With the launch of Intel’s Alder Lake-S just around the corner, it is expected that we will soon start to see the arrival of the first DDR5 RAM memory models, the new standard promises an increase of more than 50% in terms of performance compared to current DDR4. However, it seems that this will not be the only figure to increase, and a large change in prices may be seen.
Although it is normal to expect a price increase with any jump to the next generation of a product, with prices that are usually always more expensive than those of a current standard, it seems that the case of DDR5 memories will be somewhat more accentuated. And it is that according to what they share from MSI, the DDR5 will be one of the most expensive launches in comparison.
This is because DDR5s will come with several exciting technologies such as On-Chip Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMIC) and Matrix Error Correction Code (ODECC), dramatically increasing manufacturing costs, which could reach to reach «a price premium of 50-60% compared to the launch of DDR4»According to this company.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that for the moment this “surcharge” is not taking into account the current global silicon shortage, which could make upcoming DDR5 DRAM prices even more expensive than MSI currently estimates.
By luck, or perhaps in an anticipated move to anticipate this situation, Intel has designed the new Alder Lake-S to be compatible with both DDR5 and DDR4 memory standards, ensuring their continuity. On the AMD side, the company will present DDR5 with Zen 4 chips and the Socket AM5 platform, which will be launched next year, perhaps being able to avoid these problems and prices apparently.
