DDR4 Vs. DDR5 RAM: Should You Upgrade Now Or Wait?

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Random Access Memory, or RAM, is the component of the PC that temporarily stores data in itself so that the CPU can quickly access info that's needed rapidly. Things like maps and assets in video games, which need to be loaded up rapidly, are conveniently stored on RAM, which acts as a quick distributor to the CPU in situations where a hard drive or SSD would prove too slow. This is why having at least average RAM, or upgrading to the best RAM possible, is important for keeping a PC running smoothly.

Currently, the gaming standard for RAM is locked at DDR4 as a rule of thumb. DDR4 is the fourth iteration of the Double Data Rate method of memory storage. While some gamers are perfectly content with gaming on old CPUs, budget graphics cards, and DDR3 (or earlier, in some cases), the contemporary AAA titles of today almost demand the use of DDR4 RAM. For one thing, modern CPUs are built to be compatible with motherboards that almost exclusively use DDR4. Another issue is the speed of the RAM itself, from DDR3 to DDR4, is far, far quicker and results in a much better gaming experience as a whole.

Related: Super-Fast LPDDR5X RAM Is Built For AI, 5G, And The Metaverse

With DDR4 RAM now nearing the end of its lifecycle, DDR5 RAM has taken the center stage as the next big jump in gaming components. The latest up and coming CPU lineups, Intel's 13th gen CPUs and AMD's Ryzen 7000 series, will both support DDR5 RAM and will absolutely need it to have full advantage taken of their capabilities. Benchleaks spotted a test run with the i7-13700k, from Intel, which shows a performance gain of over 80% and 15% in multi-threaded and single threaded performance, respectively, in comparison to AMD's previous generation's equivalent 5800X.