DDR4 vs. DDR5 RAM: What’s the Difference?

Overclocking has also improved, with the upgrade of Intel XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) to 3.0 for DDR5. While XMP 2.0 only supported two profiles, the latest version has five. Three are installed by the memory manufacturer, and the other two are for customization and customization. Intel consists of spreadsheets with preferences from local producers if you want to know what the profiles look like.

You may have noticed that, despite the higher clock speed, the latency of DDR5 memory is less than DDR4. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, either as memory manufacturer Corsair explains“DDR4 usually has a CAS latency of 16, while DDR5 will have a CAS latency of at least 32. However, due to its clock speed, the new standard works better.” In other words, it takes more cycles to complete a task, but these cycles are faster than before.

The Real Nerdy Stuff

There are a few other changes to DDR5 standards that don’t affect what you’ll be doing on your PC.

DDR5 memory should use less power than DDR4, although not in a way that will help you deal with smaller power supplies. Instead, it gives developers and overclockers more voltage headroom to push the clock to higher speeds. Each stick of DDR5 memory has its own power management device as well, instead of a power supply board. Again, it’s probably not something that will be important to most people, but it should bring a more consistent experience when using XMP profiles.

You also gain bandwidth thanks to significant improvements in the basic design of the memory DIMM. While each DDR4 module relied on a single 64-bit channel, DDR5 has two 32-bit channels. When combined with increased speed and efficiency, memory manufacturer Crucial says “Users can achieve up to 2X system bandwidth compared to DDR4 for other, multi-core CPUs.”

Slots for installing RAM machines (RAM) on a server support board at the headquarters of Bull SA in Angers, France, Monday, June 23, 2014. Thierry Breton, chief executive officer of software developer Atos, is making 620 million euros. ($846 million) to buy the Bull computer company, which he tried to revive 20 years ago. Photo: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhoto: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Some manufacturers also specify the Error Correction Code, or ECC, present on DDR5 memory. This is slightly different from ECC on DDR4, which was an additional feature available on chips that we make for server or commercial use. Instead of helping a bunch of different memory chips communicate reliably, it corrects errors on the same banks before sending them to the motherboard. ATP memory trading has a deep narrator in terms of this technology that goes beyond what is needed for your gaming computer, if it is interesting.

Too Much to Remember?

If you are build a new PCit’s highly likely that your motherboard supports DDR5, so that’s what you should buy. The only reason you would need DDR4 memory in a new build is if you are using older hardware to save money. It is possible that you are looking for DDR4 because you are upgrading an existing system.

In the early days of the launch, you may have paid almost twice as much for DDR5 than DDR4, but the prices have stabilized and caught on, and they look familiar to anyone who bought memory before the launch.