Corsair Uses CXMT DDR5 Chips as DRAM Shortage Persists

A major PC component manufacturer has begun using memory chips from a Chinese supplier in its products, a development that could help alleviate a persistent global shortage of DRAM. Corsair, a leading brand in consumer memory, has been observed using DDR5 chips from ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) in its Vengeance line of desktop memory modules.

The discovery was made based on images of a 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 module. Software identification and the module's label indicated the DRAM chips were manufactured by CXMT, a significant shift from Corsair's typical suppliers, which include Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix. The specific module carries the product number CMK5X16G3E60C36A2CN and operates at a speed of 6000 MT/s with timings of CL36-40-40-96 at 1.35 volts. It supports both the Intel XMP and AMD EXPO overclocking profiles common in gaming systems.

The move comes amid a sustained shortage of DRAM, the memory used in PCs, driven largely by soaring demand from the artificial intelligence sector. Major memory producers have reportedly prioritized manufacturing high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other specialized chips for AI data centers, creating supply constraints for...