DDR4: A Major Challenge for AMD and Intel Facing Shortage

The cost of memory is skyrocketing, with DDR5 at its peak, and DDR4 following suit. A major advantage of the latter is its widespread use in the majority of PCs. To cope with the current crisis, tech giants AMD and Intel don’t have many options. One of them is to not change everything.

And not changing is shocking in the technology industry. Everyone has been raised on a discourse of technical updates and constant obsolescence. Manufacturers and chip makers have made a rhythmic and annual release of their products a tempo to follow to stay at the cutting edge. Despite the promises of productivity and efficiency gains, real-life use cases may not have progressed everywhere. In the business world, for example, some decisions to upgrade are more financial than technical. Changes are made because it’s the right time, everything is amortized, competitors have changed, or out of fear of falling behind. But in the end, we end up opening the same office suite and sending the same emails without drawing much more memory or processor power.

Intel and AMD are aware of this, so they have realized that it’s possible to prolong the life of their product lines with some cosmetic enhancements to meet enterprise needs. The program for 2026 seems to confirm the return of certain chip generations.

At Intel, for instance, there will be 14th generation Core chips. The “Raptor Lake Refresh” models will take another lap on their LGA1700 platform. The company has confirmed the continuation of production alongside the new Panther Lake chips. The information comes from Robert Hallock, one of the vice presidents and general manager of technical marketing at Intel.

The reason is quite simple – the chips are more than sufficient to power a standard computer in 2026. While some users may seek the most efficient performance, many others barely scratch the surface of these processors’ computing capabilities. Whether individuals or professionals, a vast majority of processors in 2026 are not fully utilized.

The advantages of these Raptor Lake Refresh processors for both Intel and customers are significant. They are built on Intel 7, avoiding direct competition with the 18A production lines. Both lines can be produced in parallel. The Arrow Lake-S chips, a new generation, benefit from cores still produced by TSMC but assembled by Intel. This arrangement allows Intel to maximize the utilization of its Intel 7 lines during this complex period.

It also allows the utilization of two significant technical elements – Raptor Lake Refresh can be mounted on an LGA1700 socket and can support both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. For Intel, this is beneficial at the moment. Whether for assemblers or end customers, maintaining this platform means being able to transition millions of PCs from one chip to another without having to change everything. It also prolongs the life of technical foundations like motherboards, cooling systems, and power supplies finely tuned for machines from top international brands.

The retention of DDR4 memory will also help reduce costs during a transition. A contact managing a corporate machine recycling company conveyed that the market had changed significantly in recent months. There are fewer machines available, less well-preserved devices, and especially fewer chips on hand. All RAM sticks are now being retained by companies whereas they used to be left in place. The source is drying up, and the incoming machines are no longer as easily recyclable.

For a company with an IT service able to recycle the RAM from their PCs, the adoption of a Raptor Lake Refresh processor can significantly reduce technical expenses. They may only need to change the chip, but if purchasing a new PC is mandatory, it can be selected without memory by simply recycling the existing one. Even just considering the purchase of a new PC, DDR4 remains much more available and cheaper than DDR5 currently.

Mr. Hallock mentioned that motherboard manufacturers will propose original platforms capable of supporting both DDR4 and DDR5. ASRock is reportedly already working on this, with others expected to follow. In any case, using a Raptor Lake Refresh with DDR4 will not make a significant difference for an average user, or even an expert user. The majority of use cases will not be drastically different from one machine to another at first glance. While benchmark software may reveal slight differences for some, it will still be possible to invest in combining the best of each component.

Given the current context, it’s doubtful that everyone would want to replace a PC purchased in early 2025 with 32GB of DDR4 for a similar model with 32GB of DDR5 at a much higher cost.

Context:

• The article discusses the rising cost of memory, the transition from DDR4 to DDR5, and the strategies of major tech companies like Intel and AMD to prolong the life of their product lines.
• It highlights the advantages of continuing to support DDR4 memory, especially in the context of cost-effective transitions and technical capabilities.

Fact Check:

• The information is based on industry trends and press releases from Intel and AMD. The mention of specific chip models and technical details aligns with publicly available information.