{
  "id": 14473575,
  "title": "New motherboards, old RAM, plenty of life left in yesterday's PCs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/new-motherboards-old-ram-plenty-of-life-left-in-yesterdays-pcs",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-14T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/systems/2026/10/14/new-motherboards-old-ram-plenty-of-life-left-in-yesterdays-pcs/5303018"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Gigabyte recently introduced new motherboards that support DDR4 RAM, a standard first released in 2014. Other companies continue to produce new kits using even older standards. AMD recently launched a Ryzen 7 5800X3D anniversary edition, commemorating ten years of the AM4 socket. Gigabyte offers the B450M H ARGB and B550 X-Eagle motherboards for AM4 processors, featuring two and four DDR4 slots, respectively. Intel users can now purchase the B760M Aorus Elite motherboard. This highlights the longevity of DDR4 technology, which The Register first reported on in 2012, and predicted mainstream adoption in 2017, with standardization occurring in 2020. In China, vendors sell DDR3 motherboards for 15-year-old server CPUs, such as X79-4D or X79 Supreme. The article suggests that these older components are still viable and affordable alternatives, particularly for those who do not require the latest hardware or high-performance applications, such as local large language models (LLMs). FOSS developers benefit from using older hardware, as manufacturers often prioritize Windows testing, and proprietary drivers can make it challenging to support new hardware. Second-hand PCs may be more usable than ever, even without the need for high-powered local LLMs or three-digit frame rates. The article concludes that keeping older hardware in service is beneficial, particularly for those seeking digital sovereignty and open-source alternatives.",
  "summary": "DDR4 makes a comeback as component costs rise, while Linux offers an escape from forced upgrades",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Science",
        "title": "New motherboards, old RAM, plenty of life left in yesterday's PCs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/new-motherboards-old-ram-plenty-of-life-left-in-yesterdays-pcs-14478507",
        "published": "2026-10-14T15:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}