Overclocking has also improved as Intel has updated XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) for DDR5 to 3.0. While XMP 2.0 only supported two profiles, the latest version supports five. Three are set by the memory manufacturer, and two others allow you to tweak and edit your own settings. Intel hosts spreadsheets with settings from popular manufacturers If you are curious what these profiles look like.
You may have noticed that latency with DDR5 memory is slightly slower than DDR4, despite overall higher clock speeds. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story, and as memory manufacturer Corsair explains“DDR4 typically has a CAS latency of 16, while DDR5 has a CAS latency of at least 32. However, due to its faster clock speeds, the newer standard has better performance overall.” In other words, it takes more cycles to complete a task, but those cycles are much faster than before.
The real nerd stuff
There are a few other changes to the standard for DDR5 that don’t really affect which sticks you plug into your particular PC.
DDR5 memory should use less power overall than DDR4, but not so much that you can get by with a smaller power supply. Instead, it gives manufacturers and overclockers more voltage headroom to aim for even higher speeds. Each DDR5 memory stick now also has its own power management chip, instead of the motherboard handling power distribution. Again, this probably won’t matter to most people, but it should result in a more consistent experience when using XMP profiles.
You also get higher bandwidth thanks to a major change to the basic architecture of a memory DIMM. While each DDR4 module relied on a single 64-bit channel, DDR5 has two 32-bit channels. In combination with the higher speed and efficiency says memory manufacturer Crucial “Users can double system bandwidth compared to DDR4 for next-generation multi-core CPUs.”
Computer random access (RAM) chip installation slots are located on a support board for a server system at Bull SA’s headquarters in Angers, France, on Monday, June 23, 2014. Thierry Breton, CEO of software maker Atos, is He made a 620 million euro ($846 million) offer to take over Bull, the computer company he tried to revive two decades ago. Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhoto: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Some manufacturers also mention the Error Correction Code (ECC), which is now present on DDR5 memory. This is a little different from ECC on DDR4, which was an additional module present on chips intended for server or commercial use. Instead of helping a bunch of different memory chips communicate reliably, it corrects errors in each bank before sending it to the motherboard. Commercial memory manufacturer ATP has a detailed explanation about the reasons for this technology going beyond the scope of what’s required for your gaming computer, if that’s of interest.
Too much to remember?
If yes build a new PCIt is very likely that your motherboard supports DDR5, so you should buy it. The only reason you need DDR4 memory for a rebuild is to specifically use old parts to keep costs down. It’s more likely that you’re looking for DDR4 because you’re upgrading an existing system.
In the early days of launch, you may have paid almost twice as much for DDR5 compared to DDR4, but prices have stabilized as adoption has increased and they will be recognizable to anyone who purchased memory before the update.
