Report: DDR5 Already Facing Production Issues In Wake of Global Chip Shortages

[Raevenlord]

DDR5 may soon have reason to be an even more expensive early-adopter piece of tech than it currently is, according to electronic component supplier 12chip. While semiconductor manufacturers worldwide grapple with logistics and components shortages, the DRAM market has been left somewhat unscathed - up to now. DRAM fabrication - even DDR5 - isn't done on leading-edge nodes but on older, more mature ones (such as 14 nm). According to 12chip, manufacturers are having no problem in scaling their DRAM manufacturing on these older nodes to meet demand.

However, DDR5 is being directly impacted by the current logistics issues due to lack of adequate Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) chips - which DDR5 has integrated in the DIMM proper. Currently, lead times for PMIC orders are estimated at 35 weeks, placing additional strain on system assemblers and DRAM manufacturers - and forcing delays and bottlenecks throughout the supply chain. Additionally, the fact that PMIC chips for DDR5 are ten times as expensive as equivalent DDR4 power management solutions doesn't bode well for future price action on DDR. Should this situation continue, higher prices for DDR5 modules are to be expected due to a deteriorating supply/demand ratio - particularly relevant if you're thinking about putting together a build based on Intel's Alder Lake platform. As always, take this report with a grain of salt.



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[MDWiley]

Sounds about right. I got a 12700k build waiting on RAM, as I’m sure many others do at the moment. Fortunately, I’m well trained in the art of stock tracking thanks to the RTX 30 release.

 

[Cobain]

No problem, DDR4 is faster than current DDR5 anyway. Only normies or mainstream users got a DDR5 motherboard to pair it with an Alder Lake chip and end up with 10900k performance for triple platform cost.

 

[Chrispy_]

Until tighter timings arrive for DDR5 it's a waste of time anyway. Alder Lake is turning out to be a massive tax on early adopters with price hikes across the board, an OS that isn't ready, PCIe slots for which no products are ready, and now RAM that isn't just not ready, but about to become unavailable too.

The one, best-case scenario for DDR5 having a truly important advantage over DDR4 was going to be integrated graphics performance and GN just did an article on that proving that DDR5's bandwidth is completely ignored by Xe graphics. We'll have to wait until 2022 to see if it helps AMD APUs.

 

[Mysteoa]

The one, best-case scenario for DDR5 having a truly important advantage over DDR4 was going to be integrated graphics performance and GN just did an article on that proving that DDR5's bandwidth is completely ignored by Xe graphics. We'll have to wait until 2022 to see if it helps AMD APUs.

We won't get desktop DDR5 with AMD until end of 2022 or beginning of 2023. So the DDR5 APU will most likely be in 2023.

 

[Ravenmaster]

Manufacturers lying so that they can gouge the prices of their products due to fake shortages. What a surprise...

 

[ARF]

Manufacturers lying so that they can gouge the prices of their products due to fake shortages. What a surprise...

Why are they doing it, though?

 

[robert3892]

Lack of DDR5 is going to bite Intel on the butt and hurt their consumer sales for this quarter, (in my opinion).

 

[lexluthermiester]

DDR5 shortage you say? What a shocker...

 

[bonehead123]

Why are they doing it, though?

"hasta lavista moohlah grabinista" hahahahaha

 

[TheEndIsNear]

Manufacturers lying so that they can gouge the prices of their products due to fake shortages. What a surprise...

Greed

 

[bogami]

It is expected that one solution is to increase the capacity on RAM units, so the ratio would be improved, with 32 gb, not 8 gb per piece ,and also 64 gb. Of course with a moderate price but they knew what they were doing and the long preparation for DDR 5 turns out to be a possibility of tightening up the value as usual. Traders will serve as much as with DDR 4, where a few diodes and a tin doubled the price and mor, and not OC potential and quality as it should be . Kingston as the largest manufacturer could anticipate the problem but I have noticed that they are very slow on what they doo ,as they usually lag behind in what is on the market . as if they are immune to demand. They are a concern without competition and everyone else has a small share, but what can they do. Really dinosaur or godzilla, we are ....give us DDR5 PLZ.

 

[seth1911]

If i want to go with Intel the best price for performance u can have here for about 410€:
10900F + B460 Board

 

[Rob94hawk]

Does anyone really 'need' a new DDR5 system right now? No one should be buying unless absolutely necessary.
Unless you're just buying for bragging rights, let the companies, and scalpers suffer.

 

[Denver]

We won't get desktop DDR5 with AMD until end of 2022 or beginning of 2023. So the DDR5 APU will most likely be in 2023.

Do you have the source of this information? From what I've seen even SteamDeck already uses LPDDR5, for me this is a sign that AMD has some good products ready to launch early next year.

 

[lexluthermiester]

Do you have the source of this information? From what I've seen even SteamDeck already uses LPDDR5, for me this is a sign that AMD has some good products ready to launch early next year.

That is a handheld not a PC.

 

[RandallFlagg]

Do you have the source of this information? From what I've seen even SteamDeck already uses LPDDR5, for me this is a sign that AMD has some good products ready to launch early next year.

LPDDR5 has been around for a long time in phones (over a year), including things like the Galaxy S20 and S20+. Its use has nothing to do with desktop DDR5 production, which is new.

Does anyone really 'need' a new DDR5 system right now? No one should be buying unless absolutely necessary.
Unless you're just buying for bragging rights, let the companies, and scalpers suffer.

I have found one place that DDR5 based systems are outperforming by a very wide margin. That's streaming + gaming. The difference in performance between an DDR5 based AL system and a 5950X in that scenario is pretty staggering, like +70-80%.

So yes, twitch streamers / gamers have a use for it.

 

[Enkur]

I have Z690 motherboard, i9-12900K cpu and bunch of other stuff waiting for the DDR5 ram. I didnt realize I was going to run into this issue... I thought GPUs were in short supply lol

 

[mechtech]

I thought the world was vaccinated and things were back on the mend?!?!?

All Lies?!?!

 

[Minus Infinity]

And still somehow I'll sleep at night.

 

[Wirko]

Sapphire Rapids is around the corner. Everybody's busy making server RAM modules and components that go into them, the margins are sweeter over there.

 

[CrAsHnBuRnXp]

No problem, DDR4 is faster than current DDR5 anyway. Only normies or mainstream users got a DDR5 motherboard to pair it with an Alder Lake chip and end up with 10900k performance for triple platform cost.

I still have the same ram when Skylake brought in DDR4.

 

[Flanker]

Best time to build pc: not now

 

[R0H1T]

Do you have the source of this information? From what I've seen even SteamDeck already uses LPDDR5, for me this is a sign that AMD has some good products ready to launch early next year.

LPDDR5 isn't the same as DDR5, now admittedly AMD haven't released any of their (upcoming CPU) roadmaps but mobile (i.e. laptop) or desktop APU's with DDR5 aren't expected to be launched till BTS or 4th quarter of 2022 ~ these are the most optimistic estimates/leaks for them.

Yes, that'd be zen3d with the extra large cache for raptoreum

LPDDR5 has been around for a long time in phones (over a year), including things like the Galaxy S20 and S20+

Close to 2 years now, the Android flagships launched in late 2019 (early 2020?) were the first devices with LPDDR5. IIRC it was Huawei Xiaomi at the time who launched such a device.

 

[Why_Me]

If you're a gamer then Alder Lake + DDR4 is fine.