According to tests, DDR5 memory from the Chinese company CXMT can compete with popular manufacturers and is even slightly cheaper.
Anyone currently looking to build a new gaming PC is stunned by the prices: the DDR5 nightmare simply never ends.
Triggered by the AI boom and the tech giants’ hunger for server memory, a RAM crisis has emerged that has quadrupled the cost of conventional memory in some cases in recent months. To find a way out of this fatal price trap, the renowned tech channel Hardware Unboxed has now put an unusual alternative to the test:
In a detailed gaming benchmark, the hardware expert tested inexpensive DDR5 modules with chips from the relatively unknown Chinese manufacturer CXMT to find out whether Chinese RAM is the savior for PC builders.
The test focused on two key questions:
- How well does Chinese memory compare?
- What about RAM prices?
The video begins with an overview of the current memory crisis. The cost of memory has quadrupled in some cases, mainly due to the AI boom. Major manufacturers such as Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix are increasingly producing for AI companies, which has significantly increased prices for normal PCs and cell phones.
While the big three manufacturers control most of the market, the Chinese company CXMT is a smaller manufacturer.
However, this means that it is not bound by large AI supply contracts, which makes it more flexible. In performance tests, the RAM modules performed very well. According to the tester, they delivered excellent performance in games such as Rainbow Six Siege and Cyberpunk 2077, comparable to premium kits.
In addition, the performance was significantly better than that of inexpensive entry-level DDR5 memory.
The YouTuber describes the performance as follows: “When it comes to gaming performance, [the memory] definitely plays at the top of its game.”
The only drawback is that the modules run slightly hotter. Under load, they are said to reach around 60 degrees Celsius, which is about five degrees higher than the tested competition.
In terms of price, the Chinese memory is slightly below the products of the leading manufacturers. Instead of the equivalent of 390 euros, comparable modules are offered for 360 euros in Australia.
No direct sales in Germany yet
The Chinese memory is not currently listed by the major German PC retailers.
CXMT has hardly any presence in the European consumer market to date.
However, it is not only the modules themselves that are suffering from the tense times in terms of price: the Steam Machine is also expected to be delayed and become more expensive due to the RAM crisis.
This leaves importing via websites such as AliExpress or eBay. Here, modules are also offered with shipping to Germany and at sometimes favorable prices.
However, orders from China naturally incur shipping costs and, in some cases, customs duties. In addition, warranty claims could prove problematic.
Despite its good performance in tests, purchasing KingBank RAM is currently more of an insider tip for hobbyists who are willing to import the memory directly from China.
