Meanwhile, machines with 16GB of memory have staged an unexpected comeback, increasing their share by 12.9 per cent to 33 per cent. Even the once-unfashionable 8GB configuration has gained 5.5 per cent, accounting for 11 per cent of submissions. Apparently, the future of computing looks suspiciously like something you might have bought several years ago.
The figures come from CPUID’s CPU-Z validation service, which collects hardware information from users who submit their systems. They reflect changes in the proportion of different configurations among those submissions, not worldwide PC sales or evidence that owners are physically removing memory from their computers. The reported declines are relative percentage changes in market share within the sample, not percentage-point drops.
The figures provide an interesting snapshot of what enthusiasts are using during one of the nastiest memory pricing periods in recent years. DRAM manufacturers have been directing increasing attention towards high-bandwidth memory and other products demanded by the AI industry, leaving conventional PC memory buyers facing higher prices and tighter supplies.
The retreat is particularly noticeable at the expensive end of the market. Systems carrying 48GB of RAM saw their share fall 22.5 per cent, while 128GB configurations dropped 28.7 per cent. The increasingly rare 96GB machines suffered a 26.5 per cent decline, suggesting that extravagant memory configurations are becoming less common among CPU-Z users.
One beneficiary has been the slightly peculiar 24GB configuration, whose share increased 19.7 per cent to 2.3 per cent. These systems offer a compromise for buyers who need more than 16GB but cannot justify the expense of a larger kit. The days when enthusiasts casually filled every available DIMM slot seem to have ended with the unfortunate reality of having to pay for it.
The biggest surprise concerns DDR4, which appears determined to outlive several generations of processors. The older memory standard now represents 54.5 per cent of CPU-Z validations, up six per cent year on year. DDR5, despite being the newer technology, slipped 2.9 per cent to 32.9 per cent.
DDR4 remains attractive because it works with an enormous number of perfectly serviceable PCs, particularly AMD’s AM4 platform and Intel’s older desktop processors. Although DDR4 prices have risen, the technology can still offer a cheaper upgrade route for users who see little point in replacing their motherboard and processor merely to buy more expensive RAM.
CPU-Z’s processor statistics reinforce the impression that older hardware is enjoying an unexpected revival. AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700X increased its share by 42.8 per cent, while the Ryzen 5 5600 gained 36.1 per cent. The cheaper Ryzen 5 5500 rose 67.3 per cent, which is impressive for processors from a generation that should theoretically be heading towards retirement.
The figures suggest that enthusiasts are finding considerable value in existing AM4 systems, especially when DDR5 platform costs are taken into consideration. AMD’s older Ryzen processors remain capable gaming and productivity chips, while the AM4 platform offers a straightforward upgrade path without requiring an entirely new collection of components.
The memory industry has spent years encouraging PC owners to believe that more RAM is always better, and software developers have generally done their best to justify that argument. Now the industry’s enthusiasm for supplying AI data centres may be making ordinary memory upgrades painfully expensive. There is something particularly absurd about an industry selling increasingly powerful PCs while the amount of affordable memory available to run software becomes a problem.
The CPU-Z figures do not establish that rising memory prices caused these changes, and shifts in the service’s user base could influence the results. However, they show 32GB remaining the most common configuration at 37.2 per cent, with 16GB closing the gap at 33 per cent. For the moment, the old-fashioned 16GB PC is enjoying an unexpected second career.
