As Crisis Deepens, Older Components Are Being Used in New Computers

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Technology companies are continuing to explore ways to address the ongoing memory shortage. Intel and AMD are turning to older DDR4 RAM as one possible solution.

DDR4 support is being brought back alongside older processors, motherboard sockets and chipsets. Gigabyte has announced two new motherboard lines for Intel, built around the LGA 1700 socket.

The socket supports both DDR4 and DDR5. Intel switched to DDR5-only support in 2025, but is now restoring DDR4 compatibility for processors expected to launch early next year.

AMD is taking a similar approach. Gigabyte has announced a new motherboard series for the AM4 platform, alongside the re-release of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor.

Analytics Insight said the move would keep older hardware platforms relevant for users seeking to upgrade their systems without paying higher prices.

DDR5 prices are now more than twice those of DDR4, which was introduced in 2014. This is despite DDR4 prices also having risen in mid-2025.

For example, a 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM kit costs US$620 (Rp 11.1 million), compared with US$260 (Rp 4.6 million) for DDR4.

RAM prices are unlikely to fall in the near future. Using older DDR4 technology could therefore help users spend less when upgrading their PCs.

For those who already use DDR4, renewed support is also a reason to keep their existing platform rather than replace it.