DDR4 in 2026 | TheaterFire

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m3551xh@reddit

Ddr4 is still hugely viable. Even a lot cost effective prebuilts released in 2026 and beyond are still using ddr4 ram. I'm still using it in one of my gaming rigs, ddr5 is superior obviously but if you're looking to same some money, the difference might not be as much as you'd think, especially with a gaming PC.

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schrodingersOdderon@reddit

It all depends on what your CPU is, not so much on the GPU, the GPU won't care about the type of RAM.

If you want to play AAA titles I would recommend going to AM5 with something like a 7800x3d, or on the cheap side a 9600x and 32GB of DDR5

If you stay on AM4 platform best guess is GTA 6 and FH6 will work fine, just probably with lower FPS and you might want to dial down some settings for higher frames (depends if you use MFG and the monitor you have and such though)

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

The monitor im getting is 1920x1080 i doubt the pc will break a sweat being limited to just 1080p

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RhubarbUpper@reddit

Cpus work harder at lower resolutions

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schrodingersOdderon@reddit

well that is a bit of a double-edged sword then, 1080p is more CPU heavy than 1440p/4k, since it will push more frame rates and it will strain the CPU more, you can limit the FPS though if you experience much stuttering

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Chotch_Master@reddit

I’m still on AM4 with Corsair 3600mhz I bought in 2021. Haven’t ever had issues with my ram not being fast enough

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Hollow3ddd@reddit

Yup, this really is it. Unless you running a giant 4K monitor on ultra, not much of a point to upgrade unless you have too it want too

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itsforathing@reddit

Still using 10 year old 32gb (4x8) Corsair 3000mhz ram. Which was blazing fast back then. New cpu but the ram still works great

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3441drew@reddit

I run a 5800x3d, 32gb ddr4, and a 6900xt and it does great with all the current titles. I don't plan on upgrading for awhile, especially with the current prices. I also use this with my college classes

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Zealousideal_End8146@reddit

The real question is when will ddr6 come out and drop prices

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

Releasing DDR6 right now is going to be such a slap in the face to us consumers

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Zealousideal_End8146@reddit

Think so? I have to assume ddr4 will drop at least a little bit

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BreadfruitNaive6261@reddit

Going for a new graphics card and ddr4 should be a crime

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

I dont have much money to invest alot of into ddr5. I have to buy other peripherals such as monitor, keyboard, mouse etc.

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JayyMuro@reddit

Hopefully you aren't building the PC for GTA6 because that might not come to PC for years. I would save up and get the better ram personally.

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

GTA releases use come a year later from console releases. However its not my priority as much as other games such as FH6, alan wake etc

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hayashikin@reddit

Things are very expensive now, I don't know when they'll get cheaper, but I think prices will eventually fall.

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BreadfruitNaive6261@reddit

Then best a used 3070/3060ti, am4 cpu, 2k monitor (lg 27gs85)

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VoraciousGorak@reddit

Also will ddr4 work with an RTX 5070?

The RAM doesn't get plugged into the GPU, the 5070 won't care.

32gb of DDR5 or 32gb of DDR4

That depends on what platform you're building with. The CPU will determine, largely, which RAM you will need to buy.

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

Im thinking of getting ryzen 7 5800x

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Crowley120@reddit

Might aswell go for the 5700x3d since it’ll generally out perform a 5800x either should be fine for what you’re doing though

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postsshortcomments@reddit

With $350 5700x3ds, you may as well go with a 14600kf on a DDR4 motherboard. Or just DDR5 a 7600x. The 14600KFs are still available in the US for $230-240 and it should be $50+ cheaper with probably on average better performance than a 5700X3D setup. Because of a lack of interest of DDR5 14600 configs at their ~$300 launch price MSRP (I mean why why DDR4 was $50 and DDR5 was $80), DDR4 benches were fairly scarce until it was given a second look during the RAM shortage.. So it's hard to be confident as to exactly where DDR4 14600KFs sit between 5600X3D, 5700X3D, 5800X3D, DDR5 7500F, DDR5 7600X. But I think stitching together these videos help conclude that at $50+ cheaper than a 5700X3D system it's probably better price/performance than anything on AM4 for tight budgets. Albeit a 7600x AM5 platform ($610, 2x16GB) is probably the better long-term decision especially for lucky deal hunters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my8w1yfhJos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIK0OGBDkN8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRIU70f3fTk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsiR4M6J2hI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PPtXh5mzz8

The only knock on it is that the 14th gen market have pre-hotfix, already damaged CPUs floating around and that surely will increase its reluctance for builders to grab them on the used market for years to come. Document your purchase date, document your serial number, and do not skip a heartbeat making sure your BIOs is updates (DDR4 motherboard stock was completely dry for a bit, so they're probably a new manufacturing run but never count out lost palettes and shipping crates).

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VoraciousGorak@reddit

That'll be DDR4 then.

If it's mostly / only a gaming PC though, look into a 5500X3D from Aliexpress. I picked mine up for $158 total, they're a bit pricier now but it'll be about the same price as or cheaper than the 5800X and perform a good bit better in most games.

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

Yeah, its just a gaming PC and occasional school work. I just want to make sure Ill be able to play forza horizon and upcoming titles with no stuttering.

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MichiganRedWing@reddit

5500X3D will outperform 5800X in gaming, especially a game like FH6.

