Page 2: Testing, Conclusion
Stability:
Remember that stability is very important to me and should be for everyone. Knowing that the RAM can run at a certain spec forever is important. Any uncertainty is not what I want. The first thing I did was made sure that the system POSTs with the new RAM and then went into the BIOS to set the correct timings and voltage. My Asus P5B Deluxe can only deliver 2.25V instead of the required 2.2V so I will be overvolting the memory to start. My stability regiment includes three passes of Memtest86+ followed by Prime95 testing for at least six hours. This really ensures that the modules are working up to speed. You can stop if Memtest86+ sees any errors, but it is not enough for the program to say that there are none. The modules may still not be stable when pushed. I was able to pass Memtest86+ on certain timings and then fail with Prime95. It just goes to show you that multiple testing is better than a single thing.
Testing:
Like the previous Kingston kit I tested, I had to overclock my CPU to get the memory running at the rated speed. Since I had to run out of spec on one component, benchmarking is useless as the baseline is gone. I already know that my Core 2 E6400 can hit 3.2GHz with no problem, so I have a good chance to test this memory in regards to overclock-ability.
The RAM did well at its rated speed. Mind you, I am running the RAM at 2.25V due to my motherboard not being able to provide only 2.2V of power. I will be changing my motherboard this week to a P5N32-E SLI with a Core 2 E6420 and hope to provide better review with this new system. I will also be only testing things in Linux starting next week as that will be the only operating system I will be running. I did do some synthetic tests and the results are on par for memory of this speed. Most memory performs nearly the same as others in the same category.
So how about those lights? Like I mentioned before, this RAM has two rows of LEDs that show you activity on the modules. This effect is very interesting to watch. I will include a second shot of the lights to prove that the LEDs do change. And if your computer is idle, the lights slow down and then speed up if there is much activity. These modules are awesome for diagnosing computer problems.
Overclocking:
This picture shows the maximum overclock I could sustain stably. The timings remained at 5-5-5-15 and the voltage was 2.25V. My memory divider was set at 3/2 of my FSB. This rated speed would be DDR2-1152 which translates into PC2-9216. I think that is a pretty impressive overclock considering that the modules are running over-spec already. What I find interesting is that most people will need to run their systems at an overclocked spec just to run these modules at their rated speed. That alone makes these modules worth it.
Conclusion:
There are many important parts to a system and RAM is a very important part. It is a part that is important not to skimp on. Remember that the major bottleneck in every system is data flow. Increasing memory speed will increase your overall system performance since CPUs can handle it. The Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500 is a great kit. It is so great that it is only around $250 at Newegg. This is an awesome price for this kit. Feel free to search for the best prices.
I would like to thank Kelly at Crucial for the chance to review this kit.
Remember that stability is very important to me and should be for everyone. Knowing that the RAM can run at a certain spec forever is important. Any uncertainty is not what I want. The first thing I did was made sure that the system POSTs with the new RAM and then went into the BIOS to set the correct timings and voltage. My Asus P5B Deluxe can only deliver 2.25V instead of the required 2.2V so I will be overvolting the memory to start. My stability regiment includes three passes of Memtest86+ followed by Prime95 testing for at least six hours. This really ensures that the modules are working up to speed. You can stop if Memtest86+ sees any errors, but it is not enough for the program to say that there are none. The modules may still not be stable when pushed. I was able to pass Memtest86+ on certain timings and then fail with Prime95. It just goes to show you that multiple testing is better than a single thing.
Testing:
Like the previous Kingston kit I tested, I had to overclock my CPU to get the memory running at the rated speed. Since I had to run out of spec on one component, benchmarking is useless as the baseline is gone. I already know that my Core 2 E6400 can hit 3.2GHz with no problem, so I have a good chance to test this memory in regards to overclock-ability.
The RAM did well at its rated speed. Mind you, I am running the RAM at 2.25V due to my motherboard not being able to provide only 2.2V of power. I will be changing my motherboard this week to a P5N32-E SLI with a Core 2 E6420 and hope to provide better review with this new system. I will also be only testing things in Linux starting next week as that will be the only operating system I will be running. I did do some synthetic tests and the results are on par for memory of this speed. Most memory performs nearly the same as others in the same category.
So how about those lights? Like I mentioned before, this RAM has two rows of LEDs that show you activity on the modules. This effect is very interesting to watch. I will include a second shot of the lights to prove that the LEDs do change. And if your computer is idle, the lights slow down and then speed up if there is much activity. These modules are awesome for diagnosing computer problems.
Overclocking:
This picture shows the maximum overclock I could sustain stably. The timings remained at 5-5-5-15 and the voltage was 2.25V. My memory divider was set at 3/2 of my FSB. This rated speed would be DDR2-1152 which translates into PC2-9216. I think that is a pretty impressive overclock considering that the modules are running over-spec already. What I find interesting is that most people will need to run their systems at an overclocked spec just to run these modules at their rated speed. That alone makes these modules worth it.
Conclusion:
There are many important parts to a system and RAM is a very important part. It is a part that is important not to skimp on. Remember that the major bottleneck in every system is data flow. Increasing memory speed will increase your overall system performance since CPUs can handle it. The Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500 is a great kit. It is so great that it is only around $250 at Newegg. This is an awesome price for this kit. Feel free to search for the best prices.
I would like to thank Kelly at Crucial for the chance to review this kit.