As mentioned, the LEDs are configured through a program called MOD (Memory Overview Display), which must be downloaded at http://www.crucial.com/bmod. In Figure 4, we show the main screen of this program, “SPD Data,” which shows all basic information about the memory modules installed.

click to enlarge
Figure 4: Memory information

The second screen, “Temperature,” allows you to monitor the temperature of the memory modules (see Figure 5). The presence of thermal sensors is great, as not many memory modules have this feature. The program not only shows the numeric value of the temperature, but displays a color bar with colors from blue to red to indicate if your modules are cold or hot. It also draws a chart of temperature over time, which can be logged to a file as well.

click to enlarge
Figure 5: Temperature information

The next screen, “Lights,” is the one most users will use. Here you can configure the LEDs of the memory modules. You can choose the color you want the LEDs to be (in Figure 6 we chose green – we reviewed a green/red kit), the blinking pattern (there are four patterns available, called Stereo, Lava, Inside out, and Streamer), and the brightness of the LEDs.

click to enlarge
Figure 6: LEDs configuration

And finally we have the last screen, “Settings,” where you can change the temperature unit, the frequency the charts and log files will be updated, and what to do when the memory temperature reaches a certain level. This is a very interesting feature, as you can configure the memory modules to change their colors (e.g. blinking in red) when they are too hot. You can also configure the program to show the memory temperature on the desktop.

click to enlarge
Figure 7: General settings

Let’s now see the memory modules in action.