Intel's Arrow Lake official memory speeds are unchanged with standard memory sticks — pricier CUDIMM memory needed for faster base spec

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Does more expensive mean better?

TeamGroup
(Image credit: TeamGroup)

The Intel Core Ultra 200S (codenamed Arrow Lake) chip spec sheets note that their maximum JEDEC DRAM speed is DDR5-6400, allowing users to use faster memory speeds without overclocking. However, hardware leaker @harukaze5710 shared some documentation on X that showed that the chips supported the faster standard when using more expensive CUDIMM. Standard UDIMM sticks would be limited to DDR5-5600 unless you use XMP to overclock them.

CUDIMMs have onboard clock drivers that improve memory stability at higher frequencies. This allows systems to take advantage of high-speed RAM, allowing users to enjoy better performance without worrying about whether their processor can support the lightning-fast speeds.

Several companies, like Micron (Crucial), TeamGroup, and Asgard, have launched several CUDIMM models, including memory that could hit faster speeds up to DDR5-9600. Even ASRock is getting onto the overclocking bandwagon, launching a motherboard designed for enthusiasts that could work with DDR5-10133+ memory after some experimentation and liquid cooling.

Note that the Arrow Lake chips are only specced up to DDR5-6400 with CUDIMMs and DDR-5600 with standard DIMMs. But if you prefer reliability and don’t want to make unnecessary changes in your system’s BIOS, you would appreciate Arrow Lake’s DDR5-6400 CUDIMM support. That way, you could still enjoy faster speeds without worrying about system instability. Of course, CUDIMM is more expensive than a DIMM stick with the same capacity speed.

AMD and Intel processors support CUDIMMs, but most recently launched models are targeted at the just-launched Intel Core Ultra 200S processors. Team Blue released the Arrow Lake processors earlier this month, with the chips expected to hit retail shelves on October 24. So, if you want to build a new high-speed PC and don't mind spending extra money, CUDIMMs could be a good option for your system. If you’re set on DDR5-6400, it should work out of the box at the prescribed speed; no XMP shenanigans and BIOS tweaks are required.

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Jowi Morales
Jowi Morales
Contributing Writer

Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

3 Comments Comment from the forums
  • EzzyB
    I need some more information on this, but maybe I'll have to wait for the benchmarks. When building my last PC I caught a sale that made buying PC 3600 only a bit more expensive than 3200. But I learn later that it made almost zero difference on an Intel system. (I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it's annoyed me ever since even though we're talking about $20 or so.)

    Any idea on how is this going to work out? Or do we have to just wait and see? I will be building a new PC at the beginning of the year, but I may snag an item or two before then if it's on sale.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    EzzyB said:
    I need some more information on this, but maybe I'll have to wait for the benchmarks. When building my last PC I caught a sale that made buying PC 3600 only a bit more expensive than 3200. But I learn later that it made almost zero difference on an Intel system. (I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it's annoyed me ever since even though we're talking about $20 or so.)

    Any idea on how is this going to work out? Or do we have to just wait and see? I will be building a new PC at the beginning of the year, but I may snag an item or two before then if it's on sale.
    Intel has mentioned to press DDR5-8000 is what they expect most ARL CPUs to be able to run at. This would be when using CUDIMMs as opposed to UDIMMs most likely. With ADL/RPL this was DDR5-7200 (easy on RPL, sometimes not on ADL) and while you could go higher diminishing returns meant not much to gain versus the massive cost increase.

    It's a safe bet that 8000 will have some sort of performance improvement (as long as latency is equivalent), but without reviewers doing memory scaling tests it's impossible to say how much. That's the sort of thing which simply has to be a wait and see. CUDIMM availability does not seem like it will match the launch of ARL, but hopefully some will arrive before the end of the year.

    If you were thinking of getting memory as one of your earlier purchases I'd suggest not unless the real world performance and stability has been tested. As it is if CUDIMMs do turn out to be the way to go chances of them having sale prices is likely very low.
    Reply
  • TheHerald
    EzzyB said:
    I need some more information on this, but maybe I'll have to wait for the benchmarks. When building my last PC I caught a sale that made buying PC 3600 only a bit more expensive than 3200. But I learn later that it made almost zero difference on an Intel system. (I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it's annoyed me ever since even though we're talking about $20 or so.)

    Any idea on how is this going to work out? Or do we have to just wait and see? I will be building a new PC at the beginning of the year, but I may snag an item or two before then if it's on sale.
    XMP memory makes little to no difference unless you are running something that is really bandwidth starved, like unzipping or something like that.
    Reply