DDR4 vs DDR5 for a budget build in 2026: the real maths
I priced an AM4 + DDR4 and an AM5 + DDR5 build part by part on the same day. The gap is about $300, $240 of it is RAM, and the "56% cheaper" DDR4…
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Nadia Rahman · Deals Editor
The short answer
For a budget gaming build today, DDR4 saves about $300. That's the gap between the platforms I priced on Amazon on 25 Sep 2026, and nearly all of it is memory. AM4 + DDR4 (Ryzen 5 5600, B550 board,…
AM4 + DDR4 core: $461.97 (25 Sep, Amazon US)
AM5 + DDR5 core: $763.93. The gap is $301.96, and $240 of it is RAM.
Per GB: DDR4 $6.56 vs DDR5 $14.06, 53% cheaper (maths below)
Bandwidth: 51.2 GB/s (DDR4-3200) vs 89.6 GB/s (DDR5-5600), dual channel, on paper
Nadia's verdict
In a normal year I'd tell every new builder to start on AM5. In 2026 the RAM bill flips it for budget builds. AM4 + DDR4 saves about $300, and that money does more in the GPU. Go AM5 + DDR5 only if…
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DDR4 vs DDR5 for a budget build in 2026: the real maths