Klevv Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 C38 2x16GB Review: High-Cost Performance

Given its impressive specifications, the Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 C38 has what it takes to give the best RAM a run for its money. DDR5 has progressed nicely since memory manufacturers have been feverishly pushing its boundaries. It feels like it was just yesterday that we thought DDR5-600 was now. Nowadays, retail memory kits top out at DDR5-8400. We've already witnessed demonstrations of DDR5-12600, but that's yet to be available at retail. At DDR5-8000, Klevv's memory kit falls short of being the fastest on the market; nonetheless, it's still a fast DDR5 memory kit with a lot to give, even by today's stringent standards.

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Like other memory vendors, Essencore or Klevv recycles the brand's DDR4 design for DDR5 instead of conceiving a new design from scratch. As a result, the Cras XR5 RGB is a dead ringer of the Cras XR RGB. So you can tell the difference from one to another, Klevv added the "5" suffix to the model name to denote DDR5. The term DDR5 is also very visible on the white aluminum heat spreader, which has the same dotted pattern with a black, glossy strip.

The Cras XR RGB's height is still the same. The memory measures 42.5mm (1.67 inches). It's a compact design that likely won't encounter compatibility issues with large CPU air coolers. Meanwhile, the circular RGB diffuser helps make the memory look distinctive. The Cras XR RGB doesn't come bundled with proprietary software for control, but fear not, as the memory plays nice with Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion 2.0, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.

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Two 16GB memory modules constitute the 32GB memory kit. SK hynix A-die integrated circuits (ICs) currently have the highest overclocking potential. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that the memory modules employ H5CG48AGBDX018 ICs. They adhere to a single-rank design, so each A-die IC is 2GB in capacity. At the same time, Richtek's 0D=9D T1R power management IC (PMIC) takes care of the voltage regulation duties.

At stock settings, the Cras XR5 RGB isn't anything special. The memory operates at JEDEC's baseline DDR5-4800 with standard 40-40-40-77 timings. Despite DDR5 storing up to five XMP 3.0 profiles, only one profile on the Cras XR5 RGB corresponds to DDR5-8000. It arranges the timings to 39-48-48-128 and sets the DRAM voltage to 1.55V. It's a bit high since some rival DDR5-8000 memory kits only require 1.45V. See our PC Memory 101 feature and How to Shop for RAM story for more timings and frequency considerations.

Comparison Hardware

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The Intel system runs the Core i9-13900K on the MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X with the 7D28vAA firmware. In contrast, the AMD system pairs the Ryzen 7 7700X with the MSI MPG X670E Carbon WiFi changed to the 7D70v18 firmware. The Corsair CUE H100i Elite LCD liquid cooler keeps our Raptor Lake and Zen 4 processor operating temperatures under check.

The MSI GeForce RTX 4080 16GB Gaming X Trio tackles the more graphics-intensive workloads, ensuring that there isn't a graphics bottleneck in our gaming RAM benchmarks. The Windows 11 installation, benchmarking software, and games reside on Crucial's MX500 SSDs. Meanwhile, the Corsair RM1000x Shift ATX 3.0 power supply provides our systems with clean and abundant power, directly feeding the GeForce RTX 4080 with a native 16-pin (12VHPWR) power cable. Lastly, the Streacom BC1 open-air test bench is vital to organizing our hardware.

Intel Performance

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Only two memory kits delivered higher performance than the Cras XR5 RGB. The Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C36 had the upper hand because of its higher capacity, positively impacting workloads such as Adobe Premiere. The Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-7200 C34 has tighter timings, giving it a slight edge over the Cras XR5 RGB despite being a lower-locked memory kit.

AMD Performance

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On the AMD platform, however, the Cras XR5 RGB was the best-performing memory kit. The XPG Lancer RGB Mera Edition DDR5-7200 C34 was the closest rival to catching up to Klevv's memory kit. The Cras XR5 RGB's gaming performance was also unstoppable.

Overclocking and Latency Tuning

Since the Cras XR5 RGB runs at 1.55V for DDR5-8000, it didn't leave us with much voltage headroom. We attempted with a voltage up to 1.65V, but the memory didn't have any overclocking left in the tank. Loosening the timings didn't help, either. We can only assume that Klevv had probably binned the memory to the absolute max.

Lowest Stable Timings

The CAS Latency (CL) of 38 cycles seems to be the lowest that DDR5-8000 can currently go. We could not tighten the memory timings because the memory couldn't stabilize. And this was using a DRAM voltage of 1.6V, which is excessive. Ultimately, we decided to leave the memory kit as it wouldn't have been worth it to risk killing the memory modules with high voltages.

Bottom Line

The Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 C38 is an upper-class memory kit targeting a niche market segment. Being on the cutting edge of DDR5, the memory kit is unlikely to work on all processors or motherboards. You'll need a chip with a capable integrated memory controller and, most likely, an overclocking-oriented motherboard to get the Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 C38 to run correctly. Plug and play isn't a given, either. Depending on your processor and motherboard combination, it may sometimes require manual user tweaking to stabilize your system's memory kit.

DDR5-8000 pricing spans from $209.99 to $279.99, determined by the timings and the brand. So, at $219.99, the Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 C38 is at the bottom of the pack. Klevv told us that the memory would be available in August; however, it isn't in stock. Once Amazon starts selling it, you can find memory at the same link. The Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 C38 is an excellent option for hardware enthusiasts who want every bit of performance. It's not the memory kit for those who want bang for their buck.

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