Chinese DDR5 RAM hits 9000 MT/s as CXMT closes the gap with Western memory

Chinese memory is moving fast. Colorful just announced that its iGame X870E VULCAN W OC motherboard hit 9000 MT/s using iGame Shadow II 24G×2 modules built with domestically produced chips — that's 48 GB of Chinese DDR5 running at a speed that would have been competitive with high-end Western overclocking results just a few years ago.

Colorful had already posted 8600 MT/s and 8800 MT/s results on Weibo before this latest milestone on the AM5 platform. Separately, Asus ROG confirmed that Chinese memory is now capable of running at DDR5-6000 with CAS latency timings of C28 and C30 — which is exactly the spec most PC gamers in the West target for gaming builds. To put the overclocking numbers in perspective: Western memory cleared 8700 MT/s back in 2021, crossed 10,000 MT/s in 2022, and is now pushing past 13,000 MT/s. So the gap is still real, but China is closing it at a notable pace.

The main player driving this is CXMT, China's primary DRAM manufacturer, whose shares have surged recently as it captures more of the global memory market. The underlying reason is straightforward — AI infrastructure demand has pushed memory supply into a prolonged shortage, and that gap is expected to persist for years. CXMT's expansion adds supply to the global pool, even if its chips currently only appear in laptops sold in China — from brands like HP, Asus, and Acer in that market.

More supply from any source should, in theory, ease price pressure over time. But with demand continuing to outpace production, don't expect dramatic price drops anytime soon. The long-term picture is cautiously optimistic — more competition in DRAM manufacturing is rarely bad for consumers.