Crucial DDR4-4800 CL40 Review

Final Score: 88%

Right now, DDR5-4800 CL40 is pretty much in the same spot DDR4-2133 was when DDR4 came on the scene. That is to say, it does offer improvements over the previous generation of Double Data Rate RAM, arguably paradigm shifting improvements, but we all know that the equivalent of “DDR4-2666” is not that far off. If history and rumors are any indication, the next generation Intel and AMD processors will be able to harness (without overclocking the IMC) DDR5-5200 and possibly even DDR5-5600. God have mercy on all our pocketbooks if the latter is the case… as DDR5-5600 makes DDR5-4800 look downright reasonably priced in comparison. This “Fear Of Missing Out” versus budget realities is the crux many buyers are facing right now. Given what ‘everyone knows’ is coming down the pipe, that makes things a bit difficult for even excellent options like the Crucial DDR5-4800 CL40 2x16GB kit.

The problem with that line of thinking is PC components are always getting better. If one waits for what is ‘on the horizon’ to arrive they will never buy anything that is available right now… as something will always be coming up that makes existing tech look ‘slow’. While no one can predict the future, what is neither rumor nor speculation is DDR5-4800 will still work on next generation new CPUs… just like DDR4-2133 worked with DDR4-2400 capable CPUs. What wont work for many people’s budget is those higher speed kits will still cost more than what basically any DDR5-4800 kit will set you back. Most will also be running at much higher voltages as they are in many cases DDR5-4800 ICs that are just factory overclocked. They will also not net you all that much extra performance on this generation of CPUs… and we have our doubts about it making enough difference on next gen to justify the large leap in asking price.

This is why many people are stepping back and kicking the can down the road by simply opting for DDR4 over DDR5 in their new builds. We understand that. You can get a lot more bang for your buck opting for DDR4 over DDR5. Right now. With that said, we only recommend going the DDR4 route when you are recycling a previous build’s RAM. Honestly, spending even a single dollar on DDR4 makes little sense in 2022. DDR4 is now at the end of its life, and we highly doubt you will see it used in anything other than ultra-cheap, or portable, systems in the future. Making every dollar spent on it a dollar wasted.

This is where the Crucial DDR-4800 CL40 kit and its relatively low asking price of $217 comes into play… and yes this is the first time we would ever even suggest putting a Crucial Value line in anything other than a value build. Crucial’s Value line made its bones on being best in class value options while never even hinting that it was optimal at anything else. This combination of a good deal with truth in advertising made them the value option of choice for experienced system builders. Ugly green or not. This generation of their ‘Value’ line changes that. The combination of excellent (and truly amazing for Crucial ‘Value’ line) aesthetics, (relatively) low asking price, and expectation exceeding flexibility places this new DDR5 entrants firmly in ‘no brainer’ territory for a wide range of builds.

Simply put, this one model can indeed do double duty for low-range builds and medium-range builds. Yet costs even less than what you would expect from low-range DDR5 kits. All that is needed to match much, much higher asking DDR5-5200 (or even 5400) is adding in $6 worth of chinesium heat spreaders and another ~$5 in heat pads (…plus shipping). That transforms this ‘value’ into a “mid-range high-performance” kit. One that offers the same heat output, same temperatures, the same or even better aesthetics, the same voltages, the same timings… even (in many cases) the same ICs used. Just not the same budget busting price tag.

So if you are looking for RAM right now for a new build Crucial’s new DDR5 line-up demands a long, hard look. Its just too good a value and is too big of a paradigm shift to overlook. Congratulations Crucial for once again proving why you are widely regarded as one of the innovators of the industry.