Introduction – KLEVV CRAS XR RGB
KLEVV has had some very incredible products over the years but only this year have they really come out of their shell and started marketing the hell out of their products? How much marketing you ask? League of Legends Hall of Famer and global sensation Faker along with the T1 team in a snazzy new ad for their brand new RGB memory: the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB DDR4 memory.
The partnership has been ongoing for a while but if you’re not in South Korea, the new Kpop-fueled T1 ad is nothing you’ve seen before in terms of PC advertisement: a cheesy Kpop track, cheesy one liners from the boys of T1 but ultimately the most unique feature of this ad is that is an entire big-budget production about RGB memories. Today, ESSENCORE is pushing the KLEVV brand of memory modules into more territories including Southeast Asia but we’ve seen them before in overclocking journals as well as in COMPUTEX. They’re all grown up now and we’re finally going to see first hand what they got.
But that’s mid-year, a short few months after that, KLEVV released the product we’re reviewing this week. The KLEVV CRAS XR RGB is their newest RGB infused memory modules featuring a more minimalist design but also has an unconventional circular RGB light bar on top. The kits are also aimed at high-performance applications with kits up to DDR4-4266 on offer.
Read on to find out more!
Features and Specifications
- Special circular light diffuser design to show dual RGB bars from top view 16.8 million RGB color support for astonishing light illumination
- Support RGB control software synchronization of ASUS/ MSI/ GIGABYTE/ ASROCK/ Razer
- Aluminum heat spreader for thermal conductivity
- Highest quality and reliability through rigorous test procedures
- Reduced voltage and ultra-lower power consumption
- QVL approved and compatible with mainstream motherboards/platforms
FORMAT | DDR4 Unbuffered DIMM | ||
CAPACITY | 8GB(8×1) | 16GB(8×2) | 16GB(16×1), 32GB(16×2) |
SPEED | 3600 18-22-22-42 @1.35V | 3600 18-22-22-42 @1.35V | 3600 18-22-22-42 @1.35V |
4000 19-25-25-45 @1.4V | 4000 19-25-25-45 @1.4V | ||
4266 19-26-26-46 @1.4V | 4266 19-26-26-46 @1.4V | ||
DIMENSION | (L)137.4 x (W) 42.5 x (H) 8.3 mm | ||
WARRANTY | Limited Lifetime Warranty |
Closer Look
KLEVV packages the CRAX XR RGB in a full colored print box with a nice shot of the product on the front. From this shot a lone, they’re really mindful of that lightbar design with hole in the middle as the shot is tilted towards the user. Over at the back we have the details like features and marketing bullets which lists the RGB support of this RAM. The KLEVV CRAS XR RGB supports ASUS AURA Sync, MSI Mystic Light, GIGABYTE RGB Fusion, ASRock Polychrome and Razer Chroma.
Much like the BOLT XT, the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB features a light bronze heatspreader with a low profile design. Other than the RGB light bar, the rest of the body doesn’t have access and a supporting black bar is up top but doesn’t have any overlays or anything. The rest of the body has a dimpled design like a golf ball.
At the thickest part, the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB is 8.3mm which is mostly on the top. For the height, it sits at just around 42.5mm which is just a bit taller than the Trident Z but very much shorter than Vengeance RGB Pro sticks. The side profile is clean and very minimalist as well but viewed from the top, its definitely a different look from most RGB sticks of today. The gap in the middle gives the illusion of multiple light bars and has a neon vibe to it.
Here’s the light bar powered on. The sticks have a default animation but will readily adopt the light effect on your motherboard once in Windows. The light bar gives the colors a nice pastel look and doesn’t go too intense on the colors. This may be both a good thing or a bad thing. Its definitely not as contrasty as some people want and the saturation of the color is quite diluted. For people like me though that appreciate that powdery, pastel look, some colors really stand out. Its more subtle in some color and depends on how the internal lighting in your case on how it will ultimately look.
Just a tip: if you like a more frosted look, you can sand the light bar but there’s no going back unless you know how to polish it back again.
Performance Testing
Test Setup
Processor: Intel Core i7 10700K
Motherboard: ASUS ProArt Z490 Creator 10G
Memory: KLEVV CRAS XRÂ RGB 2x8GB (16GB) DDR4-4000 Dual-Channel Kit
Storage: Patriot Viper VPN4100 1TB M.2
PSU:Â Seasonic Platinum 1050w
Overclocking
These reviews were planned to be tested on our AMD setup has AMD has been much more friendlier to higher clocks but with AMD proving to be the more flexible platform when it comes to overclocking, I’ve planned our memory reviews to be done on our 3rd-gen Ryzen system. Unfortunately, our preferred motherboard couldn’t be available so we’ll have to make due by seeing how far we can take it on an Intel system. We don’t put much stock on OC performance as a lot of users will never touch OC settings hence these are presented only for reference and is only comparable on a similar system.
Conclusion
Out of the box, the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB performs really well especially since we’re on DDR4-4000 but we really felt the timings could’ve been tighter. Checking that out, we saw the CRAS XR RGB managing to push past 4266 but go straight to 4400 but at that speed, I didn’t feel that it was pushing the performance envelope so dialing back to tighter timings showed us some better numbers. I feel I could’ve pushed these sticks further but again, I like keeping it simple with RAM overclocks and just keep it as close to original settings and especially with less voltage. My friend Low over at Tech-Critter has a more in-depth overclocking review with AMD on the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB, check it out for the AMD results.
Other than that, the RGB look is definitely one of the big draws the ESSENCORE is pushing for this new kit. A simple, subdued look that has a really stylish glow. Now of course this is subjective and ultimate be up to your build and that’s what really makes this kit a good design for a majority of boards. It doesn’t have the sharp edges of the Trident Z that doesn’t complement softer board designs like the GIGABYTE Vision series or the digital look of the DomPlatRGBs that, for me, simply doesn’t work with any board. This is still up to you, but I feel it jives well with more mainstream motherboard that don’t have a lot going on on the motherboard or something with a full coverage shroud like the Xtremes and Formulas. Ultimately, in terms of looks, the choice is up to you.
Ultimately, KLEVV is sitting more on the RGB aspect of this kit but that is overlooking the performance of this kit. At this speed, enthusiasts with a bit of knowledge in tinkering around with timings would appreciate tightening the timings but for those that just like to keep it stick, going with the DDR4-4000 kits should be the better choice if your system will benefit from it.
KLEVV advises the MSRP of this particular DDR4-4000 kit at Php9,950 but street prices will definitely be lower. That said, it has limited competition in this price range in the local scene. Focusing inwards on the other speeds, in most cases though, it’s just a few dollars separating the SKU speeds but barring pricing, the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB should suffice for those that just want a simple yet stylish memory kit for their gaming build. The most likely question you may have is that if Klevv is a good brand? With a high-performance pedigree and quality to back that up, the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB is definitely a top-choice those investing in performance or looks for their gaming PC.
ESSENCORE backs the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB with a limited lifetime warranty. I give it my B2G Gold Award!