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DDR5 vs DDR4 in 2026: what it actually costs

Updated Oct 25, 2026. Prices come from our catalogue and may have changed.

DDR5 costs more than DDR4 for the same 32 GB capacity, $570 against $270 at the median in our catalogue, a gap of about $300. In games, DDR5 usually helps only a little, and CPUs with a large cache barely notice it. Content creation gains more. In the end, your motherboard decides. A board accepts only one memory type, so AM5 and current Intel boards need DDR5, and older AM4 boards need DDR4.

Key differences

Criterion	DDR5	DDR4
Median price, 32 GB kits	$570	$270
Which motherboards accept it	AMD's AM5 socket and Intel's current Core Ultra 200S boards take DDR5 only	AMD's older AM4 socket takes DDR4 only, and many Intel 12th, 13th and 14th Gen boards support DDR4 as well as DDR5
Gaming performance, most titles	Ahead by roughly 8 to 14% on average across a broad game test set at 1080p, in TechSpot testing, with some CPU-heavy games further ahead	Behind by that same margin in most games, but within a few percent of DDR5 at 4K once the graphics card becomes the bottleneck
Effect of a large CPU cache	Its speed advantage nearly disappears on AMD's X3D chips, which gained only 1 to 4% from faster RAM in TechSpot's memory scaling tests	Loses little ground on those same X3D chips, since their large onboard cache already covers most of what extra RAM speed would add
Content creation and productivity	Its bandwidth advantage tends to show up more clearly here than in games, in tasks like video export or large file compression	Falls further behind DDR5 here than it does in gaming
Kits above 32 GB	64 GB kits, 2x32 GB, show up often in our catalogue	Rare in our catalogue, most DDR4 kits top out at 32 GB

Prices in our catalogue today

Scope: 32 GB kits (2×16 GB)

Price	DDR5	DDR4
Cheapest	$450	$190
Median	$570	$270

Choose DDR5 if…

You are building a new PC on AM5 or a current Intel board, where DDR5 is the only option anyway
You use a non-X3D CPU for gaming, or your work leans on memory bandwidth for video editing or file compression
You want room to grow, including 64 GB kits for heavy multitasking

Choose DDR4 if…

You are upgrading an older AM4 build, where the motherboard only takes DDR4
You game mostly on a CPU with a large cache, such as AMD's X3D chips, where faster memory barely moves the needle
You want the lowest cost per gigabyte and do not need the fastest content creation performance

Best value DDR5

Corsair Vengeance - 32GB - DDR5 - 6000MHz$500 at Newegg
A 32 GB DDR5-6000 kit from a major brand, at the speed AMD itself confirmed as the sweet spot for Ryzen 7000 memory tuning.
G.SKILL Flare X5 - 32GB - DDR5 - 6000MT/s$539 at Newegg
Carries both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0 profiles, so it sets its speed automatically on either platform.
Lexar Thor Z - 32GB - DDR5 - 6000 MHzNo longer available
Another 32 GB DDR5-6000 kit from an established brand, at the speed AMD recommends for Ryzen.

Best value DDR4

Corsair Vengeance LPX - 32GB - DDR4 - 3200$260 at Newegg
A well-known low-profile kit, easy to fit under a large air cooler, at DDR4's common 3200 speed.
G.SKILL RipjawsV - 32GB - DDR4 - 3600MT/s$240 at Newegg
Runs at 3600, a speed that gives a small gaming edge over basic DDR4 on non-X3D CPUs.
G.SKILL Trident Z - 32GB - DDR4 - 3600MT/s$260 at Newegg
The same 3600 speed with RGB lighting, for builders who still want some flair on an older platform.

Cheapest DDR5 parts

Patriot Viper Venom AMD - 32GB - DDR5 - 6400 - CL38$450 at Newegg
Patriot Viper Venom - 32GB - DDR5 - 5600 - CL38$460 at Newegg
Patriot Viper Venom - 32GB - DDR5 - 6000 - CL36$460 at Newegg

Cheapest DDR4 parts

Lexar DDR4-3200 UDIMM - 32GB - DDR4 - 3200 - CL22$190 at Newegg
ADATA XPG Spectra D35 Black - 32GB - DDR4 - 3200 - CL16$230 at Newegg
Crucial Pro - 32GB - DDR4 - 3200 - CL22$230 at Newegg

Frequently asked questions

Can I install DDR5 memory in a DDR4 motherboard?

No. DDR4 and DDR5 modules have a different number of pins and a different notch position, so a DDR5 stick will not physically fit in a DDR4 slot, or the other way around. The memory type is fixed by the motherboard, not by preference.

Is DDR5 worth the extra cost for gaming?

Usually only a little. Across a broad set of games at 1080p, TechSpot measured DDR5 ahead of DDR4 by roughly 8 to 14% on average. At 4K the difference mostly disappears because the graphics card becomes the limit.

Do I need DDR5 for a new AMD Ryzen or current Intel build?

Yes, if you are building new. AMD's AM5 socket only accepts DDR5, and Intel's current Core Ultra 200S boards do the same. DDR4 is an option only if you are building on AMD's older AM4 socket or an Intel 12th, 13th or 14th Gen board with a DDR4 slot layout.

Does RAM speed matter with an X3D gaming CPU?

Less than on other CPUs. TechSpot's memory scaling tests on AMD's X3D chips found only a 1 to 4% FPS gain from faster RAM, because the large onboard cache already supplies most of what the game needs. A cheaper, slower kit is a reasonable choice with that CPU.

Can I mix DDR4 and DDR5 in the same PC?

No. A motherboard has slots for only one memory type, tied to its chipset and CPU socket. You cannot install both kinds together, and you cannot upgrade a DDR4 board to DDR5 without also changing the motherboard, and often the CPU.

Is DDR4 going away?

Not yet. It is still sold and stocked for AMD's AM4 socket and for older Intel boards, and it stays the cheaper option for a budget build or upgrade. New motherboard platforms from AMD and Intel have already moved to DDR5 only.

Sources

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