In today’s modern computers, large amounts of RAM are becoming ubiquitous. Due to the cheap price of system RAM, as well as the desktop PC’s ever-growing need for memory, the vast majority of PCs available for purchase at retail outlets are equipped with at least 4GB of RAM. A quick check of Best Buy’s website indicates 90% of the desktop systems they are currently selling are equipped with 4GB or more of RAM. More than a third of the systems they’re selling come equipped with 6GB or more. Particularly when multitasking, RAM becomes an essential ingredient to a pleasant and responsive computing experience, so adding more RAM to a system is a quick and cheap way to help ensure slowdowns are avoided as much as possible. 4GB of RAM is currently the most popular configuration among gaming PCs. This may be sufficient for a light home user who primarily uses the computer for surfing Facebook or playing casual games. However, many power users and enthusiasts find 4GB to be insufficient once the PC is under heavy use. In my personal system, for example, RAM usage hits 4GB very quickly when I am engaging in the task of ripping, copying, and encoding blu ray disc files. In professional settings as well, RAM becomes a scarce resource whenever multiple virtual machines or productivity applications are open simultaneously. Crucial has been meeting memory needs of PC users for 15 years. There was a point in time when crucial.com was one of the only sources for high quality, reliable, and well-priced system RAM. Today we are reviewing one of Crucial’s enthusiast products, the Crucial BallistiX DDR3 DDR3-2000 8GB kit. These modules are designed to run up to 2000MHz at 9-11-9-27 timings using a voltage of 1.65V. Crucial reports the model number is BL2KIT51264FN2001 and can be purchased for $119.99 direct from Crucial’s site. Newegg also appears to be selling the 4GB modules individually for $52.99 with free shipping.