Micron has expanded the brand's extensive memory portfolio with Crucial DDR5-6400 Clocked Unbuffered DIMM (CUDIMM) and Clocked SODIMM (CSODIMM) memory kits to rival the best RAM. Although the memory kits target Intel's latest Core Ultra 200S (codenamed Arrow Lake) processors, they are compatible with any existing platform that leverages DDR5 memory.

CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs incorporate an onboard clock driver (CKD). Without diving too much into the technical aspect, the clock driver has an important role: It buffers the base clock signal between the memory controller and the memory chips. As a result, the signal's integrity remains intact, and the data rate is preserved. It effectively removes the processor's integrated memory controller (IMC) from the equation, allowing CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs to run at the advertised speed regardless of the quality of the IMC.

While other memory manufacturers are releasing CUDIMMs up to DDR5-9600, Micron is sticking with JEDEC's baseline, which is DDR5-6400. It doesn't come as a complete surprise, as Micron has been out of the enthusiast market since the company decided to retire the Ballistix brand in 2022. Since then, Micron has been releasing JEDEC-complaint (DDR5-4800) or slightly overclocked memory kits (DDR5-6000). It's uncertain if Micron will offer faster CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs down the line.

In the meantime, Micron's CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs only come in the 16GB flavor. However, the company has already validated memory modules up to 64GB with Arrow Lake, paving the way for up to 256GB on a consumer platform with four DDR5 memory slots. CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs with 64GB of capacity won't be available until the first half of 2025.

Micron sells the 16GB CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs as individual sticks and dual-channel memory kits with two memory modules. Currently, the only available kit capacity is 32GB, comprising two 16GB CUDIMMs or CSODIMMs. Regardless of the form factor and presentation, the memory kits run at DDR5-6400 with 52-52-52-103 timings and a 1.1V DRAM voltage.

Micron's CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs run at different speeds, depending on the platform. They will conform to the processor's natively supported specification. For example, the memory modules run at DDR5-6400 alongside a Core Ultra 200S processor because Arrow Lake embraces DDR5-6400 memory natively. On the contrary, when paired with a 14th Generation Raptor Lake Refresh chip or older, the memory modules will drop to DDR5-5600.

On an AMD platform, the memory modules default to DDR5-3200 or DDR5-5600 when connected to a Ryzen 9000 processor since Zen 5 has native support for DDR5-5600 memory. However, Micron cautions consumers not to overclock the memory modules beyond JEDEC's specifications, rated speeds, or timings since that would void the warranty.

The CUDIMMs and CSODIMMs are available on Crucial's website. They are the first products to hit the retail market. We've seen many CUDIMM announcements, but none of the announced CUDIMM memory kits are available for purchase. Micron sells the 16GB CUDIMM for $84.99, whereas the 32GB (2x16GB) CUDIMM memory kit costs $169.99. The pricing is identical for the CSODIMMs: $84.99 for a single 16GB module and $169.99 for the 32GB (2x16GB) memory kit.

By: DocMemory
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