Photos and Aesthetic
So Lexar sent both a set of their ARES RGB DDR4 and ARES RGB DDR5 desktop memory kits. But the packaging for both kits is almost identical except for the DDR5 after the Ares logo on the DDR5 kit. They come in a box, like the last Lexar memory kit that I took a look at. The box has a large picture of the memory on the front which has the RGB lighting on top rendered to show you that they have lighting. Then up in the top left corner, it has a large Lexar logo and then the Ares branding is in the bottom left in a smaller font. They have icons for all of the main motherboard RGB software in the top corner to let you know that the Ares kit can be controlled by any of those then there is a sticker in the bottom right corner. That sticker has the kit capacity and speed which will depend on what kit you get. Around on the back, that same stick wraps around and has the barcode and serial numbers for both sticks of memory. The back of the packaging has a basic specification listing which is different between the DDR4 and DDR5 options then they talk about increased performance and the RGB lighting up above that which is repeated across multiple languages.
Inside the boxes, both kits come in a black plastic tray with a clear plastic top. There isn’t any documentation or anything else that you will need inside. The trays hold each stick in place with a big gap between each other and there is a small buffer around the outside edge to help protect from damage.
With the two kits that Lexar sent over, we have the 32GB DDR5 kit with a 6400 MT/s speed and the more standard 3600 MHz 32GB DDR4 kit, both in black. The DDR4 kit is available in both a 16GB kit with dual 8GB sticks and also the 32GB kit with dual 16GB sticks that we have here, the DDR5 kit is only available in the 32GB kit. Then they have different speeds available with 5600MT/s and 6400 MT/s kits for the DDR5 kit and 3600, 3866, and 4000 Mbps options for the DDR4 kits. They also have black and white heatspreaders available for some but not all of the kits with the black being across the board but white is available only with some kits.
Both the DDR5 and DDR4 kits have a black PCB and with the black kits that we have they also both have the same black heatspreader design. The heatspreader does extend up beyond the top of the PCB and they are 43.3mm tall in total. They have a textured finish and have the Lexar logo in the center printed onto the metal heatspreader and with the Ares branding up on the RGB diffuser that runs the length of the ram. They have a winged design printed near the ends on both sides and the DDR5 kit also has a badge printed with DDR5 on it, this is the only way to tell the two kits apart without reading the sticker. Speaking of which, each stick has a sticker on the back side which is partially black with all of the regulatory logos on the black and a white section where they have the serial number and a barcode for the serial number. That also has the stick's capacity, speed, and timings listed as well.
The Lexar Ares RGB kits, as the name implies, have RGB lighting integrated into them. Of course, the LEDs on top of the PCB wouldn’t look that good with just bare LEDs. You need a diffuser to help soften the lighting up, help them blend together, and so the LEDs aren’t visible. They do this with a translucent white diffuser across the top. The lighting will glow through this and be visible anywhere you see white which in this case is the top edge of course and on the sides, including lighting up the Ares branding on the sides. The corners also have an angle to them to help make the lighting more visible from the end as well.
The end view of the memory shows how the two aluminum panels make up the heatspreader and sit on top of the ram. At the ends, they have the one tab that wraps around. Each stick is 7.9mm thick which is what you would expect.
