KLEVV CRAS V RGB DDR5 RAM review — Another win for KLEVV

When I first started reviewing KLEVV RAM, I suggested that it might not be the first name that comes to mind for the memory in your next build. I suggested you’d more likely think of heavyweights like Samsung, Kingston, and others. I don’t think that’s the case anymore. We’ve taken a look at several offerings from South Korean manufacturer KLEVV, and found them showing up at or near the top of every benchmark while remaining steadfast one of the lowest prices on the market. Frankly, they are beating the big boys at their own game, and today we’ll see if they can keep that streak going with their latest offering – the KLEVV CRAS V RGB. Time to roll up our sleeves to see where this 32GB dual-channel 7600 MT/s kit lands amidst some strong competition at the top end.

The CRAS V RGB is a sexy set of RAM. It has a brushed black case that is textured high-quality aluminum. This case measures just 2mm in thickness, allowing a great deal of heat dissipation. A secondary slot next to the name acts as a heat vent, working further to keep the heat moving away from the internals. To ensure that the thermals don’t run away, there is a thermal sensor on the board itself – handy for overclocking. We’ll return to this in a bit.

On top of the memory is a light dissipating strip that runs the entire length. Able to project the full light spectrum, these LEDs link into the control software of the mainboard – something I experienced immediately. As soon as I plugged them in, they synchronized instantly with the be quiet! case that I use, as well as the be Quiet Light Wings fans on my radiator and front of the case. Everyone was dancing to the same beat without a need for any additional software or configuration. Naturally, if you are inclined, you can control the lighting with KLEVV’s software, or any number of third-party software packages like Aura Sync and Chroma. If you are looking for that ice white build or a full rainbow cacophony, these memory sticks will do the trick.

If you’ve recently done a build with a large air cooler, you might have noted that ram heights can suddenly become very, very important. The KLEVV CRAS V is, despite the LED addition, just 44mm in height. This makes it perfect for not only a PC with an air cooler, but also for small form factor PCs – a nice and unexpected bonus.

Backing up a step, I did have a bit of a hiccup in attaining the reported 7600 MT/s at 36-46-46-86 1.4V timings. Simply enabling XMP on my board had it reporting at 4800 MT/s when benchmarked. This is no fault of the CRAS V, but likely a limitation of my motherboard’s current firmware. These are HK hynix chips on an Essencore-manufactured board, so I hit the advanced settings in my motherboard’s BIOS, allowing me to choose a 7600 MT/s setting from a menu, albeit at manual timings. Thankfully, during my review period I was able to update my firmware, allowing XMP 3.0 to work natively. Rebooting, it was finally time for benchmarking:

It’s pretty clear that these modules are easily competing at the top of the charts. We see a few instances where it seems like memory doesn’t make as much of a difference, but in most instances the extra bit of speed is resulting in real-world performance improvements. Given the negligible price differences (often less than $10 between the mid-tier and top) in the various models, it only makes sense to buy whatever the maximum your board can support. These charts clearly show that it matters.

These modules are available all the way up to 8000 MT/s, and the packaging advertises “extreme overclocking potential”. While I couldn’t get this particular module set working on my board at any level above the rated 7600 MT/s, perhaps more skilled overclockers can do the trick. Given that KLEVV sells a 8000 MT/s native module set, I know it’s possible. If you aren’t using an Intel-based chip, instead opting for AMD, you’ll be happy to know that the CRAS V supports AMD EXPO as well.

At the time of writing, the price of the KLEVV CRAS V RGB at 7600 MT/s prices at $164.99 for 32GB in the form of two 16GB sticks. Similar sticks of memory, with and without RGB, come in around the same price. That makes the primary difference KLEVV’s unwavering commitment to their products via a limited lifetime warranty. A few companies offer this, but entirely too many are either three or five years in length. To date we’ve not had a single failure across dozens of chips that have seen a great deal of use, so I share their confidence.