Do you need DDR5 RAM with Intel 12th Gen CPUs?

GeIL Polaris RGB SYNC Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Central

Best answer: No. DDR4 is compatible, only the performance benefits of going with DDR5 can't be ignored, and at that place are other caveats to using DDR4 as well that make it largely a improve bet to go with DDR5.

No demand to upgrade from your DDR4, only there are caveats

The best RAM isn't the cheapest of PC components, then if yous can reuse stuff you already have information technology takes the border off putting together a new or upgraded PC. Fortunately, Intel'southward new 12th Gen "Alder Lake" CPUs are uniform with both DDR4 and DDR5 memory.

Yet, there is a small caveat with that. Intel's specs for the twelfth Gen chips say that DDR4 is supported at 3200MHz and in a higher place, so assuming your kit meets that requirement information technology'll be good to get. You lot will demand a new motherboard for 12th Gen regardless, and you'll have to be extra careful that y'all buy 1 compatible with DDR4 if you're going that route.

DDR5 will have a functioning border

GeIL Polaris RGB SYNC Source: Rich Edmonds / Windows Fundamental

Using a twelfth Gen CPU with DDR5 RAM will give a number of workloads a performance edge, despite having higher timings. The sheer clock speed and boosted memory bandwidth will benefit intensive tasks such as gaming.

That's not to say that these tasks will suffer with DDR4, and in lighter use you probably won't be able to tell the difference.

For more on how the Intel twelfth Gen chips reply to DDR5 RAM, be sure to check out our reviews of the Intel Core i5-12600K and the Intel Core i9-12900K. All told, it's probably a better idea to go DDR5 RAM since you'll be buying a new motherboard regardless, and this way you're going to be ameliorate fix for the future.

GeIL Polaris RGB SYNC

It'due south expensive, just if you can fit the GeIL Polaris RGB SYNC into your PC budget, we recommend you do so. The available speeds and error checking, not to mention other advancements included with DDR5 RAM, make this a solid pick for premium desktops.

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