DDR5 SDRAM TECHNOLOGY

DDR5 is the next evolution of PC main memory. This version is primarily focused on increasing the density and bandwidth of RAM while lowering its power consumption.

With today’s DDR4 technology, the largest consumer modules top out at 32GB. DDR5 can quadruple that capacity. A typical mainstream PC with four DDR4 DIMM slots will max out at 128GB.

A cutting-edge system built around four DDR5 DIMM slots can reach 512GB. And even higher-end systems with eight DDR5 DIMM slots should be able to reach a ludicrous 1TB of RAM.

As with any new technology, you can expect DDR5 to cost more than today’s comparable DDR4 modules. RAM maker Samsung has said to expect DDR5 to cost at least 30 percent more at introduction. That’s just for the chips themselves, too.

When Team Group offered up a 32GB DDR5/4800 pair, the pre-order price in late June was $311 on Amazon.

A comparable Team Group set of 32GB DDR4 modules fetched from $150 to $180, according to PCMag.

With the greater bandwidth and higher capacity, DDR5 will also add heat to the mix—but it’s not necessarily due to the chips themselves running hotter.

With DDR5, voltage regulation for the RAM will move directly into the module itself. With DDR4, the voltage for the RAM is located on the motherboard.

We really have no answer to this right now.

We can say that during previous memory transitions, the price premium was rarely worth it to those looking for practical impacts.

That was typically due to the newer RAM typically starting very conservatively with speed and timings, with the older RAM benefiting from years of being pushed as fast as it could go.