Chinese RAM is good for gaming but won’t fix the memory shortage

Many gamers hoped China’s DRAM maker CXMT would help bring down rising RAM prices driven by an AI-fueled memory shortage. On the PC Master Race subreddit, users suggested CXMT could supply affordable consumer modules while larger manufacturers pivot to parts for AI data centers; 32GB DDR4 kits carrying CXMT chips and selling for under $150 attracted particular attention.

Performance tests offer a mixed picture. TechSpot compared Kingbank sticks using CXMT chips with G.Skill modules using SK Hynix memory and found the cheaper Kingbank RAM trailed by only a few percentage points in games such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Rainbow Six Siege.

In the current market, that level of performance at a lower price is meaningful. Supply and policy limits temper the optimism. CXMT can’t match the output of bigger competitors and has raised prices as demand rose. The company has been essentially banned in the United States for a few years, though there are rumors Apple may want to cut a deal to help fill supply gaps.

China

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