Category: System Memory
Manufacturer: Crucial
Product: BL2KIT12864AA1005 (2x1GB) DDR2 1000 Kit
Price: $99.99

Intro
The ever-expanding DDR2 market is getting quite elaborate with different water-based and fan-based cooling solutions. With these new cooling solutions, it's always exciting to see how some of the high-end RAM sticks with heat spreaders perform. Today we have Crucial's PC2-8000 RAM in a 2x1GB set. When these sticks first came out, they were $400-$500 which is a high price to pay for 2GB of RAM. Now that the DDR2 market has become more stabilized, thanks to AM2 and Core 2 Duo setups, we are going to give these sticks a go and see what kind of overclocks we can achieve out of these modules rated at 1000MHz.

With overclocking becoming more mainstream and modern day setups making it easier than ever, faster and faster RAM is in demand. The governing body which determines acceptable RAM speeds, JEDEC, does not approve DDR2 over 800MHz. So, use of these sticks at stock speeds is technically overclocking, though many motherboards can support this right out of the box.

The Packaging
Crucial has never been one for elaborate packaging - relying on their cardboard box styling. To be perfectly honest, the boxing doesn’t matter. The sticks come in anti-static bags suspended in a cardboard holder packed with some informational fliers, and that is about it. But all we care about is that it works. If this RAM performs as well as it should, I could care less about how it’s packaged just as long as it’s safe and secure, and Crucial does just that.


The RAM
Specifications

• Model Number: BL2KIT12864AA1005
• Type: 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
• Capacity: 2GB (2 x 1GB)
• Speed: DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000)
• Timings: 5-5-5-15
• Max Voltage per Warranty: 2.2V
  
  

These sticks from Crucial are quite sharp in a classy looking way. The heat spreader isn’t overly gaudy, though they are yellowish orange which is not a common color for PC components, but they still look exceptional. The RAM actually debuts a new heat spreader from Crucial. In fact, older models of this RAM can still be found with the old heat spreaders like the shown here. This new heat spreader removed the large clips, which were prominently spotted on the old RAM, and instead utilize a minimalistic approach that does not run all the way across the spreader. These Ballistix are built on the now-famous Micron D9 memory chips which are known for their extensive overclocking headroom and have become the “IT” chips to have in memory today - much like the Samsung TCCD and Winbond BH-5 were in the past.

These sticks install like most every other RAM stick out there: push and snap in. They don’t have a high clearance and should fit right in on most motherboards as they did my EVGA 680I.