With DDR5 system memory modules already having entered mass production, and expected to be out in Q3 of 2021, Corsair has been talking up its DDR5 products and giving us an indication of how fast the initial offerings will be.
DDR5 RAM is the next step on from current DDR4 modules, and is expected to be supported by Intel’s next-gen Alder Lake processors, which are being readied for launch later this year (albeit later than Q3 according to the most recent rumors – possibly in November).
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Corsair’s teaser reminds us that DDR5 modules aren’t just faster than DDR4, but they will also offer greater efficiency, and bigger capacity, with RAM sticks of up to 128GB (those will be seriously expensive, naturally – even small capacity entry-level DDR5 is going to be pricey in its initial incarnations, as is always the way when a new memory standard is introduced).
As to how much faster DDR5 will be, Corsair explains that its next-gen RAM will push bandwidth up to 51GBps (for DDR5-6400 modules – presumably this will be one of the initial launch products), so that’s doubling things up compared to DDR4-3200 at 26GBps.
Corsair observes: “More bandwidth allows for more efficient use of the memory bus in systems with high core count CPUs while the denser capacities will allow your system to tackle even more at once which is great for streaming and content creation (just to name a few applications).”
Further remember that over time, DDR5 memory will be developed and pushed to go even faster. Historically, the initial RAM sticks released early on are always followed by speedier versions down the line – just look at how DDR4 speeds have ramped up over time.
Latency fears
One concern we’ve seen aired on the likes of social media is that DDR5 will suffer in terms of latency, but Corsair tries to put these fears to rest in its primer on the next-gen memory linked from the blog post. The long and short of it is that improvements elsewhere will mitigate any CAS latency increase.
Corsair notes: “With DDR5, individual modules are split into two separate channels by design, allowing for shorter traces that contribute to less latency and higher speeds when it comes to communicating with individual memory ICs on a memory module.”
The firm adds: “Overall single access latency with DDR5 is relatively unchanged, while CAS Latency has increased, the overall latency of a top-tier DDR5 kit will be similar to previous generations of DRAM clocking in at 14-15ns thanks to the improvements we previously mentioned.”
When will the new DDR5 memory modules be arriving? Corsair doesn’t give us any specific launch timeframe, but does say that it will be ‘soon’. As we mentioned at the outset, DDR5 RAM is already expected to be pitching up in the third quarter, and it makes sense that Corsair would be targeting an appearance alongside Intel’s Alder Lake desktop CPUs hitting the market.
AMD is expected to support DDR5 with Zen 4-based processors, but these aren’t scheduled to debut until next year (and possibly not until late 2022 given the most recent chatter on the grapevine).
Via PC GamesN
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