Klevv Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19 2x8GB Review: DDR4-4000 Goodness On A Budget

Bringing that low-profile bling

Klevv Cras XR DDR4-4000 C19
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

Klevv's Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19 is an average, affordable DDR4-4000 memory kit. Too bad you won't find it in the U.S. market, though.

Pros

  • +

    Acceptable performance

  • +

    Competitive pricing

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    Non-intrusive heat spreader

Cons

  • -

    Not available at U.S. retailers yet

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The computer memory market is a cut-throat playground where companies have to find even the smallest competitive edge to surpass their rivals. For Essencore, that means establishing a partnership with SK Hynix, which could go a long way when the time comes to purchase high-quality chips for the company's memory products. 

Essencore, which commercializes its memory under the Klevv branding, isn't a rookie in the memory game, either. The company has been around since 2014 and has built up a pretty diverse portfolio of memory products over the years. On this occasion, the brand sent over its Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 memory to prove that it has what it takes to play with the big boys.

The Cras XR RGB memory modules feature a low-profile design that doesn't measure more than 42.5mm (1.67 inches) tall. The pure aluminium heat spreader flaunts an ordinary but jazzy, dotted design. As its name implies, the Cras XR RGB comes with a user-controllable RGB LED diffuser with rounded edges. 

Even though Essencore doesn't provide its own software to control the memory's lighting, the Cras XR RGB is compatible with five RGB ecosystems: Razer Chroma RGB, Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.

Klevv Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19 (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 is available as a single module or in a dual-channel package with a capacity of 16GB. In either case, the memory modules conform to a single-ranked design with a capacity of 8GB. Essencore carves the Cras XR RGB out of an eight-layer PCB adorned with Hynix H5AN8G8NDJR-VKC (D-die) integrated circuits (ICs).

Out of the box, the memory runs at DDR4-2666 with the typical 19-19-19-43 timings. If you're not into manually setting up your memory, the Cras XR RGB memory modules are equipped with an XMP profile to get them up to DDR4-4000. At the advertised frequency, the memory commands a 1.4V DRAM voltage and requires its timings set to 19-25-25-45. For more on timings and frequency considerations, see our PC Memory 101 feature, as well as our How to Shop for RAM story.

Comparison Hardware

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Memory KitPart NumberCapacityData RatePrimary TimingsVoltageWarranty
Thermaltake ToughRAM RGBR009D408GX2-4600C19A2 x 8GBDDR4-4600 (XMP)19-26-26-45 (2T)1.50Lifetime
Patriot Viper 4 BlackoutPVB416G440C8K2 x 8GBDDR4-4400 (XMP)18-26-26-46 (2T)1.45Lifetime
Klevv Cras XR RGBKD48GU880-40B190Z2 x 8GBDDR4-4000 (XMP)19-25-25-45 (2T)1.40Lifetime
TeamGroup T-Force Xtreem ARGBTF10D416G3600HC14CDC012 x 8GBDDR4-3600 (XMP)14-15-15-35 (2T)1.45Lifetime

Our Intel test system consists of an Intel Core i9-10900K and Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex on the 0901 firmware. On the opposite side, the AMD testbed leverages an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and ASRock B550 Taichi with the 1.30 firmware. The MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Gaming Trio handles the gaming workloads in our RAM benchmarks.

Intel Performance

The Cras XR RGB's performance on the Intel platform was pretty decent. While the memory was faster than the DDR4-3600 C14, it did lag behind the DDR4-4400 C18 and DDR4-4600 C19 memory kits. The Cras XR RGB came in last in the gaming charts, though.

AMD Performance

The Cras XR RGB fell to the bottom of the performance and gaming charts on the AMD platform. The lower performance is a byproduct of the fact that not many Ryzen processors can run a 2,000 FCLK to take advantage of the memory kit properly. Asynchronous operation introduces a latency penalty that takes a toll on the Cras XR RGB's performance.

Overclocking and Latency Tuning

A small increase of 0.05V in the DRAM voltage was all it took to get the Cras XR RGB to run at DDR4-4400. The same timings for DDR4-4000 translated over to DDR4-4400 without a hiccup.

Lowest Stable Timings

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Memory KitDDR4-3600 (1.46V)DDR4-4000 (1.45V)DDR4-4200 (1.45V)DDR4-4400 (1.45V)DDR4-4500 (1.50V)DDR4-4600 (1.55V)DDR4-4666 (1.56V)
Thermaltake ToughRAM RGB DDR4-4600 C19N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A18-24-24-44 (2T)20-26-26-45 (2T)
Patriot Viper 4 Blackout DDR4-4400 C18N/AN/AN/A17-25-25-45 (2T)21-26-26-46 (2T)N/AN/A
Klev Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19N/A18-22-22-42 (2T)N/A19-25-25-45 (2T)N/AN/AN/A
TeamGroup T-Force Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600 C1413-14-14-35 (2T)N/A19-19-19-39 (2T)N/AN/AN/AN/A

We were able to get Cras XR RGB's timings at DDR4-4000 down to 18-22-22-42. It was a satisfactory result, and we only had to use a 1.45V DRAM voltage to stabilize the memory at the aforementioned timings.

Bottom Line

The Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19 is a decent option if you want a DDR4-4000 memory kit that doesn't break the bank. On the other hand, availability will be a huge issue since the memory kit has yet to make its way over to the U.S. market. Klevv hasn't provided a firm timeline for U.S. availability yet, but we do know the kit will debut in the UK market within the next few weeks. 

Strangely enough, the Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19 is available at Amazon U.K. for £143.75, which is equivalent to around $199.21. It remains to be seen if the memory will have the same price tag once it makes it over to the U.S. market, though. The Cras XR RGB's current pricing will make it hard to compete with similar DDR4-4000 C19 kits that cost between $100 to $130 on the U.S. market. However, the Cras XR RGB DDR4-4000 C19 does have one advantage over its rivals: RGB lighting. That could turn into an important deciding factor if you want bright lights on your memory.

Zhiye Liu
News Editor and Memory Reviewer

Zhiye Liu is a news editor and memory reviewer at Tom’s Hardware. Although he loves everything that’s hardware, he has a soft spot for CPUs, GPUs, and RAM.

  • damric
    2x8GB DJR can usually be found for about $70. That's what I paid for mine both times and now run 4x8@3800/16. Klevv is asking way to much considering they are still a very small brand.
    Reply