DDR5, the successor of the popular DDR4 RAM that powers many computers today, will come out on 12th October. It has been said to offer better overclocking and power efficiency than its predecessor.
You guessed it; it’s that time of year again when news of another DDR is published, piquing the enthusiasm of both amateurs and experts alike. At this time, tech forums explode with questions about the newest RAM products’ requirements and specs. As a result, we’ve chosen to share what we know about DDR5 and what it offers in terms of customer benefits.
We address some of the most pressing questions about the newest memory arriving in the accompanying article. When will DDR5 become available? Is it worthwhile to invest in DDR5 RAM? What is the difference between DDR5 and DDR4 RAM? These are only a few of the topics discussed further down. So, without further ado, let’s get right into what we can anticipate from DDR5.
DDR4 vs. DDR5: Which is Better?
DDR5 developers promise excellent performance numbers, claiming that the following RAM modules will be twice as fast as today’s DDR4-3200 RAM. This sounds fantastic, but what does “double the performance” really mean?
The DDR5 architecture claims to be twice as dense and twice as fast as the first-generation DDR4-3200 modules. DDR5 will be able to fit 32GB per stick in the same area as DDR4, which is now limited to 16GB per stack.
Furthermore, we believe that DDR5 will be able to reach at least 6400Mhz in consumer options. However, if DDR4 is anything to go off, we will likely see much higher speeds thanks to aftermarket overclocking. This will naturally fit AMD APUs & CPUs as they thrive on higher speed memory.
The table below summarizes some of the finer points to look forward to in the current module.
| Feature | DDR4 | DDR5 | The Benefits of DDR5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rates of data | 3200Mhz | 4800-6400mhz | Increased bandwidth and performance |
| VDD/VDDQ/VPP | 1.2 | 1.1 | Reduced power |
| Densities of devices | 16GB Max | 64GB | Monolithic devices that are larger |
| Prefetch | 8n | 16n | Maintains a low internal core clock. |
| CRC | Write | Read/Write | Protects read data, which improves the RAS of the system. |
| duration of a burst | BL8 | BL16 and BL32 | With just one DIMM subchannel, it’s possible to retrieve 64B cache lines. |
As you can see, DDR5 offers much higher Rates of data, lower overall power consumption, much higher density per stick, and a BL16 duration of a burst which, when all paired together, shows the true potential this hardware brings to the table.
The data rate, which is one of the better improvements we’ve seen over DDR4, actually allows for an increase of 1.36X adequate bandwidth when comparing DDR4 vs. DDR5: Which is Better? At 3200Mhz. If you do the same math against a higher speed DDR5 (4800Mhz), then the results produce almost double what DDR4 has to offer. See the chart below:
DDR5 also has additional advantages, such as two separate 40-bit channels per mode, enhanced command bus efficiency, and expanded bank group and refresh schemes.
When will DDR5 be released?
JEDEC revealed in March 2017 that DDR5 was being developed and would be delivered in 2018. In November 2018, SK Hynix officially released the world’s first DDR5 compatible RAM module, which they indicated will be accessible to customers in 2020.
Since then, SK Hynix has announced some good news, indicating that DDR5 would be officially launched by the end of 2019. Whether or if this occurs is another matter entirely. However, with AMD’s newest APUs and CPUs expected out in July, DDR5 will be a welcome addition when it eventually arrives, given the growing need for faster memory bandwidth.
Because new CPUs now have more cores than ever, improvements in the RAM industry have had to be made to keep up with the GB/s per-core bandwidth demands. However, thanks to the increased Rates of data, DDR5 takes a huge step forward in the right direction, as seen in the chart below.
DDR5 Price & Availability
New hardware pricing is often a source of conjecture, and DDR5 is no exception. We don’t yet know how much the speedy memory will cost, but we do know that it will be more expensive than DDR4, based on past data. Who’d have guessed?!
It’s not surprising, but it’s worth highlighting since DDR4 might still give you an unpleasant jolt in the pocket. DDR4 RAM may cost as much as $200, while DDR5 claims to be TWICE as good. It is yet to be revealed how this translates into a monetary value.
Unfortunately, availability is the same situation. THANKS TO SAMSUNG AND MICRON, the LPDDR5 variant of DDR5 will most likely be the first to arrive in the mobile sector. However, it will serve as a decent yardstick for what we might anticipate from desktop PC versions.
A chart created by SK Hynix revealed a reliable indication of when DDR5 will become widespread. They attempted to forecast how the sales market will divide in the following years. The graph is shown below.
DDR5 is expected to account for 25% of total memory market sales in 2020 and 40% by 2021, according to SK Hynix. This provides us a fair idea of how much RAM will cost since they expect DDR4 will continue to play a significant role in the memory game.
Is DDR5 a good investment?
That is, after all, the main question. It all boils down to how much these modules will cost once made available.
As most will already know, for years, upgrading your RAM was probably the least effective way of achieving performance gains in your system. However, since the release of AMD’s new CPU & APU hierarchy, that’s no longer the case.
AMD CPUs flourish when coupled with faster RAM. Thus, the release of DDR5 6400Mhz will be an excellent addition, particularly now that the new Ryzen 3000 processors are also on the way. Unfortunately, we don’t know what hardware will be completely compatible with the new modules, so we’ll have to play the waiting game for the time being.
Final Thoughts
That’s all there is to know about DDR5 memory at the moment. It’ll be interesting to see what real-world benefits you get from incorporating this new quick memory into your equipment. Is it going to make a significant impact, or won’t it make a difference?
Rest assured, as soon as desktop PC DDR5 becomes available, we at WEPC will thoroughly analyze how effective this new technology is. In addition, we’ll keep this page updated frequently so that you’re always up to speed on the latest news and announcements.
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