DDR4 versus DDR5: Is it time to upgrade your RAM? (2024)

Your computer’s random access memory modules (RAM) are critical to the PC’s performance. If your RAM is too slow or you don’t have enough of it, you won’t be able to run the programs you need. For the past ten years, most PCs have run DDR4 RAM, which can reach speeds up to 5000MHz or more and 128GB of memory with the right motherboard.

DDR5 RAM launched in 2021, and has hit the mainstream thanks to the latest generation of processors that natively support it. This includes Intel’s 12th generation and 13th generation CPUs, as well as AMD’s Ryzen 7000-series processors.

Compared to DDR4 memory kits, DDR5 memory kits have higher speeds, support higher-capacity DIMM modules (also called RAM sticks), and consume less power for the same performance specs as the previous generation. However, DDR4 still holds some key advantages, like overall lower latency and better stability. Most new PCs still ship with DDR4 memory, but is it worth the extra cash to get something with DDR5 memory modules, instead?

Clock speed and data rate in DDR5 vs DDR4 RAM

A computer’s ability to operate is constrained by its clock speed—how many times the RAM modules can access its memory per second. The standard default clock speed for DDR4 is 2133MHz, whereas the default rate for DDR5 is 4800MHz. To run RAM faster than these speeds, you may have to enable the XMP profile in your PC’s BIOS if it’s not already enabled. Either way, even the fastest DDR4 cannot reach the same high speeds that DDR5 can.

Another of DDR5’s key improvements over DDR4 is its data transfer rate. For Intel’s 12th generation “Alder Lake” processors, DDR4 will run at speeds up to 3200 Megatransfers per second (MT/s), and DDR5 will run up to 4800 MT/s. This means DDR5 transfers data at up to 38.4 gigabytes per second (GB/s), while DDR4 tops out at 25.6 GB/s. Overall, DDR5 can be 50% faster than DDR4’s maximum data rate.

Our pick: DDR5

Memory Capacity in DDR4 vs. DDR5 RAM

While DDR4 tops out at 64GB per module (RAM stick), DDR5 can top out at a whopping 512GB per module. Generally, most processors can’t support that. They max out at 128GB of DDR4 memory split across two-to-four DIMM modules. However, since DDR5 is so new, it’s reasonable to expect that future consumer CPUs will take full advantage of its capabilities.

For now, Intel’s 12th generation and 13th generation processors, and AMD’s mobile 6000-series and desktop 7000-series processors only support up to 128GB of DDR5 memory total. That’s four 32GB sticks.

Our pick: Tie (for now)

Latency in DDR4 vs. DDR5 RAM

DDR4’s major advantage over DDR5 is its lower latency. Basically, RAM acts like temporary storage for your computer’s CPU so it can quickly access tasks it performs on a regular basis. (It’s similar to you keeping a dozen Google Chrome tabs open at once because you want the information close by.) The lower the latency, the faster the CPU can access the instructions it temporarily stored in the RAM to perform the tasks.

Total latency is determined by both a DIMM module’s speed and its CAS (Column Address Signal) latency. For CAS latency ratings, lower numbers are better.

A DDR4-3200 CL20 module, for instance, has a CAS latency rating of 20. Most DDR5 modules have CL40 CAS latency, which negates DDR5’s high clock speeds. It's faster at completing tasks, but it takes longer for the RAM to register it needs to perform a task. So, that DDR4-3200 CL20 RAM will have snappier performance than a DDR5-4800 CL40 module.

The situation is improving for DDR5. The G.Skill Trident Z5 sticks have a CAS latency of 28. When you factor in its speed, that gives it an actual latency of 10 nanoseconds, which can compete with DDR4 latency. However, it will still take a little time before DDR5 kits routinely beat DDR4’s latency.

Our pick: DDR4

Performance in DDR4 vs. DDR5 RAM

Better specs are great, but they won’t matter if they don’t translate into better performance. Because of DDR5’s high latencies, its performance is not notably better than DDR4 modules in our benchmark testing.

