Chinese DDR5 memory hits 9,000 MT/s — now matching the speed and latency of Western gaming RAM

Chinese-made DDR5 memory has broken the 9,000 MT/s barrier for the first time, a milestone that brings domestic DRAM performance closer to what Western gamers expect from their systems. The achievement was announced by Colorful on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, as reported by TechPowerUp.

The company stated that its iGame X870E VULCAN W OC motherboard, paired with 48 GB of domestically produced iGame Shadow II memory modules (24 GB × 2), successfully reached a stable frequency of 9,000 MT/s. This follows earlier overclocking results of 8,600 MT/s and 8,800 MT/s, marking steady progress on the AM5 platform.

While 9,000 MT/s is a notable figure for Chinese memory, it still trails behind the best Western DDR5 modules, which crossed 8,700 MT/s back in 2021 and 10,000 MT/s in 2022. Today, top-tier Western memory exceeds 13,000 MT/s. Nevertheless, the rapid improvement demonstrates how fast China's DRAM industry is advancing.

In a related development, ASUS ROG recently demonstrated that Chinese memory can now operate at 6,000 MT/s with low CAS latency timings of C28 and C30. These are exactly the specifications favored by Western gamers building high-performance PCs: DDR5-6000 with tight timings, offering a balance of speed and responsiveness.

The main force behind China's DRAM push is CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies), whose shares have surged recently as the company expands production and improves its technology. With global memory prices remaining high due to supply constraints, the growth of Chinese DRAM manufacturing could help ease some of the strain on the market and reduce reliance on imports.

Colorful's latest result suggests that Chinese memory is no longer just a low-cost alternative — it is becoming a credible competitor in performance segments, especially for overclocking enthusiasts. The gap with Western leaders is still significant, but it is closing faster than many expected.