As is our want, we like to start with the shipping container a product comes clad in. We do so, as you can typically tell a lot about how much a company cares about a given line-up by how much time and effort (and money) they have expended on a box that will usually be chucked in the bin the moment the parts are free of said protective covering. For example, if a company is cutting corners here, it typically means it is a product meant for more budget-constrained builds… regardless of the MSRP. Conversel,y if you can tell a lot of time and effort… and even pride in their work went into the shipping container they you’re pretty much guaranteed a Maximum Effort model.
Which nicely segues into the Crucial Pro OC generation 2 line-up. With the first generation, Crucial’s design team was making it blatantly clear that these were serious kits meant for serious professionals. Not glitz. No glam. Just pure focused performance. With the Gen 2 that too is blatantly clear, but Crucial is obviously courting more than the seasoned pro with this new gen. We say this as the box itself is Crucial Conservative in its aesthetics, but goes out of its way to help novices. Right down to a large QR code that will hold your hand and go into extremely detailed explanations on what you are holding in your hand. All without coming off as if they are being pretentious and talking down to the novice buyer.
Which, speaking from experience, is pretty darn hard. Most experienced people make assumptions. Either in the novice’s actual level of experience (e.g., assuming they know the lingo when they are way, way out of their depth) or by assuming they are the intended recipient of the sayings, such as “Well, that’s one way to interpret the instructions” or “that’s certainly a choice you made with enthusiasm”. Which is another way of saying that they have a collection of heavily used hockey helmets even though they don’t play hockey. Crucial does neither. The data is there in a clear and easy-to-understand manner that will neither annoy experienced builders nor insult novices. While at the same time giving all the data so that even the most inexperienced buyer can make an informed decision. Color us highly impressed… and hope more companies start following this trend-setting feature!
Before we move on, if anyone is worried about Crucial messing up their internal protection configuration. Fret not. It is the same two-piece plastic tray setup that Crucial has been using for years… as it Just Works. Still not enough ESD protection, but more than enough to handle most of life’s bumps and bruises.
