Intel unveils Alder Lake compatible DDR5 RAM

Intel has shared a new document listing DDR5 kits validated on the Alder Lake platform. In the past, this operation was not carried out by the well-known chipmaker in first person, but usually the manufacturers of motherboards or of the memories themselves took care of it. A common aspect among the different memory kits on Intel's QVL is that they are all 32GB Dual Channel (2 × 16GB). There are 16GB (2 × 8GB) options, but it seems most manufacturers have gone straight to 32GB. Alder Lake supports DDR5-4800 by default; therefore, DDR5-4800 memory kits should work without problems.

Photo Credit: Intel One of the improvements brought about by DDR5 is the use of a lower operating voltage (1.1V compared to DDR4's 1.2V ). However, only the DDR5-4800 and some of the DDR5-5200 kits run at 1.1V. As usual, not all DDR5-4800 kits are made alike. Apparently, Corsair has the most compatible DDR5-4800 kits among all vendors. Dominator Platinums offer timings of 34-35-35-69, while Kingston's Fury Beasts stop at 38-38-38-70. Given the lower timings and flashy looks, Corsair's memory kits are sure to cost a little more.

If you're aiming for maximum performance and don't have a budget problem, G.Skill currently has the kits of the fastest DDR5 memory on the market. The manufacturer offers DDR5-6000 to DDR5-6666 kits from the Trident Z5 line. Regardless of the data rate, the kits have timings configured to 40-40-40-76 at 1.35V. However, those aren't the fastest memory kits either. G.Skill has already anticipated the arrival of its DDR5-6800, which will probably cost a lot.

Credit: G.Skill The official data rate supported on Alder Lake is DDR5-4800, so the higher models are considered to be overclocked. Although the fastest DDR5 kits have been validated for Alder Lake, the processor's IMC (integrated memory controller) is still the deciding factor in being able to reach the fastest speeds.