Crucial Memory 4800Mhz DDR5 Memory Review

I am pretty sure that I have NEVER reviewed a memory module that was without a heat spreader and looking back through my archives, I was not wrong.  For all of my personal DDR memory installations they eventually had aftermarket heatspreaders installed.  Not only did he help dress up the build but they also helped them perform better under overclocking conditions.

DDR2 and later memory modules also rarely benefited from heat spreaders.  Most memory makers installed them because demand was high and they offered a certain degree of protection.  As with most things in the PC industry sales are driven by Cost, Looks and Performance and fancy heatspreaders look nicer on store shelves while adding a little something extra to your custom builds.

As with most Crucial memory modules they are sold bare.  This is the preferred memory option for system builders and those looking to upgrade your OEM machine.  Alternatively, the Crucial Ballistix brand is designed for PC Hardware Enthusiasts and the unique demands of that segment of the market and will have a different look as a result.

Of course, looks are excatly that.  You can install ANY DDR5 memory module into ANY computer system supporting DDR5 and expect it to work and will often work quite well.

DDR5 comes with many benefits including:

• Faster load times including file transfers
• Extreme innovation for stable performance
• More responsive multitasking
• Optimized power efficiency

While many of the previous benefits come from obvious sources such as a faster memory bus the optimized power efficiency is interesting to me.  All DDR5 memory modules start out with an operating voltage of 1.1v and also introduces an onboard power management integrated circuit (PMIC) that will dynamically monitor memory voltage and allow it to change based on the needs of the module.  If the frequency is low, then the voltage will drop.

Combine that with on-die ECC and you have a very stable and power efficient memory system.

Crucial DDR5 Desktop Memory Features

• Stunning black PCB
• 4800MT/s
• 8, 16 and 32GB densities
• 1.5x the data rates of DDR45
• Nearly 2x the bandwidth of DDR44
• 2x the burst length of DDR4 (BL 16)
• 2x the banks (32) and bank groups (16) of DDR42
• 2 independent 32-bit channels per module (64 bits total)
• On-module power management integrated circuit (PMIC)
• On-die ECC (ODECC) at the component level
• XMP support for easy performance recovery up to JEDEC speeds