DDR5 RAM still costs significantly more than DDR4, but prices are starting to fall as the release of Intel Raptor Lake and AMD Ryzen 7000 draws near. Naturally, this could help the new memory standard make its way into the best gaming PC builds, helping to futureproof more rigs while shaking off its premium status.
According to Computerbase, DDR5 prices continue to fall significantly in Europe, with the likes of the Kingston 32GB dual-channel kit coming in at €154 (roughly $165 USD). The report also includes comparative costs for the standard last year, with similar options coming with an eye-watering €470 euros (over $500 USD).
Computerbase’s price comparison data suggests you can get DDR5 RAM for less than five euros per gigabyte in a “best case scenario”. It also caveats that DDR5-6000 kit costs remain high, with prices that are 100 Euros more than low-spec options. If you’re an enthusiast builder looking to pair high spec modules with the best graphics card and CPU, these prices will no doubt make your wallet weep. However, if you’re simply looking to embrace the new memory standard, making the jump from DDR5-4800 to DDR5-5200 could be financially viable.
It’s still early days for DDR5 memory, and most gaming PCs are still wielding sticks of DDR4 RAM. Yet, as support for the standard increases and prices drop, we’ll no doubt see the best motherboards armed with speedier sticks, especially once the nest best gaming CPU options by Intel and AMD arrive on the scene.