14 DAY TRIAL // There is no question that DDR4 random access memory is going to be an expensive toy, so to speak, but that doesn't mean it should be completely beyond the reach of regular people. That, at least, is the opinion of ADATA, or the stores that already have its memory in stock anyhow.
We've actually written about quite a bunch of DDR4 multi-channel memory kits (quad-channel mostly), even though most of the RAM, and the motherboards and CPUs that support it, isn't available.
However, this is where we encounter the main problem insofar as affordability is concerned: the memory modules sell in complete kits.
Which is to say, you'd be hard-pressed to find any DDR4 module selling on its own. Instead, you have to get kits of four.
Not so for ADATA products according to Akiba PC Watch. If you wish, and happen to live in Japan (at least for now), you can buy the modules individually.
And with a single 4 GB DDR4 being twice as good as any equivalent DDR3 module (while working on less power than even the low-power ones), we're pretty sure that the ADATA DDR4 will sell quite well indeed.
And not just that, but buying the modules individually will allow you to more comfortably stretch your budget, letting you build up the RAM capacity over time without breaking your entire savings out of the bank.
There are 4 GB and 8 GB ADATA DDR4 modules selling at the moment, all of them with DDR4-2133 MHz performance. That's the basic clock dictated by the JEDEC specification.
The new memory technology can go all the way to 3 GHz pretty easily, and we've seen it done by G.Skill (G.Skill Ripjaws 4 DDR4) and Corsair (Corsair Vengeance LPX and Dominator Platinum).
Anyway, the ADATA DDR4 memory modules work on 1.2V and have CAS latencies of 15T. They are built from DDR4 DRAM chips from SK Hynix and lack heatspreaders (meaning that you'll probably want to forgo any overclocking plans if you get them).
The price of the 4GB module is the equivalent of $75 / €56 – €75 while the 8 GB one ships for $150 / €114 - €150. If you plan to build a strong new PC over time and don't expect to need to tweak the system speeds, these things may be just what the doctor ordered.
Do make sure you wait for the Haswell-E line of Intel CPUs and associated motherboards to debut first though. The new CPUs, like the DDR4 RAM itself, are not backwards-compatible with current technology.
