CPU makers have noticed that the seemingly incessant rises in the price of RAM are making it difficult for many of us to upgrade our PCs. Their solution? A return to the latest generation DDR4 RAM. Intel and AMD are making new processors that will support the older, more affordable type of memory.
On Friday, Gigabyte announced that two of its motherboard lines would support “upcoming” processors built on the Intel LGA 1700 socket. This socket debuted in 2021 with the 12th generation Alder Lake processors and supported both DDR4 RAM and the new DDR5 RAM. Intel abandoned it in favor of a DDR5-only approach in 2024. But according to Gigabyte, dual-format support is now restored, with new LGA 1700 chips “expected to launch in early 2027.”
Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This step back stems from LGA 1700’s cross-compatibility with both types of RAM – an advantage over its successor which has recently become much more prominent. Intel’s strategy could be to offer users the choice of a new processor that would not also require them to upgrade to new, very expensive DDR5 memory. AMD is doing something similar: in August, Gigabyte also announced a new series of motherboards for AMD’s latest-generation DDR4-compatible AM4 platform, to accompany the 10th anniversary relaunch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor.
DDR4 began hitting the market in 2014 and has since been replaced by the much faster DDR5. Under normal circumstances, buying new hardware to use technology that is more than a decade old would probably be a bad investment. But the RAM shortage is a game-changer, with DDR4 RAM apparently appearing much less affected by the price rise than DDR5.
I recently noticed the price disparity while shopping for new RAM after a DDR4 kit died abruptly. Right now, a 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM kit costs $620, while the corresponding DDR4 kit costs $260. Even though 32GB+ DDR4 RAM typically costs in mid-2025, that’s more than double the price of DDR5! Of course, DDR5 has significant advantages, like higher speeds and better power efficiency. But those benefits may not be worth the current price of admission.
It may be years before prices drop again, a reality that is starting to really sink in with the official return of older sockets and chipsets. But at least now is a good time to save your DDR4 RAM.
Gn tech
