaks. Originally, I employed looser timings as a way of reaching a higher frequency but this didn’t have any effect on the final result.

Performance Benchmarks

Cinebench

Before we get into the results it’s important to clarify that an issue arose with our i7-5960X’s memory controller which prevented it from accepting quad-channel configurations. Subsequently, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to refresh the testing process and begin benchmarking memory kits on the Z170 platform which is what the majority of our readers will be using. Memory speed doesn’t have a major impact during the Cinebench benchmark, especially when there’s little memory overclocking headroom via the BCLK.

AIDA64

In AIDA64, the memory’s stock setup posted excellent results and remains within the performance area I’d expect given the 2400MHz frequency. Once overclocked, there’s a significant boost and it will be interesting to see how this compares with other products in the future.

SiSoft Sandra

On a similar note, the 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT maintains superb figures throughout the Sandra memory benchmark and excels when you overclock it.

Combined latency tests

In terms of latency, the memory is capable of low figures thanks to the tight timings. This excellent balance is improved even further once I manually adjusted the timings.

WPrime

Overclocking the memory only had a minor impact compared to the stock calculation time and the difference is so small that it’s within a margin of error.

3DMark Fire Strike

While operating at the default XMP profile, the 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT scores very highly and the overclock pushes the performance even further. This is a superb showing considering the memory kit is rated for a base 2400MHz speed.

Final Thoughts

Price

At the time of writing, the 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT is available from the company’s store for £128.39 including delivery. This is fantastic value for a 32GB kit although there ‘s undoubtedly some hefty competition from the Kingston HyperX Fury which costs £94.99. Despite this, you still get a lot of performance for the money and 32GB is ample for video rendering and other complex multi-threaded professional workloads.

Overview

When analysing memory kits, it’s important to remember that many people primarily base their decision on aesthetics and realise faster frequencies don’t translate to significantly higher frames rates. As a result, manufacturers need to conjure up some really innovative designs and ensure whatever they create matches a wide range of components. Thankfully, Crucial’s new colour scheme for the Ballistix Sport LT is a complete revelation and one of the most attractive products I’ve seen for some time. Even though RGB illumination is the current trend, some consumers including myself feel it’s being overdone and rather see more understated designs.

The 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT’s pixel decal and remarkably striking red hue combine in a beautiful way. This appears more elegant than some of the other modules I’ve seen in recent times and it should match a wide range of system builds. On another note, the heat spreader cut-outs allow you to view the black PCB more easily and greatly enhances the contrast between two colours. Personally, I’m just glad Crucial fixated on a simplistic design and executed it with the utmost expertise.

Moving onto the performance, the 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT posts excellent memory bandwidth figures and also fares well in the latency department. The synthetic numbers are what you’d expect for a 2400MHz kit and it should be more than ample for the majority of consumers. Crucial have deployed high-quality ICs and I managed to attain a fairly hefty overclock beyond 2800MHz while tightening the timings. Once overclocked, the memory kit performed brilliantly and I didn’t encounter any stability issues. While 32GB is overkill for most people, it provides a comfort zone for those working with RAW files and other advanced workloads. Personally, I’m really fond of the memory kit’s performance, price, overclocking headroom and aesthetics. Given this fact, there’s not really anything more you can ask from the product.

Pros

• Black PCB
• Excellent value
• Gorgeous design
• Great timings
• Lifetime warranty
• Low profile
• Only 1.2v
• Superb overclocking headroom

Cons

• None

“The 32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT provides superb performance for the money and the new red finish is absolutely sublime. This makes it one of the best packages available today and the perfect addition to any gaming PC which supports the latest DDR4 standard.”

32GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT DDR4 Memory Review

Thank you Crucial for providing us with this sample.