While some of the best RAM kits reach speeds as high as 8,400MT/s, many users stick to DDR5-6000 or less and do just fine. However, the future of RAM lies in even higher frequencies, and we’re not far from entering five-digit territory. Asgard, a company that manufactures memory and storage, just unveiled its new DDR5-9600 RAM, claiming that it’s the first consumer memory in the world to reach this kind of speed. The company also teased that it’s already working on DDR5-10000 RAM.
Asgard’s RAM isn’t your standard, run-of-the-mill dual-in-line memory module (DIMM). It’s a clocked unbuffered DIMM (CUDIMM), which might one day become the default in desktop RAM (unless another standard, such as CAMM2, takes off in a major way). At higher speeds, maintaining signal integrity becomes challenging. One of the ways manufacturers combat this problem is by adding a clock driver (CKD) chip. The CKD handles the base clock signal, buffers and amplifies it, and then distributes it to various parts of the module.
As explained by Tom’s Hardware, Asgard was only able to reach the staggering 9,600MT/s speed by combining the CUDIMM tech with select SK hynix DRAM integrated circuits (ICs). Only the most performant chips were chosen for these kits, and no wonder — 9,600MT/s is quite a feat to achieve. Asgard beats the recently announced V-Color Xfinity DDR5-9200 RAM by an additional 400MT/s.
The new RAM, branded Asgard Thor, will be available in two variants, including kits that come with two 16GB modules and kits that offer two 24GB modules. Both run at 1.50V. No matter the capacity, both kits also come with the same CL44-56-56-136-192 CAS timings. Unfortunately, Asgard’s Thor currently doesn’t support RAM overclocking with AMD EXPO — only Intel XMP profiles are available. Owners of AMD processors can potentially still overclock with manual adjustments in the BIOS.
It’s unclear when these DDR5-9600 RAM kits will be available, or how much they will cost. The rivaling V-Color Xfinity is also yet to receive a release date, although it would make sense for both manufacturers to release the RAM soon, what with Intel Arrow Lake right around the corner.
The leap in RAM performance is interesting, but something about the mention of DDR5-10000 is even more exciting. Of course, 10,000MT/s speeds are still far away, but Asgard says that such kits are in the works. And while it might not make much of a difference — 9,600MT/s to 10,000MT/s might run largely the same to most users — hitting that kind of frequency will still mark a milestone in consumer RAM.
Monica is a UK-based freelance writer and self-proclaimed geek. A firm believer in the “PC building is just like expensive…
Report: High RAM prices will continue to skyrocket
DDR5 RAM has become the new standard for most consumer-grade PCs and laptops. While DDR4 is still around, the first DDR5 chips came out in 2018. However, the standard was officially released in 2020, and actual commercial kits made their first appearance by mid-2021. Back then, a kit of twin 16GB sticks at DDR5-4800 speeds launched at a price tag of $311. That’s more than three times the price of what you’ll pay today.
But that may change soon as DDR5 RAM prices are expected to continuing increasing in the coming months. Analysts from market research firm TrendForce suggest that the primary reason for this surge is being attributed to the manufacturers who are reallocating resources toward the production of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).
If you’re still gaming on 16GB of RAM, you’re missing out
A good gaming PC is not just a top-notch graphics card, a reliable processor, and a bunch of irrelevant components. Every part plays a role in delivering a smooth gaming experience, and while those two big-ticket components may have the biggest impact, the amount of memory (RAM) in your PC is also a huge deal.
Trust me — and this is coming from someone who was still running 16GB last year — the difference between 16GB and 32GB RAM is like night and day. Whether we like it or not, that upgrade is one that’s looming on the horizon for many gamers — and now is a surprisingly good time to pull that trigger.
We’re on the brink of a RAM evolution
It’s safe to say that the narrative around memory, and I mean both regular RAM and video memory (VRAM) found in graphics cards, has shifted a lot in the past year or so. Previously a somewhat overlooked component, RAM became a hot topic among PC gamers and in the media, and knowing how much RAM your PC needs has become a necessity.
This innovation in RAM is great news for your PC
Non-binary memory. It might not be set to give you the same performance uplift as a new graphics card, and it’s not as intriguing as AMD’s X3D CPUs, but it’s still an interesting new wrinkle in how you build a PC. Non-binary memory effectively allows half steps in RAM quantities, so instead of only having options for sticks of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB (and so on), you can now buy a 24GB DIMM, or a 48GB one.
That might not sound like much, but in the coming years as games demand more than 16GB — but where 32GB would be overkill — these new 24GB memory kits are going to be very popular for the cost-cutting they facilitate.
[ For more curated Computing news, check out the main news page here]
The post This speedy RAM is a world’s first, but DDR5-10000 is coming | Digital Trends first appeared on www.digitaltrends.com
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25658085/ai_label__1_.png "Meta announces Movie Gen, an AI-powered video generator")
