The result is that at the time of writing, DDR5 RAM is just starting to filter out into the world, but only by way of expensive showcase modules rather than consumer-grade products.ĭDR5 will continue with a 288-pin design, although the RAM voltage will drop to 1.1V. It didn't really happen in 2020, either, as the new memory spec was only released in mid-2020. DDR5ĭDR5 was set to hit consumer markets in 2019. Since then, DDR4 use has steadily grown to the point where it now accounts for around 80 percent of all RAM sales worldwide.ĭDR4 drops the RAM voltage even further, from 1.5V to 1.2V, while increasing the number of pins to 288. DDR4ĭDR4 hit the market in 2014 and took some time to become the most popular type of RAM, taking the top-spot from DDR3 sometime in 2017. Also, DDR3 SO-DIMMs have 204 pins versus DDR2's 200 pins. However, it runs a lower voltage and has higher timings (more on RAM timings in a moment), so it isn't compatible. For Intel, that covers the Intel Core i7 line introduction in 2008 through to the 7 th generation Kaby Lake CPUs in 2016.ĭDR3 RAM has the same number of pins as DDR2. Why? Because it wasn't until 2016 (two years after DDR4 launched) that DDR4 capable systems really picked up steam.įurthermore, DDR3 RAM covers a huge range of CPU generations, stretching from Intel's LGA1366 socket through to LGA1151, as well as AMD's AM3/AM3+ and FM1/2/2+. Although DDR4 officially superseded it in 2014, you will still find many systems using the older RAM standard.