Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model BLT8G3D1608ET3LX0

Pros: Works really well and fast, just like RAM should

Cons: None

Pros: Excellent performance

Cons: Found none so far

Other Thoughts: Finally upgraded the core components of a 7 year old Pentium D system running 4x2GB DDR2 800mhz Kingston ValueRAM and needed low profile ram to fit under the 120mm push fan connected to my Xigmatek Thor's Hammer CPU heat sink, and so far I am amazed that I went so long without upgrading. When I booted up the system my motherboard, ASUS P8Z77-v LK, listed the RAM as 1333mhz but the ASUS boot software made changing it to the correct 1600mhz speed easy. Between the i5-3570k, 120gb SSD Mushkin Enhanced, ASUS P8Z77-v LK motherboard, MSI Radeon HD7790-OC, and 2x8gb RAM my system is running amazingly fast. Playing a game like Bioshock Infinte on ultra looks and runs amazing. Playing the same game on an Xbox360 is like looking through a filthy window.

FYI I considered going with the fastest mhz RAM my board could handle, but research showed that the speed increase was not worth the increased expense.

Pros: Works great. Low profile is useful for some. Low voltage with good latency/speed.

Cons: Maybe... See other thoughts.

Other Thoughts: The heat spreader doesn't clip on the top like most do -- it is two separate metal (probably aluminum) pieces attached to either side by a strip of thermal tape. I can't say whether that is better for cooling or not.

I put 2 of these RAM sticks in an MSI A85X mobo to replace 2x4GB DDR3-1333 CL7 1.5v. There is a slight improvement in the throughput/latency ratio and voltage, and the system seems to run noticeably faster, though the WEI scores remain the same.

The BIOS has the RAM set by default at CL9 and 1333 Mhz. I hadn't checked what it had set the other RAM to. It reports that this RAM is capable of the speed and timings advertised. I won't be manually adjusting the settings until after I have learned the ins and outs of this particular BIOS. It's one of those new ones with a GUI that you navigate by mouse clicks rather than keyboard keys, and I dislike it much.

I attribute the performance increase seen so far to the doubling of RAM, from 8 to 16GB. At higher capacities, latencies matter less, because there are fewer memory dumps and refreshes, although it is still nice to minimize the latency numbers so as to minimize load times. This RAM is simultaneously the lowest latency and voltage available for RAM of its capacity and speed. It incurred extra cost but was worth it to me.