Intel’s Latest Lake Alder 12th generation The processor includes a number of Best gaming CPU money can’t buy, and they’re not just a big step forward in pure power. They also added support for a number of new and upcoming technologies that could lay the groundwork for even better performance in the future, like PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 RAM. In fact, when buying a new, Alder Lake-compatible motherboard, you have a choice: stick with DDR4 memory or upgrade to DDR5?
Because the two aren’t cross-compatible, you’ll be stuck with whatever you choose as long as you use that motherboard – so it’s an important decision. However, when all is well, it should also be an easy thing, as DDR4 can now provide the same or better performance in games while being much easier to achieve. The situation may change over time, but for now consider why you shouldn’t necessarily switch to DDR5 for a new CPU.
DDR4 vs DDR5: Performance
I initially tested Intel Core i5-12600K and Intel Core i9-12900K with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and both are extremely impressive chips; I still think the Core i5-12600K in particular is the CPU to buy for mid-range and high-end PC builds alike. Now I finally have a compatible DDR4-based motherboard – Asus ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4 (£310 / $350) – it’s time to see how the i5 handles games with older memory.
To summarize, the results below were recorded at 1080p using a Core i5-12600K and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. At the DDR4 corner, the ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4 paired with 16GB Corsair Ballistix Elite memory runs at 4000MHz native speed, while my initial DDR5 test uses 16GB of Geil Polaris RGB RAM (at full speed). 4800MHz) and Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard.
Of course, RAM has never affected gaming speed as much as CPU and graphics cards, but we can see here that the latest generation leap doesn’t create any discernible advantage at all. In fact, it’s DDR4 that looks a bit better, with an extra 7 fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, an extra 5 fps in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and a mere 3 fps short in Metro Exodus. In all other tests, DDR4 and DDR5 are basically even.
The only time DDR5 took a significant lead was in Cinebench R20. My DDR5 device scored 736 in the single-core test and 6733 in the multi-core test, both higher than the DDR4 setup’s scores of 703 and 6699, respectively. However, this is not the case. big difference, and if you’re more interested in gaming than in photo or video editing, it’s basically an argument.
DDR4 and DDR5: Frequency and Latency
This performance parity is clearly superior to conventional wisdom about PC hardware. Surely newer, brighter stuff equates to faster, better stuff?
Sure, there are various technical upgrades to DDR5 that make it superior to DDR4 on paper. You can tell right from the specs of the RAM I used that the frequency – the number of times the RAM cycles per second – will be faster on the board on DDR5 than on DDR4. 4800MHz would be a terrible, even potentially harmful number overclocking on DDR4 memory, but on Geil’s DDR5 toolkit it can safely and instantly do that many cycles. . And with a higher overall bandwidth than what DDR4 can provide, DDR5 Candlestick well positioned to maximize performance.
DDR5 is also more efficient. It lowers the DDR4’s operating voltage from 1.2v to 1.1v, which doesn’t sound like much, but dramatically reduces the amount of power the memory is using at any given time. That’s especially useful when paired with an Alder Lake chip, because while Intel’s CPUs are charmingly powerful, they’re also pretty eager to hit the PSU.
So why can DDR4 catch up so well in games, sometimes even faster? As far as I can tell, DDR4 RAM has much lower latency than DDR5 – latency is the delay between data being sent from RAM to CPU.
Apologies in advance for the overflow, but let’s use the Crucial and Geil memory I tested as an example. Crucial Ballistix Elite DDR4 RAM has a lower frequency of 4000MHz, but the CAS Latency (CL) of 18 is much faster: that is, it only takes 18 cycles for data from the RAM to be available once requested. Geil DDR5 has a CL of 40, so it takes twice as many cycles to perform the same action. And that’s not an omission limited to this particular model: almost all of the released or announced DDR5 sets are rated at CL40 or CL38, while the more affordable DDR4 sets are. may also be available in CL18, CL16 or CL15.
The difference is clearly attenuated by the higher DDR5 frequency, so it doesn’t take as long to run through 40 cycles as it does on DDR4. But most likely, the actual delay will be even longer. If you’re really curious, you can find out the true latency of RAM in nanoseconds using a calculator like this; For the record, my Crucial DDR4 had a calculated latency of 9ns, while the supposedly faster Geil DDR5 clocked in at 16.6ns. Repeating that longer delay for each piece of data the CPU accesses from RAM while you’re gaming, and the fact that DDR4 can outstrip DDR5 doesn’t sound too surprising.
There’s hope for DDR5, as DDR4 suffered from similar latency issues when it first launched – hence, at least in part, why it didn’t launch DDR3 overnight. It is reasonable to assume that DDR5 will improve just as DDR4 did, and that there will come a time when it will be able to offer all the speed and efficiency advantages without the downsides. Alas, it is not this day.
DDR4 and DDR5: Pricing and Availability
Another good reason to stick with DDR4 is cost, not just the RAM itself. For over £300, the ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4 that I used is clearly a very high-end piece of kit, but it’s also a prime example – starting from a size ATX Z690 motherboard full, based on DDR4, Alder Lake. at £170 and you can expect more affordable mobo options when 12th generation chipsets like the B660 launch as alternatives to the top-end Z690.
This also applies to motherboards with DDR5 specs, but for now the cheapest ATX model I’ve seen is great. £230. Meanwhile, my ROG Maximus Z690 Hero costs £520 / $600 – hundreds more than the DDR4-based ROG Strix Z690-A Gaming WiFi D4, albeit with only slightly better external I/O and PCIe specs.
Direct price comparison between DDR4 and DDR5 memory is harder, if in large part because so little of the latter is actually available. Obviously DDR5 came out a few weeks ago, but the majority of RAM kits are still listed as out of stock or “coming soon” at reputable retailers – including Geil Polaris RGB. I found this Important 16GB DDR5 Kit listed at £138, but that is also not expected to ship for several more weeks. And no radiator. Lame.
Granted, my Ballistix Elite kit appears to be experiencing availability issues of its own, but you can get 16GB, 4000MHz/CL18 kits available for £131 with G.Skill Trident Z. And there’s no shortage of much cheaper DDR4 kits either; for example, you can now get 16GB of reliable storage Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 for only £50.
I suppose you could buy a DDR5 motherboard as a safeguard in the future, just in case its latency issues are fixed. But the idea of future protection is that you don’t have to buy many times later, and since you’re forced to use high-latency DDR5 until then, you’ll have to roll out another memory when lower- the Latency pattern finally appeared. And by then, your CPU and chipset will no longer be superior.
For now, DDR4 is the way to go. I understand that putting old standard memory in your PC can seem counterproductive after just upgrading to one of the most advanced CPUs available today, but when DDR5 is more expensive with no real gaming advantage then it’s the only reasonable option.
