My dad has a lot of spare DDR4 RAM sticks, both 16GB and 32GB, that he collected while working as a research professor. He used to swap parts between eBay computers and now I've got a new PC build in mind. I'm considering an AMD setup with a Ryzen 5 7600X or 9600X paired with an RTX 5070, but it seems like the recommended motherboards and CPUs for that don't support DDR4..
Are there compatible motherboards and CPUs I can use with the DDR4 sticks, or should I just go ahead and purchase DDR5 instead? I can manage the cost if necessary.
6 Answers
For gaming with an RTX 5070, the performance gap between DDR4 and DDR5 won't be significant for most titles. But keep in mind that if your dad's RAM is more like ECC RAM from his lab, it might not work with standard consumer CPUs. You'll need to confirm the specifications to ensure compatibility.
If you're considering budget options, the AM4 platform with a Ryzen 5800X is a good fit for DDR4.
Most recent Ryzen CPUs, like the 7000 series, are not compatible with DDR4. If you're looking for something affordable that still performs well, consider Intel's 12th-14th gen CPUs, like the 14600K. DDR4 could save you some cash if you want to stick with what's available.
If you're going for a DDR4 gaming setup, the Ryzen 5800X3D could be a choice, although availability might be an issue.
You might want to look into the Intel 13600K or 14600K, as those CPUs support DDR4 and can give you solid performance without the need to switch to DDR5.
I think DDR4 is still a decent option! I managed to switch to DDR5 before the prices skyrocketed, but my previous setup with DDR3 and a GTX 780TI was rough. You can always take your time with the build and enjoy some games you missed.
Just keep in mind that saying "a lot of DDR4" doesn't tell me much since it could be anything from 2133MT/s to 3200CL22, and you'll want to check the specifics before building.
Plus, the speed of that lab RAM could be slower than gaming RAM, which might lead to about a 10% performance drop due to lower speeds and timings.