DDR5 RAM recommendations?

I figured it was time to get this thread going, seeing as DDR5 memory is hitting retail shelves for desktop PCs very soon, around November 5th.

The first real desktop PC entry point for DDR5 will be the Intel Socket LGA 1700 platform, which is designed to house the new Intel Alder Lake processors. When dealing with the Intel LGA 1700 socket, you're essentially faced with two distinct motherboard paths, meaning an informed buyer has to make a choice right out of the gate between sticking with DDR4 or opting for the somewhat pricier DDR5.

- a motherboard supporting DDR4 memory

- a motherboard supporting DDR5 memory

It is worth noting upfront that while DDR5 memory features 288 pins just like DDR4, they aren't physically compatible with the same slots; if you look closely at the module, the Key Notch isn't in the same spot as it is on DDR4.



DDR5 is launching with base clock speeds starting at 4800MHz, and since the CAS Latency on the budget-friendly models sits at CL40, we are looking at significantly higher latencies compared to what we see with DDR4.

That said, DDR5 speeds can scale all the way up to 8400MHz, providing massive frequency jumps over the 3200MHz speeds that currently define the DDR4 standard.While raw frequency matters, the latency of the memory is equally critical, where lower is always better.

Based on what we know so far, neither Intel nor AMD—with their upcoming AM5 socket—plan to release a motherboard that supports both DDR4 and DDR5 simultaneously, as engineering a hybrid board would likely be prohibitively expensive and unnecessarily complex.

Ultimately, there is the matter of cost, because for anyone looking to upgrade in 2022, the price-to-performance ratio for DDR5 feels either like a heavy investment or just plain overpriced.🍿

https://videocardz.com/press-release...-32gb-capacity

https://videocardz.com/press-release...zen4-platforms

https://videocardz.com/press-release...p-to-5200-mt-s

https://videocardz.com/press-release...ngeance-memory

https://videocardz.com/press-release...ith-trident-z5

https://videocardz.com/press-release...clocked-memory

Right now, you can't really find DDR5 memory sitting on the shelves at any major US retailer.To put it simply, if you're looking for DDR5 specifically geared toward gaming or mixed workloads, we probably won't see things start to stabilize until sometime around June 2022.☕

This is an interesting set of tests, particularly regarding how much of a difference you actually see when jumping from 4800MHz up to 6400MHz on DDR5 memory.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/17078...ing-analysis/5



Cinebench and Blender show virtually no difference, which isn't really surprising, and the impact on gaming is so marginal that it's basically negligible. They didn't go particularly deep here either, just a couple of applications and some light gaming. While the sample size isn't massive, the results are pretty much what anyone would expect to see.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/17078...ing-analysis/3

https://www.anandtech.com/show/17078...ing-analysis/4

The G.Skill 2x16 GB DDR5 kit used in this test is currently sitting at $700. It was listed for $530 just a few days ago, so prices have taken quite a jump.😉

https://www.amazon.com/G-Skill-PC5-4.../dp/B09MYJW7RB

DDR5 prices are finally starting to dip, which isn't much of a surprise given how things usually work.That said, when you consider the general state of the economy and the constant inflation we're dealing with, any savings on memory feel pretty negligible at this point.☕

https://videocardz.com/newz/ddr5-mem...per-in-a-month

It really feels like Intel 14 is the final nail in the coffin for DDR4. If anyone is currently sitting there debating whether to build a 13th Gen system, my advice would be to just bite the bullet now and budget for a DDR5 motherboard instead.