From The Verge · Stevie Bonifield · · 1m 30s
Decade-old RAM is making a comeback
Intel and AMD are releasing new CPUs for older DDR4 memory as price hikes make DDR5 upgrades unaffordable for PC gamers.
In brief
Intel and AMD are releasing new CPUs for older DDR4 memory as price hikes make DDR5 upgrades unaffordable for PC gamers. Intel and AMD are reviving support for decade-old DDR4 RAM in new CPUs because DDR5 price hikes are making PC upgrades too expensive. Originally reported by The Verge.
RAM prices force a rethink
Rising RAM costs are making PC upgrades unaffordable. Intel and AMD are responding by building new CPUs that support older, cheaper DDR4 memory instead of expensive DDR5.
Intel revives an old socket
On Friday, Gigabyte announced that two of its motherboard lines will support upcoming processors built on Intel's LGA seventeen hundred socket.
Intel dropped DDR4 in twenty twenty-four
Intel abandoned the LGA seventeen hundred socket for a DDR5-only approach in twenty twenty-four. But according to Gigabyte, dual format support is now being revived, with new LGA seventeen hundred chips expected to launch in…
AMD takes a similar path
AMD is doing something similar. In August, Gigabyte announced a new series of motherboards for AMD's last-gen, DDR4-compatible AM4 platform to go along with the ten-year-anniversary relaunch of the Ryzen seven fifty-eight hundred X three…
The price gap is stark
A DDR5 thirty-two gigabyte Corsair Vengeance RAM kit costs six hundred twenty dollars, while the corresponding DDR4 kit costs two hundred sixty dollars.
“Right now, a DDR5 32GB Corsair Vengeance RAM kit costs $620, while the corresponding DDR4 kit costs $260.”
Prices may stay high for years
It could be years before RAM prices drop again. The return of older sockets and chipsets reflects how serious the shortage has become, making it a good time to hold onto existing DDR4 RAM.
The key point
Intel and AMD are reviving support for decade-old DDR4 RAM in new CPUs because DDR5 price hikes are making PC upgrades too expensive.
