Discussion DDR5 vs DDR4 in 2026 - is it finally worth upgrading?

[Ferdinand]

Building a new rig and trying to decide between a DDR4 board (cheaper, proven) or going DDR5 (future proof but pricier). The price gap has closed a lot since DDR5 launched but it's still about 30-40% more for equivalent capacity.

Mostly gaming with some video editing. 32GB minimum. What would you go with?

 

[Tyler]

DDR5 for a new build in 2026, no question. Prices have dropped enough that the premium is worth it for the longevity. DDR4 is end of life now.

 

[Lukas]

If you do any video editing the bandwidth difference is real. I went from DDR4 3600 to DDR5 6000 and Premiere render times dropped noticeably. For pure gaming it's less dramatic but still a few percent.

 

[Brad P]

DDR5 all day. The platform support is better now and you won't need to upgrade again for a long time. DDR4 is solid but you'd be buying into a dead end.