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BrainttS@reddit

It will work better in esports games—that's a fact

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BrainttS@reddit

If I were you, I’d go with the 5700x or 5800x—it’s not worth the extra $50. The clock speed is 150 MHz higher, and you won’t really notice the difference.

Here are the benchmarks: https://youtu.be/f8K7-cOZKJQ?si=waR4Gj9OQPvX3aoJ

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postsshortcomments@reddit

CPU choice determines CPU socket (a part of the motherboard).. CPU socket determines motherboard.. and a motherboard is either DDR4 or DDR5 - not both. Meaning that a DDR4 CPU can only DDR4 and a DDR5 CPU can only DDR5.

There is one exception. 12th, 13th, or 14th gen Intel CPU allow you to do one or the other, but it's dependent on motherboard. If you decide to go with a DDR4 Intel 14th gen and want to upgrade RAM later, you'll require a motherboard swap.

AM4 is DDR4. AM5 is DDR5.

Also will ddr4 work with an RTX 5070?

Yes. GPUs made in 2012 during the DDR3 generation will work on DDR5. With anything modern and relevant, GPU is really only limited by PSU and in extremely obscure cases PCIe version. You probably wont ever have to worry about PCIe version, but technically the GPU can be limited by PCIe generation. I personally can only name one fairly obscure GPU heavily impacted and said GPU is barely still relevant (That is, the 4x lane RX 6500 XT on PCIe 3.0 vs 4.0).

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greggm2000@reddit

I don’t see you mentioning what system you already have. This is a terrible time to build. Circumstances might be a lot different a year from now, what with next-gen parts, and hopefully the AI-bubble will have collapsed and prices will have fallen.

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

I have an office laptop with integrated graphics and 8gb of ram

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greggm2000@reddit

Yeah, fair, that will be terrible for gaming for anything halfway modern unless you’re talking stuff like “Slay the Spire” or other non-intensive games. Still, like I said, it’s a terrible time to build, with many parts 2x to 5x what they used to cost 6 months ago. This is temporary but rn, in the midst of it… up to you how much your gaming is worth to you, I suppose.

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PreparationSmart8480@reddit (OP)

Well, its quite important haha. Been nagging my parents for years to get me a PC so I managed to close the deal with my mom now just waiting for her to give me a green light when to order.

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greggm2000@reddit

Then, idk how much money you'll have available, but a DDR5 system, say, using a 7800X3D would be ideal, and you'll be able to swap to a way more performant CPU in a few years, extending it's longevity.

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ah__there_is_another@reddit

DDR4 is overpriced now. So is DDR5, but a DDR5 platform has a future.. I personally went for DDR5, but 1x16gb stick only. Will add another one once pricing improves.

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SarcasticallyCandour@reddit

Will you buying a whole new set of ram later?

I always read online you should buy all your ram sticks at once, not mixing newer ones later. Even if brand and model are the same the chips will be slightly different on different manufacturing dates.

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ah__there_is_another@reddit

The idea was the add another stick later yes, exact same make and model. Good point on them still having some differences, I hope that's not problematic.. technically even two sticks bought together are no guarantee that they were part of the dame pcb etc though.

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Avid_Stroller@reddit

Single 16gb single would do temporarily

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webjunk1e@reddit

It's not about the RAM; it's about the CPUs you can pair it with. DDR4 isn't used by any platform that hasn't been dead for at least two full generations at this point. A DDR5 platform will absolutely perform better, but that's more a function of newer and better CPUs than differences between DDR4 and DDR5. In short, you pick the CPU you want and then you get a motherboard and type of RAM to match, not the other way around.

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Scrogdor@reddit

Helps if you let us know what the budget is roughly.

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Friendly-Shift7300@reddit

Eu terminei o meu am4 esse ano, ryzen 7 5700x com PBO, 7900xt e b550m msi vdh wifi. Me atende bem até o am6 chegar

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carbs_rich_potato@reddit

according to Hardware Cunucks there is ~15% difference between entry level am5 (7600x) and its am4 equivalent (5600x) when paired with rtx5070, so if with am4/ddr4 build you save at least 20%, then I would consider it a reasonable option

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AstronautGuy42@reddit

I have AM4/DDR4 and it works well. But I upgraded my existing PC with new cpu and GPU.

If I were building fresh, I’d spend the extra $300ish for DDR5. When you need to upgrade it will mean that you likely don’t need to do a mobo upgrade. You’ll save yourself some headache.

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SpoopyJD@reddit

DDR4 is perfectly fine. Especially at cost for DDR5 right now.

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Icon_Of_Susan@reddit

DDR4 and AM4 for that matter, are still very much relevant for current gaming.

Some seem to forget that just a very short few years ago we were still using 4th gen i5 chips for budget gaming.

So yeah. Its still good. And 32gb is a very respectable amount.

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Dense_Ad7115@reddit

I'm normally an advocate of DDR4, as I think it's still extremely viable and can match/not be far off a lot of DDR5 builds for gaming (or at least, give you a quality experience where you wouldn't really notice the difference). But, if you're building from scratch I think you'll save more long term by just holding out and going for a DDR5 build. Unless you get a good deal on a pretty much complete DDR4 build used.

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xXAragamiXx@reddit

Ryzen CPU 5 or 7 & a good B550 MB & 32gb+ ram & rtx 5070 GPU + & a fast nvme = tones of ram & gram & shared ram/vram to play games on max or near max settings..

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