Overclocking has also improved, with Intel updating XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) to 3.0 for DDR5. Where XMP 2.0 only supported two profiles, the latest version boasts five. Three memories are set by the manufacturer, the other two for you to modify and edit your own settings. Intel Hosts spreadsheets with common manufacturer settings If you are curious what those profiles look like.
You may have noticed that, despite the overall higher clock speed, latency on DDR5 memory is slightly slower than DDR4. However this does not tell the whole story, and As memory manufacturer Corsair points out“DDR4 typically has a CAS latency of 16, while DDR5 has a minimum CAS latency of 32. However, due to its faster clock speed, the new standard has better overall performance.” In other words, it takes more cycles to complete a task, but those cycles are much faster than before.
Real nerdy stuff
There are a few other changes to the standard for DDR5 that don’t really affect which sticks you have in your particular PC.
DDR5 memory should use less power overall than DDR4, though not in a way that would let you get away with a smaller power supply. Instead, it gives manufacturers and overclockers more voltage headroom to push for even higher speeds. Each stick of DDR5 memory also has its own power management chip, rather than the motherboard handling power distribution. Again, probably not something that will matter to most people, but it should result in a more consistent experience when using XMP profiles.
You also get increased bandwidth for a large change in the infrastructure of a memory DIMM. Where each DDR4 module relies on a single 64-bit channel, DDR5 has two 32-bit channels. When combined with increased speed and efficiency, The memory manufacturer says important “Users can achieve up to 2X system bandwidth compared to DDR4 for next-gen, multi-core CPUs.”
Installation slots for random access memory (RAM) computer chips sit on a support board for a server system at Bull SA headquarters in Angers, France, Monday, June 23, 2014. Thierry Breton is the chief executive officer of software maker Atos. Engineering a 620-million-euro ($846 million) bid to acquire Bull, the computer company he tried to revive two decades ago. Photographer: Balint Porneczy/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph: Blint Porneczy/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Some manufacturers also mention Error Correction Code, or ECC, which is now present on DDR5 memory. This differs slightly from ECC on DDR4, which was an additional module on chips designed for server or commercial use. Instead of helping a bunch of different memory chips communicate reliably, it corrects errors in individual banks before sending them to the motherboard. Commercial memory manufacturer ATP An in-depth explanation On the logic of this technique that’s beyond the scope of what you need for your gaming computer, if that’s of interest.
Too much to remember?
If you are Creating a new PCIt’s very likely that your motherboard will support DDR5, so that’s what you should buy. The only reason you need DDR4 memory for a new build is if you’re using older parts specifically to keep costs down. It’s more likely that you’ll be hunting for DDR4 because you’re upgrading an existing system.
In the early days of launch, you might have paid almost twice as much for DDR5 as for DDR4, but prices have settled down with more widespread adoption, and they’ll look recognizable to anyone who bought memory before the update. .
