DDR5 Shortage Will Continue Through 2022

If you were thinking of upgrading your computer and using DDR5 RAM, it is very likely that you will have problems getting it. While some were optimistic about the availability of these modules in the coming months, Micron says a shortage of components will cause low stock of DDR5 lasts until at least the second half of 2022.

During Micron’s latest earnings call, its CEO Sanjay Mehrotra communicated to investors and financial analysts that:

Demand for DDR5 products is significantly outpacing supply due to shortages of non-memory components affecting the ability of memory vendors to manufacture DDR5 modules.

We expect this shortage to moderate during 2022, allowing small DDR5 shipments to grow significantly in the second half of 2022.

This problem arises from the absence of power management ICs (PMIC) incorporated into this new memory standard. Unlike DDR4 modules, voltage conversion is now not done on the motherboard, but now it is the DDR5 module that takes care of it, reducing the complexity of the motherboard and benefiting from a much more stable power supply with cleaner signals and less noise. The problem is that these integrated circuits responsible for voltage regulation are not being obtained in sufficient quantity, limiting the number of memory modules that can be manufactured.

It should be mentioned that this shortage problem not only affects the manufacture of high-end DDR5 kits, but it affects all DDR5 modules, including the most basic 4800GT / s, so the problem is quite large.

Luckily, as we mentioned on multiple occasions, those users who choose to use 12th Gen Intel processors will be able to accompany it with DDR4 memory without problems. The performance improvement of DDR5 is minimal in games and most general applications, so unless you use certain specific applications, you can save waiting time and especially a lot of money by choosing to use DDR4 memory with your Alder Lake processor. Unfortunately, if we want a high-end motherboard, the only option is DDR5, although for most users, motherboards with DDR4 are usually more than enough.

Were you planning to upgrade to DDR5 or do you think it doesn’t make sense because of how little performance difference it has with DDR4 in most applications?

Source: PCGamer