Question new Intel build - DDR4 vs. DDR5

[Turbonium]

I'm thinking of building a new Intel system. Should I go with DDR5, or is DDR4 "good enough" for anything but synthetic benchmarks?

I'll mostly be doing general usage, some content creation, and lots of gaming.

I've heard that newer memory controllers have issues with 4 sticks. Do they with 2? And which is more stable with these memory controllers, DDR5 or DDR4?

I get these are basic questions, but I figured I'd ask.

 

[Turbonium]

Btw, keep in mind I don't mind paying more (within reason) for DDR5 if it's truly "better" for certain purposes.

And yes, I know the motherboard I linked to is kinda bad for memory, but I'm hoping to get a 700 series chipset once they're released. I'm building in a few months, not right away.

 

[lopri]

But for many DIY folks memory sticks tend to survive several upgrades. (and many reputable vendors provide lifetime warranty) Some may look at them as an investment and think, "Hmm, how low can these new sticks possibly go?" Prices do not rise and fall linearly, so at some point you gotta consider where the price of new tech might stabilize and decide. I suppose everyone's got different calculation and there is no wrong choice.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm in the midst of building a new PC. MSI Z690 Tomahawk DDR4 board, i5-13600k. I went with DDR4 because I already have 32gb (2x16) of Corsair 3600 RAM. Saved me well over $100 on the build. I doubt I'll ever notice the difference between DDR4 and DDR5.

 

[Turbonium]

But for many DIY folks memory sticks tend to survive several upgrades. (and many reputable vendors provide lifetime warranty) Some may look at them as an investment and think, "Hmm, how low can these new sticks possibly go?" Prices do not rise and fall linearly, so at some point you gotta consider where the price of new tech might stabilize and decide. I suppose everyone's got different calculation and there is no wrong choice.

I heard the latest memory controllers don't like DDR5? Like it's less stable or something?

Or is this a non-factor if I'm not overclocking or anything?

By the way, keep in mind that, as already mentioned, money isn't a huge concern.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I heard the latest memory controllers don't like DDR5? Like it's less stable or something?

Haven't read anything like that, anywhere.

 

[Turbonium]

Haven't read anything like that, anywhere.

I see.

I seem to remember people say the IMCs or something are finnicky with Intel's latest or something. Am I just remembering things wrong?

 

[igor_kavinski]

I seem to remember people say the IMCs or something are finnicky with Intel's latest or something. Am I just remembering things wrong?

You might be remembering with regards to DDR4. Alder Lake/Raptor Lake IMCs can't do DDR4 above 4000 MT/s as far as I know so there's a limitation there.

https://www.reddit.com/r/overclocking/comments/ykbu03

That gives people something to complain about because 10th gen Comet Lake IMCs were pretty good with higher DDR4 speeds.

 

[q52]

There's no reason not to do DDR5. The price difference between the two (memory + motherboard) is so low as to be negligible

 

[igor_kavinski]

Searching a real jack of all trades – Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake IMC binning with DDR4, DDR5 and SP values and interesting findings | Page 4 | igor´sLAB

What do you do with two Core i9-12900K trays? That’s right, binning! Today we have a very special treat for you from the south of Germany. The system integrator MIFCOM has kindly provided us with a…

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Shows that the average 12th gen IMC won't do much better than 4000 MT/s.