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Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz 32GB Memory Review

Lexar released its first DDR5 memory sometime in April 2022 – the Lexar ARES DDR5 memory. The design is similar to the Ares OC RGB DDR4, but this Ares DDR5 doesn’t have any RGB lighting. Despite missing any RGB lighting, the Lexar Ares DDR5 looks decent, sleek, and neutral. And when I say neutral, I mean it would blend nicely on most PC builds. Not to mention, it looks way better than the Lexar Hades RGB DDR4 we reviewed before. Today, let’s take a look at the Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz 32GB memory kit and find out how it performs in our review below.

lexar ares ddr5-5200 32gb review

Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz CL38 32GB Memory Review

Lexar positions its Ares OC DDR5-5200MHz memory kit on top of its memory product stack. It’s primarily targeted toward gamers and high-performance users. Currently, Lexar only has a DDR5-5200MHz CL38 32GB memory kit for the Ares. It doesn’t seem to be available in other capacities or memory speeds.

Like the other DDR5 memory in the market, the Lexar Ares DDR5 features on-die ECC (Error Correction Code). According to Lexar, this feature leverages real-time data error correction for increased stability and reliability. It also has a built-in Power Management IC (PMIC). This feature provides better power control and power delivery while operating at a low voltage of 1.25V with an XMP profile.

Speaking of the XMP profile, the Lexar Ares DDR5 supports Intel XMP 3.0. This means it will automatically “overclock” the memory to run at the advertised speeds. You have to enable XMP from the motherboard’s BIOS menu for it to run at 5200MHz CL38; otherwise, it will run at default speeds only.

Below are the specs of the Lexar Ares DDR5. After that, let’s take a look at the memory itself and see some benchmark results.

Lexar Ares DDR5 Memory Specifications

ModelARES DDR5 5200 OC
Capacity32GB Kit (16GBx2)
Memory TypeDDR5
Interface288PIN
StandardJEDEC 79-5 / XMP 3.0
Speed5200Mbps (XMP Profile)
CAS LatencyCL38-38-38-74 (XMP Profile)
Voltage1.25V (XMP Profile)
Operating Temperature0°C to 85°C (Surface)
Storage Temperature-55°C to 100°C
Module SizeL140 x W43.25 x H7.9mm (with heat spreader)
ApplicationGaming / Content Creation

For the latest pricing and availability: (#ad)
Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz 32GB Memory is available on Amazon.com here.

Packaging and Closer Look

The Lexar Ares DDR5 memory’s retail packaging is reminiscent of the Hades DDR4 we reviewed before. It has a black with red accent theme, and you can see a photo of the memory kit on the front including the kit’s capacity and speed. Meanwhile, some of its features and specs are printed on the back.

I was a bit impressed with the new heatsink design on the Ares. It looks sleek and clean and it is definitely far better than the heatsink design on the Hades. The DDR5 memory kit doesn’t have RGB lighting (yet). As of today, only the Ares DDR4 is available in RGB, and the Ares DDR4 doesn’t have a non-RGB variant. I’m not sure what’s the reason behind this approach. Perhaps Lexar is testing the waters with its new design.

Here’s the top view of the Ares DDR5. As you can see it looks clean, there’s no branding or logo. It’s nice especially if you are building a “no RGB” system, or you just want a simple clean look.

I haven’t removed the heatsink on the Ares to see what’s under the hood. But If I am not mistaken, Lexar uses Micron NAND chips for its Ares DDR5. Okay, let’s see how it performs.

Test System Used

colorful cvn guardian ddr5 review test setup

In testing the Lexar Ares DDR5-5200 32GB (2x16GB) memory, I’m using a Z690 motherboard powered by an Intel Core i7-12700K. Below are the rest of the specifications of the system:

Operating SystemWindows 10 Pro 64bit
ProcessorIntel Core i7-12700K
CPU CoolerMSI MEG CORELIQUID S360
MotherboardAsus ROG Maximus Z690 HERO
MemoryLexar Ares DDR5-5200 CL38 32GB
Graphics CardMSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ti SURPIM X
OS DriveMSI Spatium M470 1TB Gen4 SSD
Power SupplySeasonic Prime 850W Titanium
ChassisThermaltake Core P5
lexar ares ddr5-5200 cl38 32gb cpuz

Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz CL38 Benchmarks

AIDA64 Memory Benchmark Results

lexar ares ddr5-5200 aida64 mem benchmark lexar ares ddr5-5200 aida64 mem latency

I wasn’t expecting that the Lexar Ares would be on the top of the chart. As expected it performs similarly to the XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 that has the same clock speed and CAS latency, which is 5200MHz and CL38.

Cinebench R23 Benchmark Results

lexar ares ddr5-5200 cinebench r23

Cinebench R23 is primarily a CPU benchmark. The performance differences between these memory kits are very small and negligible. It means that when it comes to CPU-intensive workloads, there won’t be any significant performance difference regardless of the memory speed.

