The memory supply crisis looks set to rage until at least 2028, when major players Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron all look set to complete capacity-expanding builds. However, that's still a way off. So, a number of component companies are now looking to another China-based competitor to meet their memory demands.
Earlier this week, MSI announced BIOS support on its AMD motherboards for DDR5 memory from CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies). Previously, you could use CXMT's modules, but these were limited to DDR5-6800. MSI's latest update now supports up to DDR5-8200 (via VideoCardz). And it's not just MSI moving forward with CXMT memory validation.
Asus joined the party by sharing a similar update for its own AM5 socket mobos. Depending on your hardware loadout, this update can support up to DDR5-8200—though the highest result Asus shared was a KingBank 2x 24 GB DDR5-6000 kit overclocked to DDR5-8400.
Unlike MSI, Asus' BIOS version 1686 is available via its global support pages and therefore not limited to use within the Chinese market. If you fancy giving it a go yourself, be sure to read Nick's market research on Chinese DRAM first. Besides KingBank and its DDR5 kit's tasty overclocked results, there are a few other Chinese options to keep an eye out for.
Tom's Hardware reported earlier this year that Corsair had started using CXMT DDR5 DRAM dies in its Vengeance RAM kits aimed at the Chinese market. Besides Corsair, Lexar is also reportedly planning to use CXMT DRAM for its new Thor DDR5-7600 CL38 memory kits (MSI's validation tests used a Lexar kit, but didn't mention a model name at the time). A DDR5-7200 CL38 configuration is expected to also be available, and both kits will comprise two 16 GB sticks.
The memory landscape being what it is, there's a lot of interest in CXMT. According to the Financial Times, the memory crisis has transformed CXMT's fortunes; besides Apple also testing the company's DRAM chips as an option for the devices it sells in China, CXMT is now the fourth largest producer of DRAM behind the usual suspects. Accounting for 11% of wafer capacity last year, that figure is expected to grow to 15% by 2028. But as for revenue, the company made a 33 billion yuan net profit during the first quarter of 2026. That represents a 719% year-on-year jump.
The company's rise to prominence isn't without controversy, though. For just one thing, a former Samsung researcher was recently sentenced to seven years in prison for leaking core DRAM semiconductor tech to CXMT. For another, the Pentagon has blacklisted CXMT for allegedly working with China’s military, according to Bloomberg, leaving Apple to apparently lobby for the clearance necessary to buy CXMT's memory. Whatever happens with those efforts, we're bound to be hearing a lot more about the DRAM chipmaker over the coming months and years.
1. Best DDR5 overall:
G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB DDR5-7200
2. Best budget DDR5:
Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan DDR5-5200
3. Best high-capacity DDR5:
G.Skill Trident Z5 64 GB DDR5-6400 CL32
4. Best DDR4 overall:
TEAM XTREEM 16 GB DDR4-3600
5. Best budget DDR4:
G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB DDR4-3600
6. Best high-capacity DDR4:
Corsair Dominator Platinum RGB 32 GB DDR4-3200
