DDR5 RAM is the latest standard for system memory inside desktop and laptop PCs, replacing DDR4. This new standard promises higher capacities, better efficiencies, faster speeds, and advanced features not typically found on older DDR4 RAM modules. If you're on the fence about deciding between DDR4 and DDR5 or want to know what you can enjoy by upgrading to a CPU and motherboard supporting DDR5, we've rounded up some reasons why DDR5 is better than DDR4.
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4 DDR5 RAM is much faster
With speeds surpassing 10,000 MT/s!
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G.Skill isn't shy about smashing records and the company recently shared news about hitting 12,666 MT/s with ASRock. To put this into context, DDR4 kits were often found with speeds up to 3,200 M/Ts as standard with brands pushing kits to 5,000 MT/s. The JDEC standard for DDR5 started at 4,000 MT/s but has already leaped to 8,800 MT/s with some kits going far higher. It's not difficult to upgrade to DDR5 and enjoy double the transfer rate.
Faster speeds don't always translate to better system performance across all workloads. Gaming, for example, won't see much of an uplift migrating from DDR4 unless you're using the latest AMD processors with DDR5-7200 and tight timings. To be clear; there is an improvement moving from DDR4 and DDR5 but you should keep expectations in check as the double-digit gains are usually associated with non-gaming workloads.
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3 DDR5 RAM has a higher capacity per module
Going all the way up to 128GB
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DDR4 was a colossal upgrade over DDR3 in terms of capacity. Instead of a measly 16GB per module, DDR4 offered up to 64GB per stick, allowing for much higher board capacities. DDR5 takes this to the next level with capacities up to 128GB per module, which was the overall capacity supported by DDR4 motherboards. This won't matter much to the average PC owner since not many systems run with more than 32 GB but it opens up new possibilities for enthusiast and workstation usage.
2 DDR5 RAM draws less power
Efficiency is king
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AMD and Intel are racing to make their processors the most efficient, but the standard organization Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JDEC) that governs and develops RAM is also working on further reducing the amount of power required by memory modules. To achieve this, the body lowered operating voltages for DDR5 and implemented an on-board power management integrated circuit (PMIC), taking power management from the motherboard.
These changes allow DDR5 RAM to run more efficiently than DDR4, drawing less power while providing considerable gains in transfer rates and running tighter control on timings and other parts of each module. It's the best of both worlds.
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1 DDR5 RAM has ECC (sort of)
Checking data integrity on the fly
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Error-correcting code (ECC) is an advanced feature for system memory typically reserved for servers. More expensive DDR4 modules sometimes had ECC to warrant the higher price tag, but DDR5 is bringing a version of this handy feature to every PC. Using ECC RAM can help minimize system crashes and data loss by adding an extra chip to the memory bank for handling error checking and correction. While DDR5 ECC isn't as powerful as traditional ECC, it's still better than nothing.
Where ECC memory will have a dedicated chip for checking and correcting bits, DDR5 has built-in on-die data checking. As DDR5 looks to more densely packed modules with more memory, the risk of encountering errors will grow through various factors. This is where the on-die error checking comes into play. You'll still want to choose memory with full ECC capabilities for data integrity. This could be DDR5, DDR4, or some other generation of RAM.
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DDR5 is the future of system memory
AMD and Intel have transitioned from DDR4 to DDR5 with their latest processors. Intel still provided the means to switch between DDR4 and DDR5 with 12th, 13th, and 143th-gen CPUs, but the Core Ultra 200 series required DDR5. DDr5 is almost half a decade old at this point and has matured considerably with tighter timings and faster transfer speeds. When building a new PC, DDR5 is the way forward and while it would require a new motherboard, CPU, and RAM, it's also a good choice for upgrading an old system.
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