DDR4 vs DDR5 RAM [2024]

Computer hardware is always advancing to improve performance. The standard type of memory used in today’s systems is SDRAM, which has progressed through generations like DDR4 and the newest DDR5. DDR4 has been the mainstream choice for the past several years, supported by Intel and AMD CPUs during that time period. But DDR5 is now entering the spotlight. The recent 12th gen Intel Core and AMD Ryzen 6000 series chips are some of the first mainstream processors to work with the new high-speed DDR5 RAM modules. This will likely become the norm going forward as adoption increases.

DDR5 brings improved specifications over DDR4, such as faster throughput speeds of up to 4800Mbps initially. It also features higher capacities than previous generations. Manufacturers are constantly working to produce RAM that can offer even better performance. For example, Samsung is researching ultra-fast DDR6 technology for the future.

DDR4 vs DDR5: What’s different

Even though DDR5 is the newest type, you wouldn’t necessarily know it from looks alone – the modules are shaped pretty similar to previous DDR4 sticks. Both have 288 pins each, though the pin layouts do vary a bit. Where DDR5 really differentiates itself is under the hood. While DDR4 uses a single 64-bit channel, DDR5 doubles down with two independent 32-bit channels. This dual channel design allows for much faster data transfers. The burst length was also increased from 8 bytes in DDR4 to 16 bytes in DDR5. In plain English, this means DDR5 can load and manipulate more data at once in one go.

A few other technical enhancements include higher bandwidth thanks to doubling the internal data rate, as well as more advanced error correction for better stability. So in summary, even if you can’t tell them apart at a glance, DDR5 brings some serious architectural improvements compared to DDR4. The dual channel setup and longer burst lengths in particular really help maximize its performance potential.

Bandwidth & capacity

Higher bandwidth is a big win for DDR5. It’s important because CPUs today have many cores, like Intel’s 16-core i9 chips and even budget i5s have 6 cores. Games and tasks utilize multiple cores heavily. The JEDEC specifies DDR5 speed ranges from 3200MHz to 6400MHz initially. Comparatively, DDR4 tops out around 3200MHz. So DDR5-4800 will likely be the baseline, with speeds increasing over time.

Another perk is larger module densities. While DDR4 supports max 16GB chips, DDR5 quadruples that for 64GB per module theoretically. We’re already seeing 2x32GB DDR5 modules, way higher than DDR4. In the future, we may get DDR5 modules packing an enormous 128GB of memory each. But for now 64GB sticks are available and a huge leap over DDR4’s smaller capacities.

Operating Voltage

Power is an important consideration when comparing DDR4 and DDR5 RAM. Out of the box, DDR5 modules run at a lower 1.1 volts versus 1.2 volts for DDR4. However, DDR5 is still capable of pushing further with overclocking, just like DDR4 can reach up to 1.6 volts. In fact, we’ve already seen DDR5 kits hitting 1.35 volts for speeds up to 6800MT/s. As demand grows for ultra-fast memory, DDR5 will no doubt surpass even greater heights. Motherboards are also out of the voltage regulation game with DDR5 – instead, each module has its own built-in power management IC (PMIC) chip.

These PMICs take the standard 5-volt juice from the motherboard and precisely step it down to each DIMM’s exact needs. Server DDR5 might even use 12 volts stepped down. If you’re not familiar, a PMIC converts one voltage to another required by components. It’s a smarter solution versus relying on the motherboard. PMICs ensure cleaner power delivery and tighter voltage regulation, critical for stability at extremely high speeds. So while more efficient out-of-the-box, DDR5 retains headroom to scale voltages up like DDR4 – only with direct modular power handling now.

DDR4 vs DDR5 RAM: Specifications

Let’s talk about some of the major differences in specifications between DDR4 and DDR5. We look at the key differences and summarize them in the table below.

