Lexar Media Unveils Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3 Memory for Enthusiasts and Gamers

[malware]

Lexar Media announced today the immediate availability of Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333MHz) high-performance, low-latency memory modules. These modules are the first Crucial DDR3 Tracers, and as such they incorporate the company's proprietary activity-indicating Light-Emitting Diodes (LED). These new modules feature a black printed circuit board (PCB) and black integrated heat spreaders, as well as an additional eight blue ground-effects LEDs that emit constantly, when the system is running. Crucial is shipping now the Ballistix Tracer DDR3 memory in single 1GB ($54.99) and 2GB ($99.99) modules, as well as in 2GB ($109.99) and 4GB ($199.99) kits. All Tracer DDR3 parts operate at 1333MHz with CL6-6-6-20 latencies and 1.8V.



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[Fitseries3]

damn... more space ship lights huh? i liked my tracers for about a week and then they just bugged me to death.

i wouldnt take that speed/timings for a lowly POS set of ram though.... these sticks should do 1600mhz @ 7-7-7-20 and 1800mhz @ 8-8-8-24 and 2000mhz @ 9-9-9-27. but thats just typical timings. at $109 for a 2x1gb set thats pretty sweet.

 

[Morgoth]

bad voltage!

 

[Fitseries3]

well they can run 1.5v at 1600mhz with 10-10-10-30 timings. not exactly good though.

 

[lemonadesoda]

This News Release is BAD MARKETING policy by Lexar. We all know that we need low voltages and the Lexar doesnt fit what we need.

>> Lexar has tarnished their brand image. We know Lexar doesnt cut the mustard... therefore we will all wait until a brand can deliver. Even when Lexar DOES reduce voltage, the precedent was set. They gave themselves a "volts too high" name.

Own goal

Lexar needs to FIRE their PR agency. Read this DRIVEL:

These modules are the world's first high-performance DDR3 memory modules to incorporate activity-indicating Light-Emitting Diodes (LED).

"world's first" again. LOL. Enough!

... to incorporate activity-indicating LEDs. OMG. Let's hope "activity indicating" equals WARNING BEFORE VOLTAGE DAMAGE, not just "flash while we work", "dont flash after we've blown your CPU memory controller"

 

[warup89]

Ew to the LED color combination......:shadedshu

 

[EastCoasthandle]

We are finally seeing the proper latencies but the voltage is still a tad to high. For example:
IMO all DDR3 1600 should have a voltage between 1.55V at CL6. If they can't do that yet keep investing in R&D until they figure it out!

 

[Octavean]

Well I’m sure someone will like the LEDs but its not something that interests me in the least. Again, if something doesn’t make the system go faster its basically irrelevant to me and something I most certainly wont pay extra for. And of course there’s the high voltage,….

I’d rather buy some cheap Patriot 1GB DDR3-1333MHz (PC3-10600) 1.5v modules I came across at newegg for $34.99.

Right now I’m not sure how far you can OC an Core i7 anyway (especially if high volt RAM makes it go boom) so I don’t know if its worth spending extra.

 

[PP Mguire]

I dont see the problem with the voltage? I mean sheesh im running DDR400 at 2.7v I dont see the problem with ram thats capable of 1333 at 1.8. Most of the people complaining about high voltages probably wont even get the new Bloomfield anyways.

 

[pentastar111]

I dont see the problem with the voltage? I mean sheesh im running DDR400 at 2.7v I dont see the problem with ram thats capable of 1333 at 1.8. Most of the people complaining about high voltages probably wont even get the new Bloomfield anyways.

That's all well and good, BUT from my understanding most of the new upcoming Intel platforms require 1.5 to 1.65 volt ram...so why chance it? I don't know about you but if I've paid my hard earned cash for parts...I expect the parts to be compatable...If the trend is for lower voltages, then then these companies should produce it...What is the point of all these diff DDR3 modules if the high-end guy can't use but 2 or 3 of 'em?? Me? I'll be sticking with good ol' DDR2....All of the voltage and no fancy-pants light show. So I guess no Nehelem for me...Going AMD anyway...I'll leave the headahes of the newer Intel stuff for you professionals...lol

 

[Octavean]

I have a Core 2 Quad Q6600 on a Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R motherboard that can supports both DDR2 and DDR3. I was thinking of buying some DDR3 now and running it through its paces to see how I like it. The added benefit of that is I can just install the DDR3 in an X58 board when they become available and hit the ground running with a Core i7 920.

I’ve been second guessing this move for a lot of reasons but I’m fairly sure I’ll be going through with it when the hardware ships,…just as long as retailers don’t jack up the price of the hardware’s MSRP too much.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

I dont see the problem with the voltage? I mean sheesh im running DDR400 at 2.7v I dont see the problem with ram thats capable of 1333 at 1.8. Most of the people complaining about high voltages probably wont even get the new Bloomfield anyways.

A 1 gig 1333MHz stick (bottom of the barrel DDR3 speed) at 1.8V is 0.3V higher then JEDEC of 1.5V. 4Gigs of DDR2 1066MHz ram at 2.0V which is 0.2V higher then JEDEC of 1.8V. How is this innovation? Why would anyone spend their money on this when voltage requirements from JEDEC are higher then DDR2? This is just one reason why DDR3 hasn't taken off.

 

[twicksisted]

surely the LED lights contribute to this needing more voltage?

 

[_jM]

damn... more space ship lights huh? i liked my tracers for about a week and then they just bugged me to death.

I agree.. hell i got tired of the LEDs in my OCZ ram cooler so i cut the leads to the LEDs.

 

[AuDioFreaK39]

You guys need to chill about the "memory needs to be under 1.65v," because look what I found out:

I just received news from Micron's engineering department that they're still finalizing the specs of the Ballistix Tracer DDR3 modules for the X58 platform. This means that we will see even more Ballistix later down the line, once Intel finalizes the specs:

by the way, here's a sneak peek of the modules running in dual channel. courtesy of K404 at the XtremeSystems forums.

 

[eidairaman1]

LEDs look cool for the case modder, but if your into overclocking the Regular Ballistix i believe do clock higher because of the less voltage required, and also LEDs do warm up, as on my Current Machine I had tracers and they burned the Ramslot Plastic where it changed Color (ground effect lights) the ramslots were green but you can see purple spots in the slots where the LEDs were positioned.