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Intel will launch its 13th gen Raptor Lake processor within the next couple of months. These upcoming processors will pack significantly improved single-core and multi-core performance levels.
The entire 13th gen Raptor Lake lineup got revealed online. The series will pack processors with up to 24 cores and boast support for up to DDR5-5600 memory.
On paper, the Raptor Lake processors will seemingly destroy Ryzen 7000 series processors for every benchmark and workload. With all the power limits removed, the new Core series has also hit 40,000+ points in the Cinebench R23 multi-core performance benchmark.
In comparison, the Ryzen 9 7950X is still a solid 2,000 points behind even with AIO water cooling and XOC measures.
However, Team Blue is not getting carried away with the performance improvements it has been able to hit with these processors. The upcoming Raptor Lake also has room for budget gamers.
Since the Double Data Rate (DDR) 5 memory is insanely costly, the upcoming lineup will also bake in support of the older DDR 4 memory.
DDR 4 support means Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake will be for budget gamers and enthusiasts
All Intel 13th gen Raptor Lake processors will support DDR 4 and DDR 5 memory. The news was confirmed via an exclusive published on a tech publications website. This will allow gamers to save money on motherboards and memory modules.
A decent DDR 5 memory kit costs almost twice as much as the highest-end DDR 4 memory modules. DDR 5 memory is not as readily available as the older standard.
Most memory manufacturers have not launched budget DDR 5 memory kits because of the lack of a proper audience. Motherboards supporting DDR 5 memory are more expensive than those supporting the older memory standard.
Intel Raptor Lake processors are not improving on the maximum DDR 4 memory speed supported, as all CPUs will cap out at 3200 MT/s. These upcoming processors will also support Error Correction Code (ECC) DDR 4 memory.
The extended support for the older memory standard is a welcome move from Team Blue. Most gamers resent the DDR 5 exclusivity of Ryzen 7000 CPUs.
Although AMD claimed that DDR 5 memory will become cheaper throughout 2023, gamers will have to wait another three quarters to a year before being able to afford DDR 5 memory at today's DDR 4 prices.
Adding to this pricing scenario, DDR 5 memory does not promise a giant performance leap over the older memory standard. This is because most modern video games are not built to utilize the full potential of faster DDR 5 memory modules.
It will take at least another to use what the new generation of memory sticks offers. Thus, DDR 5 memory seems like a waste of money from a budget and mid-range gamer's perspective.
Money saved on memory modules can be better spent behind a beefier CPU or graphics card. Upgrading these components will promise a much higher performance gain. With AMD Ryzen 7000, gamers do not have access to this option.
Conclusion
DDR 5 is the future of system memory technology. However, it is not mature enough to be implemented industry-wide.
Thus, Intel has made the right decision with its 13th gen Raptor Lake CPUs and baked-in support for DDR 4 and DDR 5 memory in the upcoming processor lineup.
Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the author's opinions.
