Here Come RGB Lit DDR5 Memory Kits But Brace Yourself For Sticker Shock
The first retail listing for a DDR5 memory kit with RGB lighting has popped up, and in doing so, we have an idea of where preliminary pricing will land. That's the good news. The bad news? It looks like DDR5 memory is not going to be cheap. That is to be expected to some extent when new technology emerges, and on the bright side, this is just a single listing.
This new listing is for a 32GB (2x16GB) kit of GeIL Polaris RGB Sync DDR5-4800 memory, with a bright red or gray aluminum heastink and a strip of RGB lighting across the contoured top. The asking price is $349.99. That is definitely on the expensive side compared to DDR4 memory, no doubt to account for the faster transfer rate (4,800 MT/s) and the general newness (in the consumer sector) of DDR5.
Here's a look at what some 32GB DDR4 memory kits command...
- 32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-4000: $179.45 at Amazon
- 32GB (2x16GB) Patriot Viper Steel RGB DDR4-3600: $149.99 at Amazon
- 32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3200: $149.99 at Amazon
- 32GB (2x16GB) G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-3200: $144.99 at Amazon
- 32GB (2x16GB) Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDDr4-3200: $139.99 at Amazon
- 32GB (2x16GB) Teamgroup T-Force Delta RGB DDR4-3200: $138.59 at Amazon
- 32GB (2x16GB) PNY XLR8 Gaming RGB DDR4-3200: $134.99 at Amazon
Those are all slower kits, granted. And to be fair, when venturing into the upper echelon of DDR4 memory speeds, pricing skyrockets. For example, a 32GB kit of Crucial Ballistix Max RGB DDR4-4400 memory kit lists for $445.99 on Amazon.
Looking ahead to Alder Lake, Intel's next-gen CPUs will support both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Those who opt for the latter will see kits start out at DDR5-4800 and go up from there. Over time, we anticipate pricing to settle down a bit, especially as higher end kits permeate the market. But to what extent remains to be seen.
As for the GeIL kit, it sports timings of 40-40-40-77 at 1.1V. These are looser than what you might be accustomed to seeing, though the much faster transfer rate compared to a standard DDR4-3200 or 3600 memory kit will hopefully more than offset the higher timings.
The GeIL Polaris RGB DDR5 kit on Amazon is the first retail listing we've seen for DDR5 RAM with RGB, though not the first DDR5 kit as a whole. Teamgroup had beat GeIL to the punch earlier this summer. It debuted a naked DDR5-4800 memory kit (no RGB lighting and no heatsink) for around $310.
In addition, GeIL tells us it will have DDR5 kits ranging from 4,800 MT/s to 5,600 MT/s in short order, with capacities ranging from 16GB to 64GB.
