Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4-2666 Memory Review

By Jason Maxfield

Manufacturer: Micron Technology, Inc.
Product Name: Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 UDIMM
Model Number: BLE2K8G4D26AFEA
UPC: 649528770592 EAN: 0649528770592
Price As Tested: $74.50 (Amazon / Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Crucial.

DDR4 RAM launched in Q2 of 2014 with ECC (error correcting code) memory technology, followed shortly by consumer versions launching with the introduction of the Intel’s Haswell-E. Now that prices have dropped to DDR3 levels and LGA 1551 motherboards have been out since September 2015, DDR4 is becoming more mainstream in the PC upgrade market.

Crucial sent us a sample of their DDR4-2666MHz 16GB Ballistix Elite RAM. Crucial Ballistix Elite is their premium memory line, with speeds ranging from 2666MHz to 3200MHz, and memory capacities from 4GB to 32GB in single to quad channel kits. Crucial is pushing the speed envelope with their line of Ballistix Elite memory kits well past the DDR4 standard of 2133MHz. In this article for Benchmark Reviews, I’m going to see if higher bandwidth memory makes a difference. Will Crucial Ballistix Elite deliver, or fall short of the mark? Let’s find out!

I will be running a series of synthetic benchmarks to test the Crucial Ballistix Elite RAM. The memory will be going head-to-head with a Corsair Vengeance LPX 2400MHz 16GB (CMK16GX4M2A2400C14) kit.

Features & Specifications

Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4

Outplay. Outmatch. Outlast. The future of performance memory is here.

To max out performance in the final days of DDR3 technology, you needed the right processor, the right motherboard, a PhD in overclocking, and the willingness to surrender everything in your wallet. Not anymore.

Product specifications taken from Crucial’s website.