Features	DDR4 RAM	DDR5 RAM
Memory Speed	1600MHz – 3200Mhz	4800Mhz – 8400Mhz
Die Density	16Gb SDP – 64GB DIMMs	64Gb SDP -> 256GB DIMMs
Voltage	1.2 volts	1.1 Volts
Power Management	On motherboard	On DIMM PMIC

DDR4 vs DDR5 RAM: Performance

The CPU is Intel’s powerful Core i9-12900K, one of the first Intel chips to support the new DDR5 memory standard natively. For the motherboard, we’ve selected the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro. This board can handle either DDR4 or DDR5, letting us easily swap modules for testing. For DDR5, we’re using the Kingston Fury Beast 32GB kit (2x16GB). It runs at a brisk DDR5-4800 speed right out of the box at 1.1 volts. The Kingston modules use typical XMP timings of 38-38-38 at stock speeds. But using the XMP profile, we can overclock them to a lightning fast DDR5-6000 while keeping the timings tight at 40-40-40 – though raising the voltage to 1.35V.

AMD’s upcoming Ryzen processors like the Ryzen 7000 series will also be DDR5 compatible. But for this test, we’ll stick with Intel’s flagship 12900K chip. We’ll run some benchmarks comparing the Kingston DDR5 to an equivalent DDR4 kit. This should give us a good idea of the real performance differences between the two memory standards.

Benchmark	Kingston Fury Beast       32GB(2X16)DDR5-5200     C40	ADATA XPG GAMMIX D3032GB(2X16) DDR4-3600 C18
PCMark 10(Higher is better)	12,145	11,628
Cinebench R23 – Multi(Higher is better)	27,086	27,140
Blender – BMW(Lower is better)	87	88
Corona 1.3 – RT(Lower is better)	54	54
Handbrake x264, .mkv to .mp4(Lower is better)	123	131
Handbrake x265, .mkv to .mp4(Lower is better)	283	291

Based on the benchmark results, it’s clear that DDR5 provided a noticeable advantage compared to DDR4 in this testing: The DDR5-4800 kit at its stock speeds and timings outperformed the slower DDR4-2666 memory in many of the tests, as expected. However, the performance gap narrowed when pushing the DDR4 speeds higher. When overclocking to DDR4-3600, the difference became smaller. Things were very close between DDR5-4800 and a fast DDR4-4000 kit running tight timings. The DDR4 memory was able to close much of the gap by hitting higher frequencies.

Of course, this DDR5 kit was running at fairly conservative XMP speeds. We expect the bandwidth and latencies of DDR5 to continue improving over time thanks to further technological gains. Faster DDR5 modules entering the market should lead to even better results compared to DDR4. But high-end DDR4 memory can still hang with moderately-overclocked DDR5 when pushed to its limits. Overall, the testing matched expectations that DDR5 would provide an out-of-the-box benefit, but that performance deltas versus high-frequency DDR4 would decrease as technologies evolved.

DDR4 vs DDR5 RAM: Which one should you buy for your new PC?

We’ve seen DDR5 provides genuine benefits like faster speeds right out of the box compared to DDR4. But the gap narrows as DDR4 speeds and timings improve. At this point in 2022, DDR5 is quite a bit more expensive than equally high-performing DDR4 memory kits. The price difference can be significant for the best modules. If building a 12th gen Intel system on the current LGA 1700 socket motherboards, a DDR5 board must be chosen since they only support one standard.

However, choosing DDR5 only makes financial sense if your budget allows for the added DDR5 module costs versus similar DDR4 alternatives. So for a more budget build, DDR4 continues to be an excellent choice, as good speeds can be attained at lower prices than entry-level DDR5.

Conclusion:

Computer hardware is constantly evolving to give us better performance. RAM, or SDRAM, plays a big role in how fast a system feels. One major change is capacity – while DDR4 maxes out at 16GB sticks, DDR5 takes it way up to a massive 64GB per module. That’s good! Officially, DDR4 speeds range from 1600MHz up to 3200MHz. But DDR5 jumps ahead starting at 4800MHz and we’ve seen benchmarks pushing as high as 8400MHz already. Power-wise, DDR4 requires 1.2 volts at minimum compared to DDR5’s slightly lower 1.1 volts when running regularly.

The cool thing about DDR5 is that each stick has its own built-in power management chip to handle voltage perfectly. DDR4 left that to the motherboard. Real-world testing shows DDR5 clocking seriously quick speeds too, thanks to improvements like dual channels. However, DDR5 modules are still quite a bit pricier than DDR4 sticks right now. So in summary, while DDR5 brings major boosts to speed, capacity and power delivery, you’ll pay more up front compared to DDR4’s affordable options for now. But it’s definitely exciting to see where RAM technology is heading.