Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support DDR5? (2025)

Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th generation Core processors, code-named "Alder Lake" and "Raptor Lake," support DDR5.

AMD introduced support for DDR5 with their Ryzen 7000-series processors in Q4 2022.

Check out my Recommended Intel and Recommended AMD DDR5 CPUs and motherboards below.

Intel introduced support for DDR5 with their 12th generation Core processors in November 2021 and continue to support it in their 13th generation Core processors. These processors support both DDR4 and DDR5, although you'll need to use a motherboard that supports the particular DDR type.

AMD introduced support for DDR5 with their Ryzen 7000-series processors in Q4 2022.

• Find AMD 7000-series processors on Amazon
• Find Intel Raptor Lake (13th Gen) processors on Amazon
• Find Intel Alder Lake (12th Gen) processors on Amazon

Desktop Processors That Support DDR5

Processor Branding	Processor Models Supporting DDR5
AMD Ryzen 9	Ryzen 9 9950X3D, 9950X, 9900X3D, 9900X, 9800X3D, 9700X, 9600X, 7950X3D, 7950X, 7900X3D, 7900X, 7900
AMD Ryzen 7	Ryzen 7 8700G, 8700F, 7700X, 7700
AMD Ryzen 5	Ryzen 5 8600G, 8500G, 7600X, 7600
Intel Core i9	Core i9 14900KS, 14900K, 14900KF, 14900T, 14900, 14900F, 13900KS, 13900K, 13900KF, 13900F, 13900T, 13900, 12900KS, 12900K, 12900KF, 12900F, 12900, 12900T
Intel Core i7	Core i7 14700K, 14700KF, 14700T, 14700, 14700F, 13700K, 13700KF, 13700T, 13700F, 13700, 12700K, 12700KF, 12700F, 12700, 12700T
Intel Core i5	Core i5 14600K, 14600KF, 14600, 14600T, 14500, 14500T, 14400, 14400F, 14400T, 13600K, 13600KF, 13600T, 13600, 13500T, 13500, 13400T, 13400F, 13400, 12600K, 12600KF, 12600, 12600T, 12500, 12500T, 12400F, 12400, 12400T
Intel Core i3	Core i3 14100, 14100F, 14100T, 13100F, 13100, 12300, 12300T, 12100, 12100F, 12100T
Intel Pentium Gold	Pentium Gold G7400, G7400T

DDR5 provides twice the bandwidth and density of DDR4 while reducing power consumption. Higher bandwidth translates to faster processing for memory-intensive applications such as games, video and image editors, 3D tools, and browsers.

Additionally, all DDR5 memory will have on-die ECC, which provides error detection and correction before sending data to a CPU. DDR5 ECC is expected to improve reliability and reduce defect rates.

DDR5 is the path forward in the long run, but current conditions may limit its benefits. Let's dig into the various considerations.

Currently, DDR5 is more expensive than DDR4. Stock is often limited for DDR5 but is becoming more available.

Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th generation Core CPUs support both DDR4 and DDR5. However, DDR5 isn't backward compatible with DDR4; motherboards only support one or the other. This motherboard limitation means you'll need to choose whether you want to get the lower-cost DDR4 memory or get DDR5 with the ability to upgrade it in the future.

Ryzen 7000 series CPUs only support DDR5 memory, while older Ryzen CPUs only support DDR4 memory.

DDR5 may experience slower timings at initial release but should be much better than DDR4 as the technology matures. However, keep in mind that the timings scale inversely with the clock rate (frequency).

The timing values are in units of clock cycles, but more cycles are happening per second with DDR5. For example, DDR3-2133 CL10 has nearly the same latency as DDR5-8400 CL40. So don't let the CL40 latency of DDR5 scare you away; the number just looks bigger!

Even if the latency is roughly the same between DDR4 and DDR5 currently, the amount of data that DDR5 can transfer per second is much higher. This increased bandwidth will often lead to an overall improvement in performance.

Intel 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen Core CPUs and Ryzen 7000 series CPUs currently support DDR5 memory. If you want to use an older Intel or AMD CPU, you'll be limited to DDR4.

If you get a DDR4 motherboard, you won't be able to use it with DDR5. Motherboards typically only support DDR4 or DDR5, but not both.

