Micron just made the most advanced DRAM ever produced in the US, and it's not for your PC
Posted by gurugabrielpradipaka@reddit | hardware | View on Reddit | 36 comments
The 1-alpha node brings advanced DDR4 production to Virginia fab
tacobellmysterymeat@reddit
Yeah, I can't see how PC makers would possibly benefit from more DDR4, other than perhaps people who could cross shop will ease up on their DDR5 requests? I can't imagine those customers exist though.
hollow_bridge@reddit
Most cars, SBCs, plenty of industrial computers, and low-end systems still use ddr4.
Scary-Jaguar-9072@reddit
Its embarrassing the top comment on this article clearly didn't read the article that this ISN'T for PCs.
Strazdas1@reddit
Couldnt even finish reading the title.
ThrowAwayYetAgain878@reddit
I still use DDR4 and would love to upgrade the RAM on our NAS.
Also, I can't believe that my PC is already considered a low-end system. Well, I can, I've been around hardware for a while, but surely, 5800x and 6900xt weren't that long ago, were they?
And no, I'm not checking :p
hollow_bridge@reddit
so do i, imo those are still excellent cpus, i mean what more are you even expecting out of a cpu? I'm using a 12400f and 5060ti and there's no game that doesn't run very well. The only real benefit i would actually notice from a better system would be with the ai stuff im playing with, and that's primarily down to gpu not cpi.
ThrowAwayYetAgain878@reddit
Yeah, outside of fomo, I don't see a reason to go DDR5, either.
Honestly, with the NAS, I'm just waiting for as long as I possibly can, in the hopes that prices might drop, perhaps thanks to Chinese DDR5 causing some people to upgrade and sell their old stuff.
Things do work the way it is, since it's mainly for data storage and I had a spare NVME drive to use as cache. It would just help when tinkering with more self-hosted apps.
hollow_bridge@reddit
agree, I'm think there's a strong likelihood I'll end up going straight to ddr6 at this rate. I'm using an old partially broken i5-7200u laptop with 16gb ddr4 hooked up to external drives as my nas/video server, it's pretty sufficient for a small number of concurrent users anyhow.
INITMalcanis@reddit
A 5800X/6900XT PC is objectively a vast amount of computing power. If the software available actually efficiently utilised it, it would be far more than enough for any normal individual - to a ridiculous degree.
ThrowAwayYetAgain878@reddit
Yeah, that's my feeling as well. I'm quite happy with the system for my purposes, outside of fomo about the availability situation.
Of course, that GPU was the flagship for a while, albeit far behind the RTX 3090, so it wasn't an average system at the time, and it also is far from top of the line these days.
monocasa@reddit
Most of those are using LPDDR*, which is pretty different from regular DDR4/5.
Cheerful_Champion@reddit
Precisely. Qualcomm Cockpit 8295 platforms use LPDDR4 or LPDDR4X, newer use LPDDR5 or 5X. Same for NVIDIA, DRIVE Orin and Thor use LPDDR5 and 5X respectively. Samsung too uses 5/5X in newer platforms.
Only platforms still on DDR4 are pre-COVID ones and that's when switched happened.
AreYouAWiiizard@reddit
It's used it quite a few of the SSDs that still use DRAM caching.
INITMalcanis@reddit
Sure am glad I bought my MX500s and 990P while the getting was good :(
AreYouAWiiizard@reddit
I bought a 2TB Crucial P5 Plus for ~$88 USD, wish I bought another even if I didn't have space on my motherboard... Been struggling for space lately...
INITMalcanis@reddit
2023 was a good year for us.
pacafan@reddit
I suspect CXL will get more popular with persistent DRAM price issues - this will allow server makers/hyperscalers to bump server memory using DDR4. It is not perfect solution and won't work for all workloads but for workloads that can tolerate it, it might save a whackton of money.
DanceWithEverything@reddit
How does that save money? They still have to buy the RAM. Smarter to just add DDR4 nodes than trust workloads to CXL IMO
ML7777777@reddit
More memory is sold for uses like appliances, phones, cars, smart home devices, stereos, etc. than the PC market.
R-ten-K@reddit
1-alpha DRAM are effectively "trailing edge" nodes. These wafers are mostly for memory modules in long lifecycle and qualification-heavy applications/markets (industrial, automotive, medical, aerospace/defense, etc).
These operate under very different cost structures, lifecycle expectations, qualification requirements, and performance priorities than the memory going into consumer or data center application.
Clueless_PhD@reddit
Ddr4 is still used by AM4 motherboards, which is still common. DDR4 has been suspended by Big 3 and filled by Chinese companies. However, ddr4 scarcity remains because Chinese companies also go all in for ddr5. Note that 32Gb ddr4 is still like 200 USD in Best Buy.
So I think expanding DDR4 also helps.
Affectionate-Sea4821@reddit
Anybody here saying DDR4 is no longer desirable is nuts.
https://pcpartpicker.com/trends/price/memory/
Scary-Jaguar-9072@reddit
This title is false. Micron's R&D center is in Boise. Perhaps this is the most advanced production fab in the US, but its certainly not the mlst advanced DRAM produced in the US.
FlyingBishop@reddit
does anyone actually use the DRAM produced in Boise or is it all for testing?
pcgameshardware@reddit
I think the Boise part is a bit easy to mix up here. This article is mainly about Manassas in Virginia ramping 1-alpha DDR4 production. Boise is mentioned more as part of Micron’s broader US footprint... not as the fab this specific ramp is about
- Jacky
xb9j@reddit
All testing, but the new production fab should be online sometime later this year
lifestealsuck@reddit
I remember buying 4 stick of brand new ddr4 3200mhz ram from the chinese brand kingspec aug last year, 18$ a stick tax included . Time flies...
UmaThurmish@reddit
coming to your local childrens school in the middle east
Loose_Skill6641@reddit
lmao wut
DeliciousIncident@reddit
I came to terms with never being able upgrade my 5950x from 32gb to 64gb anymore, you don't have to rub it in.
einmaldrin_alleshin@reddit
I bought 64 gigs because it was cheap, now it's my retirement fund
imaginary_num6er@reddit
Micron exited the PC business
LavenderDay3544@reddit
It existed the direct to consumer PC business but it still sells ICs to third party module makers.
Atopos2025@reddit
You know what's neat? The fastest ram to exist before that also was not meant for our pcs. As was the fastest before that.
The servers that power everything in the digital world need much more power than a single PC user ever could need, want or use, and that is why these components are not made for the consumer market.
EmptyVolition242@reddit
Why should it be? This is complete overkill for a PC.
xb9j@reddit
It’s the exact opposite of overkill for PCs lol