DDR4, the unexpected comeback: why the industry is reconsidering it
The current memory shortage, affecting both DRAM and NAND, has led to a rather unexpected situation. The outrageous price increases of DDR5 have breathed new life into a standard considered to be on its last legs. We are clearly talking about DDR4, the production of which had been significantly reduced, also due to a gradual abandonment of the platforms that supported it. However, this abandonment seems to be a thing of the past.
According to information from Tom's Hardware USA at Computex 2026, numerous motherboard manufacturers and companies specializing in memory module production are ramping up their production capacity dedicated to DDR4-compatible products. The reason appears to be a significant shift in consumer demand towards previous-generation hardware to counter the rising prices.
The advantages of supplying DDR4 lie in cost and the greater simplicity of the production process. DDR5 indeed requires more advanced manufacturing processes and packaging technologies, including the integration of the PMIC circuit directly onto the module. This factor contributes to increasing pressure on the supply chain and final costs.
DDR4, on the other hand, uses a simpler structure and requires less complex production processes. This characteristic allows manufacturers to increase its availability more easily, while at the same time containing the impact of price hikes.
Inevitably, the motherboard market is also reacting to this scenario. Some manufacturers have reportedly confirmed the increase in production of DDR4-compatible models for the second half of 2026 and throughout 2027. Several products that had reached the end of their commercial cycle are therefore returning to production lines, with new resources dedicated exclusively to these families of boards.
This decision seems understandable in a complex moment for the motherboard sector. Some manufacturers have reported a reduction in sales reaching 37% in some cases. Meanwhile, others have indicated a double-digit growth of DDR4 platforms during the last quarter.
However, in terms of performance, the return of DDR4 presents some limitations. The most valued chips by enthusiasts and overclockers, such as the famous Samsung B-die, are no longer in production. For this reason, many of the new DDR4 kits that will hit the market are expected to be limited to speeds around DDR4-3600, far from the levels reached by the more modern DDR5 solutions.
Both AMD and Intel seem to be preparing to support this trend. AMD has recently introduced the Ryzen 7 5800X3D 10th Anniversary Edition and has confirmed its intention to keep it in catalog as long as there is sufficient demand. The company has also adapted the production process related to the hybrid bonding technology used for the processor, to facilitate more durable availability.
For its part, Intel continues to market the Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh processors and has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure the presence of products compatible with previous generations of memory technologies.
Despite the greater manufacturing simplicity of DDR4, the sector must still face some critical issues. The main concern clearly involves the allocation of wafers, a resource that represents the real bottleneck for the entire semiconductor industry. The growing demand for processors aimed at data centers further contributes to the pressure on available manufacturing capacity.
Finally, short-term prospects do not appear particularly encouraging. Industry sources indeed agree on one point: the shortages of DRAM and NAND could continue throughout 2027, which will favor the maintenance of high prices for DDR5 and a long-standing presence of DDR4 in the market. Moreover, just in the past hours, TSMC has announced that the expansion of manufacturing capacity will not keep pace with demand for several years. In summary, the component shortage will continue for a long time, while the production capacity of some fabs is already completely sold out until 2027.