ASUS demonstrates HUDIMM DDR5 memory, turning 24 to 12GB and 16 To 8 GB With “One Sub-Channel”

Asus has showcased its support for the upcoming HUDIMM DDR5 memory on ROG motherboards, indicating to affordable PC builds.   

In collaboration with Intel & Teamgroup, ASRock has introduced a new budget-friendly memory standard called HUDIMM. Instead of using "Two Sub-Channels," this new memory standard uses "One Sub-Channel" memory designs, effectively reducing usable DRAM capacity by half. This enables PC builders to make low-cost PCs.     

The idea behind HUDIMM is to make memory more accessible for budget-conscious users. Higher-capacity modules like 16 GB and 24 GB are expensive, so operating them in a single sub-channel mode allows for reduced capacity at a lower price point.

Moreover, HUDIMM modules can be used alongside standard UDIMMs. For instance, when an 8 GB HUDIMM was paired with a 16 GB UDIMM, the performance delivered was comparable to a standalone UDIMM kit.

An R&D engineer from ASUS’s ROG team demonstrated this concept on the ROG Z890 APEX motherboard by modifying standard modules. By covering specific gold contacts, a UDIMM can be forced to run in single sub-channel mode. In one example, two 24 GB modules were altered this way, resulting in a total recognized capacity of 24 GB (12 GB per module) instead of 48 GB, as both operated in reduced mode.

The engineer also accessed a Teamgroup HUDIMM module featuring 8 GB capacity, one sub-channel, and half of the DRAM banks populated (4 ICs vs 8 ICs). The module booted up in the BIOS without any issues and is rated at 4800 MT/s which is the baseline speed for DDR5 memory.

For entry-level users, configurations between 16 GB and 24 GB of DDR5 are typically sufficient. While HUDIMM isn’t a long-term fix for rising memory costs, it offers a practical interim solution, giving budget PC builders a more economical option until memory prices stabilize.