Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 16GB 2666MHz Memory Kit Review
Final Thoughts & Conclusions
The Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory kit is sold under part number BLE4K4G4D26AFEA for $379.99 plus shipping was found to be another great DDR4 memory kit by Crucial. We have discovered that Crucial is very conservative with the memory timings on their memory kits and this kit proved no different. We were able to take this 16GB (4x4GB) memory kit that runs at 2666MHz and tighten the timings from 16-17-17 to 11-10-10. That is a massive decrease in timings and you’ll see a noted improvement in most all of the benchmarks and tests that we ran. In AIDA64 we found that running 2666MHz with CL11 timings was better than running at 3000MHz with CL16 timings, so this Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory kit has untapped potential that can be unlocked by enthusiasts that are willing to take the time needed to dialing in the optimal timings on your specific memory kit. If you don’t want to mess with manually setting up or overclocking this kit you are in luck since it comes with Intel XMP 2.0 settings for normal JEDEC standard memory clock frequencies and then the advertised clock speed. After entering the UEFI and loading the proper XMP 2.0 profile you’ll have a solid platform with lifetime warrantied memory running at 2666MHz.
When it comes to pricing the Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 series will be available to purchase on February 1st, 2015. The 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory kit that we looked at today is sold under part number BLE4K4G4D26AFEA for $379.99 plus shipping There is also a 32GB kit that comes priced at $703.99 shipped.
| Part Number | Density | Speed | Latency | Voltage | Bandwidth | Price |
| Individual Modules | ||||||
| BLE4G4D26AFEA | 4GB | 2666MHz | 16-17-17 | 1.2V | PC4-21300 | $99.99 |
| BLE8G4D26AFEA | 8GB | 2666MHz | 16-17-17 | 1.2V | PC4-21300 | $219.99 |
| Dual Channel Kits | ||||||
| BLE2K4G4D26AFEA | 8GB Kit (2x4GB) | 2666MHz | 16-17-17 | 1.2V | PC4-21300 | $199.99 |
| BLE2K8G4D26AFEA | 16GB Kit (2x8GB) | 2666MHz | 16-17-17 | 1.2V | PC4-21300 | $351.99 |
| Quad Channel Kits | ||||||
| BLE4K4G4D26AFEA | 16GB Kit (4x4GB) | 2666MHz | 16-17-17 | 1.2V | PC4-21300 | $379.99 |
| BLE4K8G4D26AFEA | 32GB Kit (4x8GB) | 2666MHz | 16-17-17 | 1.2V | PC4-21300 | $703.99 |
When you look at the pricing the Crucial Ballistix Sport 2400MHz memory kits you’ll find that a 16GB (4x4GB) kit runs $199.99 shipped (MSRP $299) and the 32GB (4x8GB) runs $429.99 shipped (MSRP $583.99). Note that the kits are selling for $100 and $154 below the suggested retail price. The only prices we have on the Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory modules are the MSRP, so it’s tough to compare the two. If you look at just the suggested prices it looks like the Elite series carries a 20% price premium over the Sport series. You are paying for the different heat spreader, higher binned parts, higher clock speeds and the thermal sensor. We already reviewed the Ballistix Sport DDR4 32GB 2400MHz kit and found that it could overclock to 2666MHz with CL12 timings, so is an Elite kit worth premium? The real question is when did Crucial start binning for the Ballistix Elite DDR4 series and is the Ballistix Sport DDR4 series still as good now as it was nearly four months ago? Buy purchasing the Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory kit you take that guessing out of the equation as this is the tightest binned part and the best of the best.
The Crucial Ballistix Elite 16GB (4x4GB) 2666MHz DDR4 memory kit is the first kit that we’ve used that can get down to CL11 timings at 2666MHz and the memory bandwidth was spectacular. Gaming performance doesn’t much improve as you tighten timings and increase the clock frequency on DDT4 memory, but you will see slight gains across the board and those do add up when you are building a high-end Intel X99 platform. If you want a DDR4 memory kit that can do tight timings at speeds like 2666MHz or be able to overclock up to around 3000MHz with a moderate voltage increase the Ballistix Elite DDR4 series should be able to do that. Hopefully Crucial can get their M.O.D. utility to work on the ASUS X99 Deluxe motherboard now that they are aware of the issue. Despite not being able to read the thermal monitor we are still happy with the performance of the Ballistix Elite DDR4 memory kit and would recommend a kit if it fits your build!
