Intel 12th Gen DDR4 vs DDR5 With ASUS Z690 Plus TUF Gaming D4

Conclusion

The question we had at the beginning of this review was how much extra performance you can get from a DDR5 system in comparison to the DDR4. Does the Intel 12th Generation architecture rely upon DDR5 for some beefy performance? Was ASUS wise to have DDR4 on their affordable TUF motherboard? Is low latency or fast memory speed more important for gaming? The questions are nearly endless and all of them are to do with the cost effectiveness of the new Intel platform.

As memory is the hot topic here, let’s get that out of the way first before we talk about the ASUS TUF itself, and for whom this setup is most appropriate. When we saw the AIDA results they were very much where we’d expect them to be. The tighter timings of the DDR4 setup makes for a lower latency, 25% lower, but the extra speed of the DDR5 when it picks up its petticoat and gets moving means that overall you’re getting more bandwidth from the DDR5 setup. Theoretical numbers are one thing though, actual real-world performance is something else. Looking through our results it’s clear that ASUS have pulled off a bit of a masterstroke in leaving the TUF with DDR4. DDR5 is new, and not yet fulfilling its potential. DDR4 has been around a while and we’ve got a 3600 MHz kit that performs very well, having been honed over time. So right now, the DDR4 kit is just as good as the DDR5 setup. Look through the results. In rendering and gaming it almost doesn’t make a difference which you have. There are small gains and losses depending upon the test, but in actuality the gaps are so fine that we’d go for whichever best suits your plans.

On that subject the vulgar topic of money has to crop up. DDR5 motherboards are expensive. DDR5 kits are expensive. Heck we’ve got basically the same Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM in DDR4 and DDR5 format here and the DDR4 is £115 cheaper than the DDR5. A non-trivial amount of money. Anyone considering whether to transfer their current system to the 12th Gen Intel and a Z690 motherboard and therefore is looking at this has probably got a tight budget. To them we say that, as above, the DDR4 or DDR5 is so closely matched as to be almost out of your decision making. However, if there was consistently a tiny gap it is was in favour of the Intel Core i9-12900K and DDR5 arrangement that, on the whole, slightly preferred the extra bandwidth available to it. But tight budgets usually mean Core i5s, and the Core i5-12600K is a worthy successor to the excellent recent Core i5s we’ve seen from Intel, and best of all doesn’t care a jot which memory type you have. So if you’re looking at an i5, save some money and go down this route.

The ASUS Z690-Plus TUF WiFi D4 that made today’s comparison possible is another in the long line of non-ROG motherboards from ASUS. Like those that have come before it there are compromises to hit that low price point – vertical SATA ports, only a handful of fan headers, few USB ports on the back – but the multiple M.2 slots, PCI Express 5.0 compatibility, seriously beefy power phases and outstanding VRM cooling make it a worthy purchase. It’s nice to know that even though you might be on a tight enough budget that your choice is almost limited to the TUF, that the budgetary limit doesn’t mean you’re stuck with something bad. The ASUS Z690-Plus TUF Gaming D4 is an excellent choice if you want to maximise your performance without blowing your finances. For that reason, ASUS’ Z690-PLUS TUG has won our OC3D Gamers Choice Award.

  

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