AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Verge, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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The ongoing shortage of RAM is causing price increases that make upgrading PCs difficult for many users. To address this, Intel and AMD are developing new processors designed to work with the older DDR4 memory standard instead of the newer DDR5 type. This shift allows consumers to avoid switching to more expensive memory while still using modern CPUs.

Gigabyte recently announced that two motherboard lines will support upcoming Intel LGA 1700 processors, a socket introduced in 2021. Although Intel previously moved to a DDR5-only approach for this platform in 2024, Gigabyte states that dual-format support is returning. These new chips are expected to launch in early 2027. Similarly, Gigabyte revealed motherboards for AMD’s AM4 platform to accompany the relaunch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, which supports DDR4.

DDR4 entered the market in 2014 and was replaced by the faster DDR5 technology under normal conditions. However, current price disparities make DDR4 more attractive; a 32GB DDR5 kit costs $620, while a comparable DDR4 kit costs $260. Despite DDR5 offering higher speeds and better power efficiency, these advantages may not justify the cost difference given the current market situation.