Test System and Max OC

Test System

Testing Rated Speeds

I recently built a new system for memory testing, and I spent about 8 weeks playing with multiple Haswell CPUs and multiple Z87-based motherboards before settling on the configuration used for all testing in my recent memory reviews. Due to memory overclocking in part being limited by CPU speeds, I have chosen to run all testing with my Intel Core i7-4770K running at default speeds, although I enabled ASUS's performance-optimized turbo profiling feature. All kits are tested by simply enabling XMP in the BIOS after clearing the CMOS fully. I also clear the CMOS when I swap kits to ensure all reported numbers are identical to what end users can obtain using a similar configuration.


The Crucial Ballistix Sport VLP kit proved to be the exception to having to enable XMP since they booted directly with the default 9-9-9-24 timings at 1600 MHz, without any intervention on my part. I was also impressed to see the 1.35 V voltage used automatically. There is an included XMP profile in the Crucial Ballistix Sport VLP's SPD programming for older systems that might need it.

Maximum Overclock

Overclocking was pretty easy with the Crucial Ballistix Sport VLP sticks, with a bit over 2000 Mhz reached easily. Unfortunately, performance did not increase when it came time to test that overclock, instead decreasing in my test system, making reporting benchmark results rather useless since default speed and timings worked considerably better. It also took 1.65 V to get the sticks fully stable at 2046 MHz, which really defeats the purpose these sticks were designed for in my books.


Using the popular AIDA64 software suite to view the Crucial Ballistix Sport VLP kit's JEDEC and XMP profiles provided some interesting information, with support for altered timings and speeds built directly into the stick's SPD. Operating and booting systems that default to 1333 MHz or less can then be done fairly easily.


I acutally found two different XMP profiles on the Crucial Ballistix Sport VLP kit, one for systems that support the low-voltage 1.35 V spec and one for systems that do not, rated at 1.5 V and shown below.


Both XMP profiles use, as you can see, the exact same timings, so their purpose is to purely ensure that voltage needed for older systems is possible, easily and quickly.