When DDR5 Price Drops Don't Justify the Platform Switch

DDR5 prices have dropped 7.2%, but the upgrade case remains weak for most users. When calculating true memory latency in nanoseconds rather than marketing MHz speeds, budget DDR5 kits often underperform older DDR4 models—and the $300–600+ cost of switching platforms makes upgrades economically questionable for existing AM4/LGA1700 users. DDR5 only makes sense for those building entirely new systems on modern platforms like AMD Ryzen 9000 or Intel Arrow Lake.