ASRock's HUDIMM DDR5 memory with just one sub-channel could help lower memory prices on Intel boards

If you ever want to gauge how bad the market situation for a product is, look for companies introducing cost-efficient alternatives. That is exactly what ASRock is doing to fight against sky-high memory prices. The motherboard manufacturer is teaming up with Intel and TeamGroup to develop a solution that could pave the way for more affordable DDR5 modules.

That solution is a new DDR5 module type called HUDIMM, short for half-unbuffered DIMM, or a single-sub-channel DRAM. It targets entry-level builds and business desktops that need a modern platform for everyday tasks and something to tide them over during the DDR5 memory crunch.

The tech behind HUDIMM is straightforward. Regular DDR5 UDIMM modules have two independent 32-bit sub-channels, allowing for higher bandwidth and density at the same memory clock rate as part of the standard DDR5 design. In contrast, HUDIMM modules use only one 32-bit sub-channel, resulting in half the bandwidth and density, but also notably lower production costs.

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ASRock says standard DDR5 with its 2x32-bit layout is better suited to high-capacity single-module designs, while the new 1x32-bit approach targets cheaper modules and entry-level systems. However, the company has also made it possible to pair HUDIMMs with regular UDIMMs, and even claims that mixed memory combinations may help performance in some scenarios.

For example, pairing an 8GB HUDIMM with a 16GB UDIMM yields an asymmetric 24GB configuration with bandwidth across at least three DDR5 sub-channels. ASRock reports that on its H610M COMBOII board, this 8GB HUDIMM and 16GB UDIMM combination offers higher bandwidth than a single 24GB UDIMM.

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HUDIMM technology will also be available in compact HSODIMM modules as a budget replacement for SODIMMs, which TeamGroup will manufacture. ASRock's DeskMini series of MoD-based mini PCs will support them. HUDIMM DDR5 already works with ASRock's 600, 700, and 800 series motherboards via BIOS updates, and the company says it is working with memory makers to launch more single-sub-channel modules.