Crucial's new Ballistix MAX RAM lets you 3D print your own lightbar

While most of the CES excitement has centred around new graphics cards like AMD's Radeon RX 5600 XT, CPUs and strange new concept devices like Alienware's Switch-like UFO PC this year, Crucial have something a little different on their CES booth this year: a new line of next-generation high-performance RAM that lets you 3D print your own personalised lightbar.

Set to be Crucial's new flagship DDR4 memory line, their Ballistix Max series will offer RAM speeds from a whopping 4000MHz all the way up to 4400MHz. Available in densities of 8GB and 16GB, each Max stick will have a black aluminium heat spreader to help keep it cool, as well as special DIMM modules with integrated thermal sensors so you can monitor its temperature in real-time.

Naturally, each stick comes replete with RGB lighting, too, with 16 LEDs spread across eight lighting zones that you'll be able to customise using Asus' AuraSync software, Gigabyte's RGB Fusion tool or MSI's Mystic Light program. Each Ballistic Max stick will come with a lightbar in the box, but Crucial say this can be removed to pop your own 3D printed one on instead. Now, this isn't the first time Crucial have given us the option to 3D print our own lightbars - they did the same thing for their new Tactical Tracer RAM sticks in back April 2018 - but just think of this as yet another opportunity to have a rainbow-infused Horace wiggling his way proudly around your PC. That's what I'd stick on it if I had a 3D printer, for sure.

The Ballistix Max sticks aren't the only new RAM kits Crucial have announced this week, either. They've also redesigned their regular Ballistix RAM sets to include their latest Micron dies, making them better suited for high-end overclocking and faster performance. These won't be quite as nippy as the Max sticks, but with speeds ranging from 2400MHz to 3600MHz in densities of 4GB up to 32GB, there should be plenty of options to pick from. They're also going to have aluminium heat spreaders available in black, white and red to add a touch of colour to the main body, as well as exactly the same 8-zone, 16 LED RGB lighting as Crucial's Max line for extra customisation.

What's more, the Ballistix and Ballistix Max sticks will be replacing Crucial's existing Ballistix Sport, Tactical and Elite RAM series once they launch on February 4th 2020, which should hopefully make it a bit easier to figure out which RAM kit is best suited to your PC. There's no word on exact pricing just yet, but with just under a month to go before they arrive, we shouldn't have to wait too long before we find out.

For more news from this year's CES, check out our CES 2020 tag.