Gigabyte Revives LGA 1700 Support as Intel, AMD Return to DDR4

The LGA 1700 socket debuted in 2021 with Intel's 12th-generation Alder Lake CPUs and supported both DDR4 and the then-new DDR5 memory. Intel moved to a DDR5-only approach in 2024, dropping the dual-format support. According to Gigabyte, dual format support is now being revived, with new LGA 1700 chips expected to launch in early 2027. Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The reversal reflects LGA 1700's cross-compatibility with both types of memory, an advantage over its successor that has recently become more important. Intel's strategy may be to let users choose a new CPU without also having to switch to new and very expensive DDR5 memory. AMD is pursuing a similar approach: in August, Gigabyte also announced a new series of motherboards for AMD's last-generation, DDR4-compatible AM4 platform, paired with the 10th-anniversary relaunch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU.

DDR4 began reaching the market in 2014 and has since been succeeded by the faster DDR5. Under normal circumstances, buying new hardware to use technology more than a decade old would likely be a poor investment. But the RAM shortage is changing the calculation, with DDR4 memory apparently affected less severely by price increases than DDR5.

The price gap is substantial. The Verge reported that a DDR5 32GB Corsair Vengeance RAM kit currently costs $620, while the corresponding DDR4 kit costs $260. Even though that is more than 32GB of DDR4 RAM typically cost in mid-2025, the DDR5 kit costs more than twice as much. DDR5 still offers significant advantages, including higher speeds and better power efficiency, but those benefits may not be worth the current price of admission.

Prices could take years to fall again, a reality that is becoming clearer as older sockets and chipsets officially return. For now, The Verge reported, it is at least a good time to hold onto DDR4 RAM.