Hands-on review: Crucial Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB DDR4-2600
I've been quite happy using Crucial's Ballistix memory, but when it comes to showing off your PC rig, illumination is where it's at.
As standard, Geforce GPUs glow green, Asus' awesome ROG motherboards also come equipped to offer an in-case RGB light show. Even the lowly CPU cooler emits a comforting glow to let you know it's hard at work keeping things chilled.
Crucial's Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB DDR4 sticks are no party poopers, either. The programmable modules offer up a full range of RGB illumination modes complimenting your in-case lighting design.
Crucial send us a 16GB kit (2x8GB) of DDR4-2666 modules to put through their paces.
The DDR4-2666 modules offer trouble free installation. The test rig's Asus ROG Strix Z270E Gaming motherboard recognised the Tactical modules without issue. They have an Intel XMP 2.0 profile to boost the modules to the full 1333Mhz with 16-18-18-38 timings.
Crucial's Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB DDR4 is available in both DDR-2666 and DDR-3000, both designed to offer a solid gaming experience. With the metal heat spreaders keeping temperatures down, overclockers shouldn't have too much trouble getting a little bit more performance out of them. If are anything like other Ballistix kits, users restrained to increasing the mainboard's BCLK to get extra performance out of their CPU, should have nothing to worry about.
The Ballistix MOD utility is exclusive to the Tactical and Elite DDR4 modules. As well as displaying SPD data and monitoring module temperature the utility, has a tab for adjusting the Tactical Tracer RGB lighting scheme. There are loads of preset programs, such as gradient shift, breathing and static, as well as the ability to customise the colours. Advanced options allow for even more customisation.
The module lighting is provided by 16 tiny RGB LEDs arranged in 8 zones, underneath a removable "Ballistix"- branded opaque cover. The cover is removable because you can 3D print your own custom covers. We've seen this before with Asus Republic of Gamers motherboards also able to be personalised with custom 3D printed parts. Even without the lighting system, the two-tone black and silver heatsink and black circuit board makes for some very stylish memory modules.
Crucial's Ballistix Tactical Tracer RGB DDR4 memory is aimed at the more discerning gamer that likes a bit of bling in their machines. With most components offering some level of illumination, it's good to see that Crucial have come to the party. Of course, if glowing PC innards is not your thing, Crucial's Tactial DDR4 offers the same level of performance for the less extroverted gamer.
