RAM Discussion

[Aza]

I absolutely cannot get behind DDR5 right now for any reason. It doesn't make any sense to me at all. In actual fact, I'm gutted that AM5 is going to be DDR5 only....... as I just don't see it being mature enough for me to have a "one and done" system (my next upgrade I was planning AM5 close to release).

Now I'm thinking I'll hold off until at least 9600 RAM is in the pipeline and then get the board to suit.... whether that be with a reduced rate RAM based on pricing or not.

For the arguments made in this thread, there are some things to concede and to consider.

The 12600Kf is a better processing processor than the 5600... but it comes with a lot of cost considerations on top. Lets explore. PS, I'm choosing the 5600 as the "X" is pointless now and it's the way I would recommend.

The 12600Kf is in the region of £250.
The 5600 is in the region of £175
The 12600Kf requires a very good cooling solution. To get the most it needs an AIO which is £100. Bare minimum a 212 for me £37
The 5600 will be fine with the stock cooler. I would tend to opt for the 212, but as I have used the bare minimum above, same here £0
The AM4 is end of life, there's no point in investing in the motherboard for future use as there isn't going to be a next gen chip to go in. B550 TUF is the best option here. Approx £130
Fingers crossed the Z690 gets next gen compatibility, is it confirmed? I would never middle here and the lower end boards aren't that good. Z690 TUF Wifi is always my go to. I would want to cover some next gen use as well. If opting for DDR5 this would cost £340 for the Strix option (DDR4 £240)
The RAM is the next consideration. It has to be 32GB to even consider comparison. DDR5 would be £300, DDR4 £127

Forgetting everything else:

The skeleton of an AM4 build is £432
The skeleton of Intel with DDR4 £654
The skeleton of Intel with DDR5 £927

Not one of those options, IMO, is actually future proof. If you opt for AM4, AM5 is coming out. If you opt for Intel with DDR4, DDR5 is coming out. If you opt for Intel with DDR5, proper DDR5 is coming out.

With all of that in consideration, literally the only truly sensible option is to pick the cheapest option that meets your needs. If the 5600 does this.... it's the obvious choice. The 12600K was great value when the AM4 chips were holding their price. Now that you can get them at a good price, especially with the surrounding components considered, they're a bargain by comparison.

None of the above is based on me trying to skew information btw. If you check any 12600 builds that I've recommended they all have the TUF board in there. It's the most sensible option to choose.

I don't think I've recommended DDR5 yet though, even when getting really silly with a budget

If the boards supported higher frequencies then I would consider it. A £300+ board that's going to be a decoration in 2 years isn't a good fiscal investment.

What would you think is a realistic estimate for those faster RAM speeds?
Are you talking a year and it may be available (with the boards to run it) or do you think i'd be longer?

What are the chances they'll get the latency down on DDR5? And how long do you think that may take?

 

[Scott]

What would you think is a realistic estimate for those faster RAM speeds?
Are you talking a year and it may be available (with the boards to run it) or do you think i'd be longer?

What are the chances they'll get the latency down on DDR5? And how long do you think that may take?

Typically 3+ years IME. You're going to be waiting at least a year for the RAM to come that'll be at a high enough level for the future. When it does, though, the pricing will be eye watering. It'll take at least another year for this to become palatable, IMO it'll be 3.

In 2016 I bought an Octane laptop with 2133Mhz RAM. This was the highest I could get. At that time I think we were recommending systems with up to 3000mhz. This was only where the budget allowed though as 2666 was more standard. 2020 (4 years) and I wouldn't recommend less than 3200mhz. 2022, it's typically always 3600mhz now. I think we're around 8 years into DDR4 and I would argue that it didn't mature until 4 years in.

DDR5 officially launched in 2020, IIRC, so I think we're looking at 2024 as a minimum.

The RAM isn't so much the key though. It's the motherboards. I don't mind investing in RAM every few years, to get the most out of it, but the motherboard needs to be up to the task or else it's a £500+ outlay. They are at least 2 years away from being standard offerings that will last the duration.

I don't think we will see much movement on the latency to be honest. Not if the past is anything to go by. DDR4 was around CAS14 when it released. I don't think you can get better for that with higher frequencies.

The key is the latency staying the same as the initial introduction (CL40). If we can get somewhere around CL40-48 with 9600mhz, then we will be in for a real treat. At the moment I think the best is CL28.... check the price of it though.