Chipmakers Revive Older DDR4 Memory Support as DDR5 Prices Soar
Intel and AMD are preparing new processors that support older DDR4 memory, as rising RAM prices make PC upgrades costly. DDR4 has become far less expensive than the newer DDR5.
Processor makers Intel and AMD are responding to persistently rising prices for computer memory (RAM) by preparing new CPUs that work with last-generation DDR4 memory. According to tech outlet The Verge, the move would let PC owners upgrade their machines without buying the very expensive DDR5 memory.
Intel and AMD plans
On Friday, motherboard maker Gigabyte announced that two of its motherboard lines will support upcoming Intel processors built on the LGA 1700 socket, the physical processor interface standard. The socket debuted in 2021 with 12th-generation Alder Lake CPUs and supported both DDR4 and the then-new DDR5. Intel dropped it in 2024 in favor of a DDR5-only approach. Gigabyte says the new LGA 1700 chips are expected in early 2027. Intel did not immediately respond to the outlet's request for comment.
AMD is taking a similar step. In August, Gigabyte announced a new series of motherboards for AMD's previous-generation AM4 platform, which is DDR4-compatible. It accompanies the relaunch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor for its 10th anniversary.
The price gap
DDR4 memory reached the market in 2014 and has since been succeeded by the much faster DDR5. Buying new hardware built around technology more than a decade old would normally be a poor investment, but the RAM shortage has changed the calculation: DDR4 prices have risen much less than DDR5 prices.
The article's author cites one example: a 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 kit currently costs $620, while the matching DDR4 kit costs $260. That is more than 32GB of DDR4 typically cost in mid-2025, but DDR5 is more than twice as expensive. DDR5 offers higher speeds and better power efficiency, though those advantages may not be worth the current price.
The outlet notes that prices could take years to fall, and says the return of older sockets and chipsets underlines that.
