Unfortunately, DDR5 isn’t backward compatible, meaning you’ll need a new DDR5-compatible motherboard to take the new chips for a spin. Intel DDR5 motherboards have been out for a while since the release of the 12th Gen CPUs, and you now have options for AMD, too, with the new AM5 platform.
So, if you want the fastest memory available, here are the best DDR5 motherboards you can get right now.
Q: Are There Any DDR5 Motherboards?
There are plenty of DDR5 motherboards available right now from all leading brands, including ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, and ASRock. Both Intel and AMD CPUs support DDR5, giving you plenty of choices for your new build.
The board features a 20+1-phase power design rated at 90A, which is powerful enough to overclock any of the recent Intel 12th and 13th Gen CPUs available today. The solid VRMs are only matched by the beefy heatsinks and comprehensive water-cooling abilities, giving you plenty of overclocking headroom even for demanding CPUs like the 13900K.
The rest of the motherboard is nothing short of impressive. It features two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots with x8/x8 capability as well as futureproof PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots, Wi-Fi 6E, RGB, and 2.5G Ethernet. In addition, you get plenty of tools for troubleshooting, including a 7-segment display, a BIOS FlashBack button, and an onboard power button.
The Z690 CARBON WIFI is compatible with the 12th Gen and 13th Gen Intel CPUs, but you cannot use DDR4 memory kits on this board, just like with all other DDR5 motherboards. MSI claims excellent memory speeds of over 6666MHz when running one DIMM per channel. There is a 7-segment LED for troubleshooting and a BIOS FlashBack button for updating the BIOS without needing a compatible CPU.
When it comes to connectivity, there isn’t much to complain about. You’re getting 10 USB ports, including a 20Gbps USB-C connector, 2.5G Ethernet, optical audio output, and both HDMI and DisplayPort for integrated graphics output from the CPU. It has PCIe Gen4 M.2 slots for faster NVMe SSDs and next-gen Wi-Fi 6E support. Overall, the Z690 CARBON WIFI is a great DDR5 motherboard that should please both casual and enthusiast gamers.
The 14 + 1 + 1-phase 55A VRM may not be enough for overclocking nerds, but it can handle the majority of CPUs available today at stock speeds. It has decent heatsinks for the VRM and chipset and offers a couple of headers for fans and water cooling. The rear ports are well balanced with seven USB-A ports, a 20Gbps USB-C port, 2.5G Ethernet, and audio connectors.
While not a deal-breaker, MSI did cut some corners to keep the price lower. Only one of the M.2 slots has a heatsink, and the IO shield is not pre-installed. Still, if you want to save money and spend it on other components, the MSI Pro Z690-A is an excellent choice for a DDR5 motherboard.
The 18+2 power stages, rated at 110A per stage, can keep up with the insane power demands of the Ryzen 9 7950X flagship processor and other mainstream Ryzen processors. ASUS didn’t skimp on cooling either, providing robust heatsinks for the VRMs, chipset, and M.2 slots. You can gain even more cooling headroom with a custom water-cooling setup.
The rear IO is just as impressive, with eight 10Gbps USB-A ports, two 40Gbps USB4 ports, an additional 20Gbps USB-C port, 2.5G Ethernet, optical audio output, and HDMI 2.1 for integrated RDNA2 graphics on the Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs. It’s an excellent motherboard for overclockers, and the presence of onboard power and reset buttons, a BIOS flashback, and a 7-segment display make it ideal for extreme tweaks.
The motherboard comes with PCIe 4.0 expansion slots only instead of PCIe 5.0, but that’s not really a dealbreaker since most of the graphics cards available today find it difficult to saturate a full PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, let alone a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. Fortunately, you do get a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, along with three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for faster NVMe SSD storage.
DDR5 memory speeds can go up to 6666MT/s when overclocked, and the 16-phase 70A Vcore VRM can handle the flagship and mainstream Ryzen 7000 Series processors without any issues. You don’t get any Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 ports with this motherboard, but the 20Gbps USB-C port and 12 USB-A ports should be more than enough for most people.
The VRMs on this motherboard is nothing to write home about but can run most of the available 12th and 13th Gen Intel processors at stock and offer some headroom for entry-level overclocking. The board is mostly covered by heatsinks and designed for water cooling to get the most out of your PC with good thermals.
The rear IO has almost every port you’d need for work and gaming. You’ll also find Clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback buttons, which come in handy if you want to update the BIOS for 13th Gen CPU compatibility. Overall, the ASUS ROG STRIX Z690-G GAMING WIFI is a well-balanced and well-priced motherboard for building a capable, future-proof compact PC.
It’s an amazing motherboard for small form-factor builds. The high-quality 105A MOSFETs can handle the latest processors from Intel, and it gets even better with the solid heatsinks that do an incredible job on their own. The rest of the feature set is pretty much standard across ITX boards. You get a single full-size PCIe x16 slot and two DDR5 DIMM slots.
It comes equipped with PCIe 5.0 for graphics and storage and supports DDR5-6400 (OC) memory up to 64GB. In addition, the board features 16 phases of Vcore VRM rated at 110A per stage, making it one of the most capable motherboards. ASUS also did a great job in the thermal department, with beefy heatsinks, multiple temperature points, and headers for fans and water-cooling setups.
Overall, the ROG Crosshair X670E Gene is an impressive motherboard that should please most hardcore tweakers and gamers. It includes a 7-segment display, BIOS flashback button, and onboard power button for troubleshooting, wrapping up an excellent offering for hardcore gamers and extreme overclockers.
Q: Do You Need DDR5 for Z690?
You don’t need DDR5 for Z690 motherboards, as Z690 has models that support either DDR5 or DDR4 memory kits. However, if you want the best performance for your new build, going with a DDR5-compatible Z690 motherboard is the best option.
Q: Will DDR5 Work on DDR4 Motherboard?
No. DDR5 is not backward compatible with DDR4, which means DDR5 memory kits will not work on a DDR4 motherboard. The same applies to DDR4 memory kits on a DDR5 motherboard.
