32GB DDR4-3200 CL16, 2x16GB or 32GB DDR5-5600 CL36, 2x16GB
Choose the memory generation together with the LGA1700 motherboard. DDR5 supplies more bandwidth; DDR4 can be the economical choice when the workload is not bandwidth-bound and existing DDR4 can be reused.
The decision
Which one to buy
32GB DDR4-3200 CL16, 2x16GB
Choose DDR4-3200 CL16 if you are reusing DDR4 or your work is not limited by memory bandwidth, on a DDR4 board.
32GB DDR5-5600 CL36, 2x16GB
Choose DDR5-5600 CL36 for more memory bandwidth, on a DDR5 board. The board decides which of the two you can use.
Cheapest new kit at Newegg: 32GB DDR4-3200 CL16, 2x16GB, $229.99; 32GB DDR5-5600 CL36, 2x16GB, $544.99, $315.00 more. Prices checked 31 October 2026, before tax and shipping.
The comparison
What differs
4 of 6 fields differ. Both sides of every row come from a published manufacturer document, cited on the row itself, with what the difference does once the parts are in a case.
| Field | 32GB DDR4-3200 CL16, 2x16GB | 32GB DDR5-5600 CL36, 2x16GB | What the difference does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motherboard compatibility | Requires an LGA1700 motherboard built with DDR4 slotsmsi.com | Requires an LGA1700 motherboard built with DDR5 slotsmsi.com | DDR4 and DDR5 are alternative LGA1700 board designs rather than interchangeable modules, so this choice must be made before buying the motherboard. |
| Transfer rate | 3200MT/s, equal to 25.6GB/s per module3200 MT/s per modulekingston.com | 5600MT/s, equal to 44.8GB/s per module5600 MT/s per modulekingston.com | DDR5-5600 moves 75 percent more data per module than DDR4-3200 on paper, which matters most to work that actually saturates memory bandwidth. |
| First word latency | CL16 at 3200MT/s calculates to 10ns CAS latency10 ns CAS latencykingston.com | CL36 at 5600MT/s calculates to about 12.9ns CAS latency12.9 ns CAS latencykingston.com | The DDR4 example answers a first CAS read sooner, while the DDR5 example transfers more data afterward; neither label alone describes whole-application speed. |
| Operating profile | DDR4 nominal voltage is 1.2V; advertised kit settings may depend on a profilemicron.com | DDR5 nominal voltage is 1.1V; advertised kit settings may depend on a profilemicron.com | DDR5 lowers nominal DRAM voltage, but desktop kit stability still depends on the chosen CPU, motherboard firmware, profile, and module combination. |
What is identical: 2 of 6 fields
This comparison comes from published specifications, not from testing. We do not test hardware, and we never present a judgment as though we had. Current affiliate offers stay on category pages and do not determine this specification comparison.
In full
The comparison in detail
This example holds capacity and channel population constant. That exposes the real trade: DDR5-5600 has higher transfer bandwidth, while the selected DDR4-3200 CL16 kit has lower calculated first-word CAS latency than the DDR5-5600 CL36 kit.
Prices: compare kits of the same capacity on today's 32 GB DDR4 and 32 GB DDR5 lists, and price only a DDR4 kit your board takes. Maker catalog: Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 (read 26 July 2026).
| Property | 32GB DDR4-3200 CL16, 2x16GB | 32GB DDR5-5600 CL36, 2x16GB | What it changes | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motherboard compatibility | Requires an LGA1700 motherboard built with DDR4 slots | Requires an LGA1700 motherboard built with DDR5 slots | DDR4 and DDR5 are alternative LGA1700 board designs rather than interchangeable modules, so this choice must be made before buying the motherboard. | DDR4, DDR5, Updated 26 July 2026 |
| Installed capacity | 32GB total | 32GB total | These example kits provide equal working capacity, so DDR5's benefit here is throughput rather than room for larger projects. | DDR4, DDR5, Updated 26 July 2026 |
| Channel population | Two matched modules populate both desktop memory channels at one DIMM per channel | Two matched modules populate both desktop memory channels at one DIMM per channel | Both kits use the processor's two memory channels, preventing module count from confounding the DDR4-versus-DDR5 decision. | DDR4, DDR5, Updated 26 July 2026 |
| Transfer rate | 3200MT/s, equal to 25.6GB/s per module | 5600MT/s, equal to 44.8GB/s per module | DDR5-5600 moves 75 percent more data per module than DDR4-3200 on paper, which matters most to work that actually saturates memory bandwidth. | DDR4, DDR5, Updated 26 July 2026 |
| First-word latency | CL16 at 3200MT/s calculates to 10ns CAS latency | CL36 at 5600MT/s calculates to about 12.9ns CAS latency | The DDR4 example answers a first CAS read sooner, while the DDR5 example transfers more data afterward; neither label alone describes whole-application speed. | DDR4, DDR5, Updated 26 July 2026 |
| Operating profile | DDR4 nominal voltage is 1.2V; advertised kit settings may depend on a profile | DDR5 nominal voltage is 1.1V; advertised kit settings may depend on a profile | DDR5 lowers nominal DRAM voltage, but desktop kit stability still depends on the chosen CPU, motherboard firmware, profile, and module combination. | DDR4, DDR5, Updated 26 July 2026 |
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