Introduction

Yes, you read the title correctly, DDR3-2000. Isn't that incredible, that memory operating speed has climbed that high in such a short time? Think about it, one year ago, we were beginning to see the first DDR2-1066 modules being released. Today, all memory manufacturers offer a DDR3-1600 module, many offer a DDR3-1800, and over the past month the more prominent of them have released a DDR3-2000 module. Considering PC3 system memory has only been out for about a year, I don't think that we've come close to seeing the limits of DDR3.

But I don't know how much higher is really practical right now. Most of the latest Intel processors only have a FSB of 1333, the few processors that have a 1600mHz FSB are priced far out of reach of nearly all enthusiasts, they are all well over $1200. 1066mHz is the FSB in most rigs. Most motherboards still run memory as a function of FSB, though we are now seeing more high-end motherboards that have native support for DDR3-1800 and DDR3-2000. That's where all motherboards will have to go to make these high memory clock rates practical, we're beyond the point of merely buying fast memory to have headroom for overclocking. It's a long stretch from 1066mHz to 2000mHz, regardless of what multiplier and divider you use.

Another problem is the chipsets themselves. Most motherboards will have a problem with instability due to high memory frequency at some point. The P35 and X38 chipsets become unstable over DDR3-1600. The X48 was created to solve that problem, but it seems to get unstable over DDR3-1800. The limit of the 790i SLI board in the test rig I will be using today was just over DDR3-1700 until flashing with a beta BIOS, where I saw stability to the limits of the last DDR3 memory I tested, just over DDR3-1800. I suppose that we'll see what the new limits are in the course of this review.

The Crucial name is well known in the PC world as one of the main providers of upgrade and OEM memory, and they have been around since 1996. Lexar/Crucial is a retail division of Micron, a Delaware-based corporation, one of the world's largest manufacturers of DRAM. They have been building Ballistix high-performance memory for several years. Today I will be looking at Crucial's latest DDR3 memory, the Ballistix DDR3-2000 2GB kit. Will we be blown away by these blinding speeds? Read on to see!

Crucial differs from most hardware manufacturers in that though their products are available in most retail outlets, they have their own online retail store, with prices much cheaper than at even the largest online retailers. I was surprised to find this memory priced over $100 less directly from Crucial than at my favorite online retailer, who's prices are nearly always less than anyone else, even when the vendor has their own online store.

Specs:

- Model BL2KIT12864BE2009
- 2GB kit (1GBx2)
- Ballistix 240-pin DIMM
- PC3-16000 (DDR3-2000)
- 9-9-9-28
- Unbuffered
- NON-ECC
- 1.9V
- SLI-Ready - Supports EPP 2.0
- Lifetime Warranty

Packaging

When I received the DDR3-2000 memory in this cardboard box, along with a Crucial DDR2 kit in a similar box, I assumed that this was how they shipped memory to reviewers, and they also had some kind of retail blisterpack. But no, this is their retail packaging. The modules are well protected inside, something you really don't get from blisterpacks.

The modules are packaged in sealed static-free bags, and are well-labeled as to what module is within the bag.