Here at Multiple Monitors we do make a bit of a song and dance about how we only supply new equipment, we do not sell used components, and we don’t offer outdated kit in our builds like some do.
We offer new processors for the simple reason that they offer the best performance levels.
Based on this, why do we still offer 14th generation Intel processors on our Ultra and Trader PC’s when the latest CPU’s are the Intel Core Ultra Series?
The answer is all about RAM.
(Also, just to be clear, we do offer the latest Intel Core Ultra processors on our Extreme and Trader Pro PC's if you are looking for them).
A short history of RAM and CPU’s
Processors (or CPUs) are the brains of a computer, they do all the calculations and ultimately they determine how fast your computer is.
CPU makers like Intel and AMD release new versions of their processors on a roughly 12 – 18 month schedule. Generally each new release boosts processing performance, sometimes by a little bit, sometimes by a lot.
Processors are the most important component but they need memory (RAM) to operate. RAM acts as storage for processors. The input and output the CPU’s deal with is stored in RAM, without RAM a processor has nowhere to store its output from the calculations it is working through.
RAM also gets upgraded periodically but not anywhere near as fast as processors. DDR4 RAM was originally released in 2014 and the newer faster DDR5 RAM didn’t really start being used in systems until late 2021, so a 6 - 7 year gap between releases.
Like newer processors, new RAM types generally results in faster operating speeds and better overall system performance levels. Data can get moved into and out of RAM quicker and in bigger chunks with newer RAM technologies.
When DDR5 came out it was very expensive compared to DDR4 and motherboards (the large components that everything else connects in to) could generally only support DDR4 or DDR5, not both.
AMD decided that their new (at the time) 7000 series chips and motherboards were going to be exclusively used with DDR5 RAM, they ended support for DDR4 on their newest kit in 2022.
Intel made a decision to support both DDR4 and DDR5, not on the same motherboard, but they sold motherboards that were either DDR4 or DDR5 compatible, this turned out to be a great decision.
A global RAM crisis
We are currently approaching mid way through 2026 and are still discussing DDR4 despite DDR5 being widely available for over 4 years, why is that?
AI is the reason why DDR4 is still very relevant. Basically the datacentres that AI requires to operate need a lot of memory, this has led to massive shortages in RAM globally and prices have shot up in response.
Virtually all DDR5 RAM kits at any size (16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB) are now four times the cost that they were just 7 or 8 months ago. A kit we used to be able to purchase for £75 now costs us £300+, frankly it’s a disaster.
We have a more in-depth article about this issue here.
DDR4 has also shot up in price however it is still cheaper than DDR5. It’s also easier to produce (apparently), so even though it would have probably been retired by now in a normal world, in 2026 it’s still in demand.
Major companies like Intel are announcing that they are going to continue to produce and support DDR4 compatible systems. Some RAM manufacturers are trying to scale DDR4 production back up. AMD have even said they are re-releasing some of their older 5000 series processors...
This is all in an effort to give consumers access to new computers without having to pay the sky high DDR5 prices.
Our Ultra & Trader PC’s
Getting back to the original point of this update. Both of our Ultra and Trader PC’s use Intel 14th generation processors because we want to keep them using DDR4, the Intel 14th gen processors are the fastest chips that can still use DDR4 RAM.
This allows us to offer brand new computers that perform very well at lower pricing than going for the very latest kit which requires DDR5.
For most of our customers requirements the Intel 14th gen i5’s, i7’s or even the i9’s still offer more than enough computing power for their needs.
If you are coming from an older PC just give us a call or drop us an email and we will tell you exactly how much performance improvement you should see compared to your existing CPU, we do this for customers all the time.
Will using DDR4 make my new PC slower?
It's probably going to have far less impact than you think. Personally I’ve never read too much into how much RAM speed affects real world workloads.
Sure, in a benchmark test you may see a bit of a difference between DDR4 and DDR5 but, when you throw in actual workloads then the speed of your RAM is often not the bottleneck on performance.
In our experience the CPU processing speed and amount of RAM is usually more impactful than the speed of the RAM.
Likewise, you can have the fastest RAM on the planet but if your Windows installation is clogged up with a load of junk software then your overall system performance levels will be way lower than they should be and your RAM choice is going to make no difference.
Something to think about at higher spec levels
Despite DDR4 and the supporting components like motherboards being cheaper than DDR5 systems, there does become a point whereby a DDR5 setup makes more sense.
Let’s imagine you are looking for a new system and want a really powerful processor. You could put the Intel 14th gen i9 in it and go down the DDR4 route.
Our Trader PC allows this. Let’s also say you want 32GB of RAM in the new setup.
The 14900KF i9 is a highly capable but expensive chip, adding that and 32GB of RAM to our Trader PC will bump up the cost.
Our Trader Pro PC uses the DDR5 kit and Intel Core Ultra processors, so the starting price is higher than on the Trader PC, but the processors are more capable.
The new Intel Core Ultra 250KF chip is actually 3% faster in raw single thread speed than the 14th gen i9 CPU. It loses out a little bit in multi-threaded workloads by around 11% but by any normal measure it is still a beast in this area. It offers way more multi-threaded capability than is required by all but very specialist software.
The Trader Pro with the 250KF and 32GB of DDR5 is lower in price than the 14th gen i9 with 32GB of DDR4. It will also run a bit quieter, generate less heat, and be cheaper to run over time due to the lower power draw of the newer CPU.
If any of this is confusing or you need any help with deciding on the right spec for your needs just let us know.
With sky high RAM pricing, getting the right spec is more important than ever, and could save you a lot of money.