Intel reportedly bringing new LGA 1700 CPUs so builders can use cheaper DDR4

[Elijah_39]

Intel is reportedly preparing new processors for its LGA 1700 socket, Engadget reports, citing motherboard maker Gigabyte. That socket has been around since 2021. The new chips are expected in early 2027. PC Gamer reported that the reason is what people are calling the RAMpocalypse, the sharp rise in memory prices driven by AI demand

LGA 1700 supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. That means refreshed Raptor Lake and Alder Lake chips could run on cheaper DDR4. Engadget puts a 32GB DDR4 kit at about $210, compared with upwards of $480 for 32GB of DDR5. For anyone building a budget gaming PC, that is a big difference

Intel has not officially confirmed the DDR4 plan. But Intel vice president Robert Hallock has previously said Raptor Lake will remain available for years. A Gigabyte representative was quoted saying LGA 1700 is still a good socket and lots of people are still interested in DDR4. That suggests demand is real

The performance trade off is modest. Testing shows DDR5 adds only about 1% to 10% to frame rates in games, depending on resolution and graphics card. At higher resolutions, where the graphics card does most of the work, the difference shrinks even further. For many gamers, DDR4 is perfectly fine

This is a nice example of the market adapting to shortages. When memory prices spike, giving builders a cheaper route keeps PC gaming affordable. It also lets people upgrade their CPU while keeping their existing DDR4 memory. That is good for budgets and reduces waste

Would you build a new PC with DDR4 to save money? And how much have rising memory prices affected your upgrade plans?

Intel is reportedly launching new CPUs on old sockets that support DDR4 memory - Engadgetwww.engadget.com