The latest DDR5 memory kits are tacking DDR5’s largest shortcoming
When Intel launched their 12th generation Alder Lake processors, a great debate started. DDR4 VS DDR5, which is better? Sadly, the answer to this question is not clear cut, at least with early DDR5 modules, especially given DDR5’s premium pricing.
To put things simply, DDR5 is designed to be better than DDR4, offering users increased bus efficiency, higher transfer rates, and useful anti-corruption features like on-die ECC support. The problem with DDR5 is that a lot of early modules have high CL timings, which are often in the range of CL40. While DDR5 is much faster than DDR4 in terms of bandwidth and bus efficiency, high CL timings can make DDR5 modules take longer to start working than premium DDR4 memory modules.
Thankfully, newer DDR5 memory modules are starting to ship with lower CL timings, with G.Skill being the first to ship DDR5 memory modules with CL timings in the sub-30 range. With these lower CL timings, G.Skill’s latest Trident Z5 RGB, Trident Z5, and Ripjaws S5 series can counter DDR5’s only weakness.
Lower memory timings allow DRAM to respond faster to requests, allowing your system to spend less time waiting for data and more time processing it. This can accelerate workloads by allowing your to get the most performance from your CPU’s memory cycles. Add on DDR5’s increase bus efficiency and higher transfer speeds, and low latency DDR5 is simply better than DDR4 in all tangible ways. For gamers, faster memory can reduce stuttering, increase framerates, and increase framerate consistency in many scenarios.
G.Skill’s Low Latency DDR5
With their latest DDR5 memory kits, G.Skill’s focusing on latencies. Under their Trident Z5 RGB, Trident Z5, and Ripjaws S5 series’ the company has launched 2x16GB and 2x32GB memory kits that can offer users DDR5-5600 speeds with CL28-34-34-89 timings or DDR5-5200 at CL28-34-34-83 timings.
These modules will become available to retailers later this month, and we hope that other manufacturers will launch more low latency DDR5 modules in the near future.