If you want first dibs on DDR5 RAM, it’ll cost you.
On Monday, Amazon began taking pre-orders for the first DDR5 RAM sticks from memory maker TeamGroup. However, it costs $310.99 for the 32GB set, which includes two RAM sticks. Buyers can expect the product to ship in mid to late July.
Hopefully, the price falls as the technology matures. In contrast, a 32GB DDR4 RAM set from TeamGroup can cost between $150 to $180.
On the plus side, the next-generation RAM features an amazingly fast 4,800MHz speed—far higher than the 3,200MHz and 3,600MHz speeds you’ll find in current PC systems.
The so-called “Elite DDR5 RAM kit” arrives as TeamGroup said it planned on making the product available worldwide late this month or in early July.
Newegg also began listing the same product at the $310.99 price on Monday before going out of stock. A third-party vendor on Newegg is also offering the product for an eye-popping $466.
Sure, no consumer motherboard supports DDR5 RAM yet. But if you buy the product, you can at least stand in awe of its potential to supercharge your future PC. In addition to the faster speeds, the new technology runs at 1.1 volts, slightly down from 1.2 volts in DDR4. The other improvement has been to the memory stability, according to TeamGroup.
The DDR5 RAM support is expected to arrive later this year with the launch of Intel’s 12th generation Core desktop processors, codenamed Alder Lake. TeamGroup says the upcoming Intel 600 series motherboards will feature the DDR5 RAM compatibility.
If 4,800MHz still isn't fast enough, the memory maker is also working on DDR5 RAM that can be overclocked.