In this test, the Lexar Ares DDR5 is in the third position, but generally speaking, the performance difference is so small that it’s basically negligible. Well, maybe not if you are comparing it with the DDR4 memory.

By the way, the DDR4 memory was also tested with a Z690 motherboard, MSI Tomahawk DDR4 to be exact. And it was tested with the same CPU. Only the motherboard was changed.

3DMark Benchmark Suite

Some of you might be wondering if there’s any benefit of a faster DDR5 memory when it comes to gaming. Well, as you can see from the results above, there’s not much difference at all. My DDR4-4000 memory kit can keep up with the DDR5 memory kits. However, there are some improvements and benefits if you are using a faster 6000MHz memory kit (or above) with a low CAS Latency of CL36 or CL32.

In these tests, the Lexar Ares DDR5 performed right in the middle of the bunch. Again, the performance difference is very small that it’s basically negligible. And the results slightly change in each benchmark run.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Game Benchmark

lexar ares ddr5-5200 sottr game benchmark

I didn’t test a bunch of games since the results would be more or less similar. As you have seen from the 3D Mark benchmark results, the difference between each memory kit isn’t that huge. But it does scale consistently. The higher the clock speed and the lower the latency of the memory kit tends to perform better.

I tested the memory kits using the Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s built-in benchmark since it’s very consistent. The Lexar Ares DDR5-5200 CL38 performed identically to the XPG Lancer RGB DDR5-5200 CL38. But honestly speaking, the difference is just a few FPS that it won’t be noticeable at all while playing.

There is a difference though if you are coming from a DDR4 memory or the “slowest” DDR5, which is 4800MHz with CL40. Again, I noticed that faster clocked DDR5 paired with a lower CAS Latency tends to perform better in general.

Also, the fps difference between the DDR4-4000 memory kit and the DDR5-6000 is roughly around 8% to 9%. Whether or not it’s significant is up to you to decide. One thing I can say though, the price difference between a DDR4 memory kit and a DDR5 memory kit is quite substantial. But that’s going to change since DDR5 prices are starting to go down, albeit slowly.

PCMark 10 Benchmark

lexar ares ddr5-5200 pcmark10

Last but not the least, I tested the memory kits using the PCMark 10 benchmark test. This test is a comprehensive set of tests that covers a wide range of activities from everyday productivity tasks to demanding work with digital media content. It’s primarily divided into three categories: content creation, productivity, and essentials.

This is the only test where the Lexar Ares DDR5-5200 surprised me. I wasn’t expecting that it would perform slightly better than the faster memory kits. It outperformed Colorful’s CVN Guardian DDR5-6000MHz and even the Patriot Viper Venom DDR5-6200MHz. Again, the difference isn’t that substantial, but I was a bit surprised with the result.

Pricing and Availability

The Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz 32GB memory kit is now available. Lexar is also offering a limited lifetime warranty for the said product. At the time this review was published, this memory kit retails for $199.99. We expect that DDR5 prices will change and go down as we (slowly) transition from DDR4 to DDR5 memory. For the latest pricing and availability, kindly follow the link below.

(#ad) Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz 32GB Memory is available on Amazon.com here.

lexar ares ddr5-5200 32gb review

Lexar Ares DDR5-5200MHz CL38 Review Conclusion

Lexar’s first DDR5 memory is surprisingly good. It doesn’t have any RGB lighting, only the Ares DDR4 has RGB lighting. I’m not sure if Lexar will release an RGB version of the Ares DDR5 in the future. Nevertheless, it does have a sleek-looking, neutral color and design, and aesthetics. I like how there’s minimal branding on the heat spreader. There’s no branding on the top-front side of the memory stick, only a clean finish.

When it comes to performance, the Ares DDR5 is no slouch. Although, I think it could benefit more if it had tighter timings. Nevertheless, it performed as expected from a DDR5-5200 CL38 memory kit.

I guess the only downside with the product is that it is only available in DDR5-5200MHz CL38 32GB (2x16GB) memory kit. As of today, there’s no faster variant or larger capacity. But 32GB of DDR5 memory is plenty enough for most typical users and gamers these days.

Another possible downside is if a retailer sells these at a higher price. The prices of these DDR5 memory kits are still a bit volatile these days. However, they are (slowly) going down. Perhaps when AMD’s latest Zen 4 CPUs and X670(E) AM5 motherboards, which only support DDR5 memory, are released we will see DDR5 prices mark down further.

At the end of the day, if you want a DDR5 memory that doesn’t have any RGB lighting, has a clean and sleek-looking heat spreader design, and performs well, the Lexar Adres DDR5-5200 memory kit is a good choice.

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Author
Peter Paul
Peter is a PC enthusiast and avid gamer with several years of hands-on experience in testing and reviewing PC components, audio equipment, and various tech devices. He offers a genuine, no-nonsense perspective, helping consumers make informed choices in the ever-changing world of technology.

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