Fast DDR4 vs slow DDR5: Fast DDR4 wins for upgrades on a budget

DDR4-3600 CL16 outperforms DDR5-4800 CL40 in most real-world tasks due to dramatically lower latency, especially in gaming where frame rates suffer from slow DDR5 timings. Cheap DDR5 wastes money on loose timings and low frequency, making it worse than good DDR4. If you’re upgrading an existing system, stick with fast DDR4 and save the platform upgrade for later when DDR5 is faster and cheaper.