DDR5 RAM shortage to continue very well in 2022

If you've been looking for a sparkling new set of DDR5 RAM to go with your 12th Gen build, you probably haven't had much luck. DDR5 has been virtually unavailable…

By Pavan Gunagi

December 27, 2021

2 min read

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If you’ve been looking for a sparkling new set of DDR5 RAM to go with your 12th Gen build, you probably haven’t had much luck. DDR5 has been virtually unavailable in some markets. We spoke with some vendors who claimed the situation would improve starting in January, which gave us some hope, but Micron claims that due to limited quantities of crucial components, DDR5 will remain tight until the second half of 2022.

The comments came during a Micron earnings call (via SeekingAlpha). The CEO of Micron, Sanjay Mehrotra, told investors and financial analysts that “demand for DDR5 products is significantly exceeding supply due to non-memory component shortages impacting memory suppliers’ ability to build DDR5 modules. We expect these shortages to moderate through 2022, enabling bit shipments of DDR5 to grow to meaningful levels in the second half of calendar 2022.”

Power management integrated circuits, not the memory, are to blame for the low supply (PMICs). Memory power management was generally handled by the motherboard before the advent of DDR5. The complexity of the motherboard is minimized by transferring power management to the modules, while the modules benefit from a tailored module-specific power supply with cleaner signals and lower noise.

High-end DDR5 kits aren’t the only ones suffering from a lack of supply. Supply is being harmed by the PMIC backlog from the bottom to the top of the market. Even basic DDR5-4800 kits are difficult to come by. Increasing output isn’t as simple as turning a knob. Furthermore, PMIC production lead times have been reported to be extremely long, worsening the shortfall.

Intel’s 12th Gen processors contain DDR4 capability, which is fortunate because, without it, the company would be left with even more disgruntled customers than it already has. As more economical 12th Gen processors and B660 motherboards become available in early 2022, demand will only grow.

As we get closer to 2022, we’ll all be anticipating the 13th Gen and Zen 4 processors, so demand will only rise. Let’s hope that by then, supply will have caught up. One day, you’ll be able to add a graphics card to your shopping basket or purchase DDR5 from the main street merchant. PC gamers are having a difficult time right now, and the bad news seems to be piling up.