• Our recommended Intel 13th gen high-performance enthusiast CPU:
  • Up to 5.8 GHz max-turbo stock speed: perfect for games, video editing, and high-intensity tasks.
  • 24 cores (8 Performance + 16 Efficiency): This combination makes it a great all-around system that can handle any task you throw at it.
  • Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
  • Check the latest price of the Intel Core i9-13900K on Amazon
  • For the Intel Core i9-13900K CPU, you'll need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock the CPU. Motherboards with the Z790 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., Z690, H670, B660, H610).
• Our recommended motherboard to pair with the i9-13900K:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory (DDR5 provides the fastest memory speeds)!
  • 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
  • Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
  • Bluetooth 5.3 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
  • Five x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! One of these supports PCIe 5.0 speeds, and the rest run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
  • Check the latest price of the MSI MEG Z790 ACE Gaming Motherboard on Amazon

• Our recommended Intel 13th gen high-performance CPU:
  • Up to 5.4 GHz max-turbo stock speed: perfect for games, video editing, and high-intensity tasks.
  • 16 cores (8 Performance + 8 Efficiency): This combination makes it a great all-around system that can handle almost any task.
  • Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
  • Check the latest price of the Intel Core i7-13700K on Amazon
  • For the Intel Core i7-13700K CPU, you'll need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock the CPU. Motherboards with the Z790 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., Z690, H670, B660, H610).
• Our recommended motherboard to pair with the i7-13700K:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory (DDR5 provides the fastest memory speeds)!
  • 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
  • Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
  • Bluetooth 5.3 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
  • Five x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! One of these supports PCIe 5.0 speeds, and the rest run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
  • Check the latest price of the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi 6E on Amazon

• Our recommended Intel 13th gen best value CPU:
  • Up to 5.1 GHz max-turbo stock speed: great for games, video editing, and high-intensity tasks.
  • 14 cores (6 Performance + 8 Efficiency): This combination makes it a great all-around system that can handle almost any task.
  • Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
  • Check the latest price of the Intel Core i5-13600K on Amazon
• Our recommended Value motherboard to pair with the i5-13600K:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • It supports up to 128 GB of DDR4 memory.
  • 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
  • Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
  • Bluetooth 5.3 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
  • Three x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! These slots all support PCIe 4.0 speeds.
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
  • Check the latest price of the MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 on Amazon

• Our recommended Intel 12th gen high-performance enthusiast CPU:
  • Up to 5.2 GHz: perfect for games, video editing, and high-intensity tasks.
  • 16 cores (8 Performance + 8 Efficiency): Quite a few cores considering the frequency! This combination makes it a great all-around system that can handle almost any task.
  • Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
  • Check the latest price of the Intel Core i9-12900K on Amazon
  • For the Intel Core i9-12900K CPU, you'll need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock the CPU. Motherboards with the Z690 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., H670, B660, H610).
• Our recommended motherboard to pair with the i9-12900K:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory (DDR5 provides the fastest memory speeds)!
  • 10 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
  • Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
  • Bluetooth 5.2 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
  • Four x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! Three of these run at PCIe 4.0 speeds, and one at PCIe 3.0 speeds.
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
  • Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master on Amazon

• Our recommended Intel 12th gen value CPU:
  • Less than half the price of the i9-12900K, but still excellent performance at up to 4.9 GHz.
  • 10 cores (6 Performance + 4 Efficiency): This core count makes it suitable for everyday multi-threading tasks, such as having tons of browser windows open.
  • Virtualization features make it great for running virtual machines.
  • Check the latest price of the Intel Core i5-12600K on Amazon
  • For the Intel Core i5-12600K CPU, you'll need a motherboard with overclocking support to overclock the CPU. Motherboards with the Z690 chipset typically support CPU overclocking. Otherwise, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., H670, B660, H610).
• Our recommended motherboard to pair with the i5-12600K:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory!
  • Three NVMe M.2 slots, which is excellent! These all run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
  • 2.5 Gb Ethernet port is faster than most home Internet speeds with room to spare for file transfers.
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
  • Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS PRO on Amazon

• Our recommended feature-rich DDR5 CPU:
  • This CPU has 16 cores, a 4.5 GHz base frequency, and 5.7 GHz max boost frequency.
  • DDR5 memory support
  • AM5 socket type
  • Check the latest price of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X on Amazon
• Our recommended feature-rich motherboard to pair with this CPU:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • X670E chipset
  • One 2.5 Gb Ethernet port
  • Four NVMe M.2 slots and Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports
  • Wi-Fi 6E provides fast connections to a Wi-Fi router.
  • Bluetooth 5.2 support
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds and 12 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
  • Check the latest price of the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming Motherboard on Amazon

• Our recommended runner-up DDR5 CPU:
  • This CPU has 8 cores, a 4.5 GHz base frequency, and 5.4 GHz max boost frequency.
  • DDR5 memory support
  • AM5 socket type
  • Check the latest price of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X on Amazon
• Our recommended runner-up motherboard to pair with this CPU:
  • PCIe 5.0 support
  • X670E chipset
  • One 2.5 Gb Ethernet port
  • Four NVMe M.2 slots and Six SATA 6 Gb/s ports
  • Bluetooth 5.3 support
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds
  • Check the latest price of the GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master Motherboard on Amazon

Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th generation Core CPUs use an LGA 1700 socket.

