Decade-old RAM is making a comeback
CPU manufacturers Intel and AMD are reviving support for older DDR4 RAM in new motherboards to combat high DDR5 memory costs. This shift allows consumers to upgrade their systems without the significant financial burden of the newer, more expensive memory standard.
Why it matters
This trend reflects how hardware manufacturers are responding to supply chain constraints and consumer price sensitivity in the PC market.
CPU makers have noticed that the seemingly unending RAM price hikes are making it tough for a lot of us to upgrade our PCs. Their solution? A return to last-gen DDR4 RAM. Intel and AMD are making new CPUs that’ll support the older, more affordable type of memory.
On Friday, Gigabyte announced that two of its motherboard lines will support “upcoming” processors built on Intel’s LGA 1700 socket. That socket debuted in 2021 with the 12th gen Alder Lake CPUs and supported both DDR4 RAM and the then-new DDR5 RAM. Intel dropped it for a DDR5-only approach in 2024. But according to Gigabyte, the dual format support is now being revived, with new LGA 1700 chips “expected to launch in early 2027.”
Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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