Hands-on review: Crucial Pro Overclocking 32GB DDR5-6000 memory modules

Micron's Crucial Pro Overclocking 32GB DDR5-6000 UDIMM kit is desktop RAM designed for overclocking, or more commonly reaching 6000Mhz via Intel XMP 3.0 or AMD EXPO "factory" overclocking profiles. The kit comes with two 16GB DDR unbuffered dual inline memory modules.

As DDR5 matures, we are starting to see the benefits over older DDR4 modules. AMD users don't have a choice, but the latest Intel CPUs still support DDR4 and DDR5. Module speeds are significantly higher than DDR4. Newer DDR5 modules have faster timings, so now we don't have to compromise so much with higher latencies, which would negate the memory speed increase.

Micron has been in the semiconductor game for almost 50 years. For the last 25 years, the company have focused on memory modules and solid-state drives. Whilst not as glamorous as some of its competitor's solutions, from my experience Crucial memory products tend to be robust, dependable and free of compatibility issues. I was interested to see if Micron's Crucial Pro Overclocking 32GB DDR5-6000 UDIMM kit continues this legacy. 

32GB is the current desktop memory sweet spot for gaming and normal computer use. Only users working with large images, video or 3D data files will need any more, making the 32GB Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5 kits rather appealing. 

I tested the Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5-6000 memory modules in a rig running with an AMD Ryzen 7950X CPU and AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU. The modules are easily clipped in the test rig's Asus TUF Gaming X670E-Plus Wi-Fi motherboard.   

The pair of Crucial DDR5 modules in the kit look very stylish. The lack of RGB gives the black origami-inspired heat spreaders a refined look that complements more reserved PC builds.   

By default, the Crucial modules will run at 5600MT/s with 46-45-45 timings, but with Intel's XMP 3.0 or AMD's EXPO, the memory speed increases to 6000MT/s with 36-38-38-80 timings. To access these faster speeds, all you need to do is check that the memory profiles are set in your motherboard's UEFI BIOS menu.

Checking with the CPU-Z app, and sure enough, with AMD EXPO the modules registered at 2999.0Mhz (x2 for DDR and you get the 6000MHz) with a CAS (CL) latency of 36 clocks, tRCD of 38 clocks, tRP of 38 clocks and a tRAS of 80 clocks. The Bank Cycle Time (tRC) was 144 clocks, which was higher than the suggested EXPO-6000 value of 118 but could be the Asus motherboard automatic settings to stabilise the RAM. The voltage was recorded at 1.35V.

Passmark's Performance Test 11 Memory Test delivered a result putting the Crucial modules in the top 89% of memory tested with the application. The average data transfer rate was recorded at 11410 MB/s. 

Synthetic benchmarking aside, I found the RAM to be stable and reliable in the test rig. Playing games was no issue, as was the performance in more memory-intensive applications such as Photoshop and Premiere Pro. 

You can pick up the Crucial Pro Overclocking 32GB DDR5-6000 kit for around AUD$180/NZ$250, and even cheaper if you look hard. This makes the RAM a very viable option for a mid to high-end gaming rig or creative desktop PC.