All articles tagged with #ddr5
G.SKILL has agreed to a $2.4 million class-action settlement paying affected DDR4/DDR5 RAM buyers (Trident Z and Ripjaws kits) purchased from Jan 31, 2018 to Jan 7, 2026; payments vary by kit and quantity, and the company will update packaging and listings to clearly indicate that maximum advertised speeds require XMP or EXPO overclocking, which can carry risks.
DDR5 RAM prices in Germany rose sharply in August to about 4.9× July 2025 levels, driven by AI demand and trends dubbed the 'RAMpocalypse.' Data from 3D Center via Geizhals show the price index jumping from 445% to 486% year over year, with most high‑capacity kits (64GB/48GB/32GB) posting double‑digit increases and many still 400%+ above last July. The surge is reverberating across laptops, desktops, mini PCs, GPUs, and other devices, and analysts warn that continued hikes could destabilize the PC market unless prices stabilize.
Intel’s Xeon 6 platform will be the first to support 8000 MT/s DDR5 RDIMMs, delivering up to 20% more memory bandwidth and about 3–6% gains across workloads with 1DPC 8000 MT/s RDIMM on select SKUs, with a BIOS/UPLR rollout targeting Aug–Sep this year. Additionally, 2nd Gen MRDIMMs will reach 8800 MT/s on Xeon 6 systems (notably 6900P Granite Rapids) in Q1 2027 for high-core-count AI/HPC workloads, and the roadmap points to DDR5 speeds up to 12,800 MT/s next year and 17,600 MT/s by 2029–2030 as DDR6 nears.}
At Computex and vendor booths, Micron showcased DDR5-8000 RDIMMs (standard and 3DS) to boost server memory bandwidth and efficiency, while Samsung and others are pushing MRDIMM Gen2 to up to 12,800 MT/s—offering dramatically higher per-DIMM bandwidth but limiting capacity to about 128GB—capping the total memory footprint, with AMD’s Venice and Intel’s Diamond Rapids platforms expected to adopt the newer modules and deliver multi-channel systems approaching terabyte-per-second bandwidth (e.g., ~1.6 TB/s on a 16-channel EPYC).
Valve shipped the Steam Machine with a single 16GB DDR5 SODIMM due to supply constraints. The author then spent roughly $225–$245 to source a matching 16GB DDR5 SODIMM to run dual-channel RAM, a process that requires nearly full disassembly of the compact unit. In testing, the two-channel RAM yields real but modest gains in CPU-bound tasks and certain titles (notably Baldur’s Gate 3), while overall the upgrade is expensive, fiddly, and not typically worth it unless RAM prices recover. Valve may adjust RAM configurations in future builds.
Valve ships Steam Machines with a single 16GB DDR5-5600 module, keeping the system in single-channel mode; GamersNexus benchmarks show adding a second identical stick to enable dual-channel can yield up to ~20% gains, especially in CPU-heavy tasks and certain games (e.g., Baldur’s Gate 3, Resident Evil 4, Outer Worlds 2), while some titles see little difference. Valve previously suggested negligible impact, but all units ship with one module and only gain the bandwidth benefits once a second stick is added.
Valve's Steam Machine ships with a single DDR5 RAM module to cut costs, and Gamers Nexus tests find CPU-heavy workloads improve up to about 19% with dual-channel RAM, while most games show only small gains (roughly 0.6%–3.6%). Productivity tasks like 7Zip can see larger uplifts, indicating RAM bandwidth matters more for non-gaming workloads. Some boot instability was noted with certain RAM sticks, Valve does not publish DDR5 compatibility, and while upgrading RAM is possible (the unit ships with DDR5-5600), finding matching SODIMMs can be tricky.
Intel's Raptor Lake Next introduces Core 7/5/3 desktop CPUs for the LGA1700 platform, offering configurations up to 8 P-Cores and multiple E-Core layouts, plus asynchronous cache slices to boost performance. The chips continue DDR4/DDR5 memory support on the same socket, with 65W and 125W variants, targeting mainstream and budget gamers. The launch has been pushed to early 2027 around CES, and the lineup will coexist with the 14th Gen CPUs, delivering value without new platform technologies beyond previous Raptor Lake features.
Rumors suggest Intel is lining up a Raptor Lake Next refresh (not officially confirmed) to launch alongside Nova Lake, targeting continued DDR4 support to meet demand as DDR5 remains pricey. The plan, reported by Tom's Hardware and circulated by industry insiders, would extend the current Raptor Lake Refresh strategy into early 2027, with unclear details on new SKUs or naming. The move aims to keep DDR4 motherboard production viable as users seek cheaper platforms.
AMD says DDR5 memory prices will stay elevated for about two more years due to an AI-driven demand surge and a supply squeeze; memory makers are expanding fabs but the shift from DDR4 to DDR5 has tightened DDR4 availability too, with DDR5 currently 4-5x pricier in many regions and a relief timeline not expected until around 2028, while some buyers stick with DDR4 on older systems and vendors even revive DDR4-compatible CPUs like Ryzen 7 5800X3D.
G.Skill showcased a DDR5-9200 CL74 memory kit (32GB total, 16GBx2) running at just 1.1V on the MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE motherboard, demonstrating extreme high-speed CU-DIMM overclocking on a 4-DIMM platform and planning a Computex 2026 booth reveal.
Micro Center is offering Ryzen X3D bundles like the Ryzen 7 9850X3D + ASUS B850-E motherboard for $499 (effectively a free motherboard), plus higher-end options and budget combos such as 9850X3D+B850+32GB DDR5 for $699, 7800X3D+B650E for $399 (or $599 with 32GB DDR5), and 7500X3D+B850 for $299, delivering substantial savings for high-performance or budget builds.
Asus announced its first branded RAM under the ROG Edition 20, a 48GB DDR5-6000 CL26 kit made by Biwin priced around $880. On compatible ROG Crosshair/Maximus/Strix boards, users can enable ROG mode to run up to DDR5-8000 CL36-48-48-110. The kit also supports Intel XMP and AMD EXPO, includes Aura Sync RGB, and is a limited edition for the 20th anniversary finished in gold/silver/black/red. Expected to ship in late June with worldwide availability not yet confirmed; Asus also plans ROG-certified kits with 14 other RAM makers.
ASUS ROG today unveiled the Crosshair 2006, a 20th‑anniversary, retro‑inspired high‑end motherboard built on the X870E Dark Hero platform. It features a 2‑inch OLED display on the primary M.2 slot for real‑time system info and custom images, a robust power design (20+2+2 phases) with ProCool II connectors, five M.2 slots (two PCIe 5.0), dual PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, WiFi 7, 10G/5G Ethernet, onboard USB4, a USB‑C front header with Quick Charge 4+, and the AIO Q‑Connector for streamlined liquid cooling. Aesthetics echo early ROG eras with premium cooling and copper‑style heatsinks, making it a flagship for enthusiasts who want vintage flair plus modern performance.
US retailers report a rare price dip for Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM on Amazon amid a continued memory shortage, but broad consumer relief remains unlikely in the near term as enterprise AI and data-center demand pressure supply. Google's TurboQuant AI compression could reduce memory needs in data centers, potentially easing the shortage over the long run, though prices for most DDR5 options are still elevated and broader hardware costs affect PC building.