A CPU cooler that is compatible with the LGA 1700 socket will be required. Several manufacturers introduced upgrade kits to accommodate the LGA 1700 socket size that allows LGA 1200 coolers to be used. So be sure to verify that any cooler you choose is compatible with your CPU.

• Enermax Liqmax III 360

  Supports LGA 1700:	YES
  Max TDP:	360 watt
  Type:	Liquid Cooler

• I was very impressed with the cooling capability of the Enermax Liqmax III 360, which boasts an excellent 360-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).

• Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 2066, 2011-3, 2011, 1700, 1200, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 and AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1.

• I found that the Enermax Liqmax III 360 operates quietly and unobtrusively, with a noise level of just 14-27 dBA, making it a great choice for anyone who values a quiet computing environment.

• You can get the LGA 1700 Enermax Mounting Kit for LIQMAX III on Amazon or request a free LGA 1700 mounting kit via the LGA 1700 Mounting Kit Request Form.

• If you are considering the Enermax Liqmax III 360, it's important to note that it will take up a decent amount of space in your computer case, so make sure to check the dimensions before purchasing.

• The Enermax Liqmax III 360 has an impressive cooling capacity, providing efficient heat dissipation even under heavy workloads.

• The quiet operation of the cooler made for a more comfortable and distraction-free computing experience.

• Noctua NH-D15

  Supports LGA 1700:	YES
  Max TDP:	220 watt
  Type:	Heatsink & Fans

• I found the dual 140 mm fans to be incredibly powerful, providing an impressive 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.

• With support for such a diverse range of CPU sockets, I found the Noctua NH-D15 to be a very flexible and adaptable cooling solution. Its supported socket types include Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.

• In my experience, the Noctua NH-D15 operates very quietly, with a noise level of just 24.6 dBA.

• I am extremely satisfied with the Noctua NH-D15 cooler and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a high-performance and versatile cooling solution.

• Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510

  Supports LGA 1700:	YES
  Max TDP:	180 watt
  Type:	Heatsink & Fans

• As someone who isn't a big fan of flashy LED lights, I appreciated the simplicity of the Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510, which doesn't have any fancy lights but still looks great in my system.

• I found that the dual 120 mm fans on the TOUGHAIR 510 did an excellent job of keeping an LGA 1700 CPU cool, even under heavy workloads.

• If you're worried about the TOUGHAIR 510 taking up too much space in your system, Thermaltake offers a few single-fan variants that use different orientations, so you can choose the one that works best for your setup.

• With a max speed of 2000 RPM, the TOUGHAIR 510 provides optimal cooling performance when you need it most.

• With a 180-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power), the TOUGHAIR 510 offers solid cooling performance and is a great choice for anyone looking for a reliable and efficient cooling solution for their CPU.

AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs use an AM5 socket.

• CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD

  Supports AM5:	YES
  Max TDP:	350 watt
  Type:	Liquid Cooler

• Check the latest price of the CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD on Amazon

• This cooler is designed to fit Intel and AMD sockets, including the following models: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, sTRX4, sTR4 (Intel LGA 1700 is supported with CW-8960091 or CW-8960093 kits).

• 350-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).

• It provides powerful low-noise cooling and RGB lighting with a customizable LCD display that can display your CPU temperature or other graphics. As I explored the world of LED displays on CPU coolers, I discovered their captivating appeal. These displays have transformed my systems' visual aesthetics.

• It has 120mm CORSAIR ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans for great CPU cooling performance.

• Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space!

• Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID 360 ARGB Sync

  Supports AM5:	YES
  Max TDP:	250 watt
  Type:	Liquid Cooler

• Check the latest price of the Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID 360 ARGB Sync on Amazon

• TOUGHLIQUID Series is designed to fit Intel and AMD sockets, including the following models: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-v3, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2, FM1.

• We estimate that this supports roughly a 250-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).

• This Liquid cooler supports 5V RGB compatible motherboards.

• Equipped with a TOUGHFAN 12 2000-RPM fan and supports ARGB lighting on the waterblock. Even without a full LED display, ARGB lighting creates a mesmerizing visual spectacle when I use it in my builds.

• Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space. There is a smaller version available, if needed.

• Noctua NH-D15 CPU Cooler

  Supports AM5:	YES
  Max TDP:	220 watt
  Type:	Heatsink & Fans

• Check the latest price of the Noctua NH-D15 on Amazon

• Dual 140 mm fans provide 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.

• Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.

• Quiet operation at 24.6 dBA.