I'm currently using a Ryzen 7 5800X with 16GB of RAM on an AM4 motherboard. I'm considering either upgrading to 32GB of DDR4 or making the much larger jump to a new CPU, motherboard, and DDR5 memory platform. I found some used RAM locally, but I can only test the DDR4 sticks because I don't currently have a DDR5 system. For someone in this situation, would it make more sense to add DDR4 now or save up for a full platform upgrade?
2 Answers
The decision mostly comes down to your budget and whether you actually need more CPU performance. A DDR5 platform can offer better performance, but the total upgrade cost is significantly higher, especially when you include the processor and motherboard. If you can wait, that may help, but memory prices are difficult to predict and could stay high or rise further. I’d only make the full jump if your current CPU is holding you back.
Your motherboard determines the memory type, so an AM4 system like yours can only use DDR4. If the 5800X is still performing well and you’re mainly running short on memory, upgrading to 32GB of compatible DDR4 is the sensible and much cheaper option. Moving to DDR5 means replacing the motherboard and CPU as well, not just the RAM.
That’s what I was leaning toward. I’m happy enough with the 5800X, so upgrading the RAM now seems more practical than replacing the whole platform.