But what exactly does it improve upon on DDR4?
And is it worth spending on upgrading your system?
Let’s compare DDR4 and DDR5 RAM and investigate the issue below.
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But aside from these speeds, what else does DDR5 offer over DDR4?
Most typical consumer RAM sticks top out at 32GB, and most gaming motherboards allow you up to 64GB.
But with DDR5, the smallest RAM modules usually start at 16GB, with 32GB options readily available.
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This option will double most consumer motherboards with four RAM slots to 128GB of total RAM.
Nevertheless, not all motherboards support those large capacitieseven if it’s DDR5-compatible.
Before upgrading to larger RAM, you must firstcheck your machine’s maximum RAM capacity.
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DDR5 standards require a 1.1-volt IO voltage0.1 volts lower than DDR4’s 1.2-volt requirement.
DDR5 also moves voltage regulation onboard instead of keeping it on the motherboard.
This will potentially simplify motherboard design while allowing manufacturers greater control over component quality.
ECC
ECC stands for Error Correction Code, which you’re free to find onECC RAM.
This specialized functionality ensures that the data stored in your RAM and sent to your CPU isn’t corrupted.
But with the increasing capacities of DDR5 RAM, each DDR5 RAM stick now has a built-in ECC chip.
This will help with stability, ensuring that data stored temporarily in the RAM isn’t corrupted.
Because of this, you’ve got the option to’t just swap out DDR4 for DDR5 RAM.
Instead, you’ll have to buy a new motherboard that specifically supports DDR5 RAM.
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You also have to consider your current processor.
However, this is not the case for Intel’s 12th-Gen and 13th-Gen CPUs.
If you choose the more affordable DDR4, you’ll get relatively good performance at an affordable price.
Because of that, you’ll want to upgrade to DDR5 later.
Should You Upgrade to DDR5 Today?
If you’re upgrading your box today, including DDR5 in your plan makes sense.