For some workloads, like scene rendering with Cinebench and Blender or video file encoding with Handbrake, the DDR5 system saw modest gains over the DDR4 system. Rendering a lengthy test scene in Blender, for instance, was one to two minutes faster on the DDR5-equipped system. The same video file encoded in Handbrake was also about a minute faster on the DDR5-equipped system.

However, other workloads like gaming saw little to no performance differences. When we ran tests in our AMD Radeon-based graphics benchmark systems, we got the same framerate performance across our reference games. We saw the same results in our Ryzen 9-5950X / DDR4 RAM desktop as our Intel Core i9-12900K / DDR5 RAM desktops.

Meanwhile, our Nvidia-based graphics benchmarks systems actually performed worse on our DDR5 setup. Some games ran up to 20 fps slower on our Intel Core i9-12900K / DDR5 RAM desktop than our Intel Core i9-11900K / DDR4 RAM desktop.

Our benchmarks and testing across prebuilt desktop and laptop PCs echo the same results. When we compare DDR5-equipped PCs to similar DDR4-equipped ones, we see little to no performance gains for gaming.

Over time, we expect this comparison to still hold true; gaming and productivity tasks are rarely bottlenecked by RAM performance or latency. RAM capacity and bandwidth are far more important for those things.

Similarly, specialized tasks like file compression or multitasked video and photo editing can be sped up with more powerful RAM. However, you’ll see better gains from upgrading the storage drive, CPU, or GPU.

Our pick: Tie

Compatibility with DDR4 vs. DDR5 RAM

Currently, DDR5 support is fairly limited. DDR5 modules are only supported by Intel’s 12th-gen “Alder Lake” and 13th-gen “Raptor Lake” processors, and AMD’s 6000-series mobile and 7000-series desktop processors.

Most processors and motherboards made in the last decade support DDR4 RAM—including Intel’s 12th-gen processors. Intel’s 13th-gen desktop processors also support both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and can use the same motherboards. There is no indication that Intel’s 14th or 15th generation processors will support DDR4, but those chips are still a way off—sometime in late 2023 or later.

AMD’s 7000-series processors only support DDR5 memory.

Our pick: DDR4

Price of DDR4 vs. DDR5 RAM

DDR4 RAM has been around for a decade, so it can cost about half as much as a DDR5 kit of similar capacity, but prices are rapidly reaching parity. For instance, this 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 G.Skill Trident kit costs only $95, whereas this 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 CL 36 G.Skill Trident kit costs $110—that’s only 14% more expensive for a DDR5 kit from the same line of products.

DDR5-compatible motherboards are more expensive than DDR4-only ones, however. This DDR4 Asus ROG Strix Z690 motherboard, for example, is $60 more than its Z590 counterpart.

In time, prices will almost certainly go down on both DDR5 kits and DDR5-compatible parts. On the other hand, as DDR5 becomes more mainstream, DDR4 kits and compatible parts will also grow cheaper. That means DDR4 will keep winning on price point for a long time to come.

Our pick: DDR4

Is upgrading to DDR5 worth it?

Considering how long DDR3 stayed relevant while DDR4 was mainstream, it will be a couple of years at the earliest before compatibility and support issues make a DDR5 upgrade necessary. DDR5 is undeniably an improvement over DDR4 for memory bandwidth and capacity, but the modest performance gains over DDR4 in most nonprofessional tasks and its high latencies sour the deal.

When you add in the price difference, it makes little sense to choose a DDR5 kit for a PC unless you plan to use it for specific, demanding tasks like mass file compression or photo and video editing. Even if you want to future-proof your PC, it makes sense to let the technology develop for a couple of years before springing for a DDR5 kit.

In the meantime, take advantage of the great DDR4 kits on the market today like the gangbusters value of Corsair Vengeance LPX or slightly higher end G.SKILL Trident Z and don’t let FOMO get to you.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.