ASRock launches new Frankensteined motherboard with one DDR4 slot and two DDR5 slots — Intel board signals the RAM apocalypse is truly nigh
Is the cure to RAM pricing a motherboard that supports multiple generations?
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The ongoing RAMpocalypse has led many to think of creative solutions to acquire memory at reasonable prices. ASRock, a leading motherboard manufacturer, has chimed in with its answer: a motherboard that supports both DDR4 and DDR5, so you can simply pick whatever's cheapest. The "H610M Combo II" is an LGA 1700 board, meaning it supports Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen CPUs.
This is actually the company's second motherboard of this nature. We previously saw the H610 Combo, which was a full-size ATX option, and it was more feature-rich. For instance, that board had 6 DIMM slots, while this one is limited to just three. Out of those three, two are meant for DDR5, while the one closest to the CPU is DDR4. The DDR4 slot can take up to a single 32 GB stick and maxes out at 3,200 MT/s.
The dual DDR5 slots are a bit more forgiving, allowing for a combined 96 GB of maximum memory, running at up to 5,600 MT/s on only 14th Gen CPUs — 13th and 12th Gen are limited to DDR5-4800 instead. The overall config is a bit ironic considering how DDR4 is always encouraged to be run in dual-channel, while a single stick of DDR5 can suffice without major performance degradation.
Article continues belowThe rest of the motherboard is pretty barebones; it's an mATX offering with one PCIe 5.0 slot for the GPU, another PCIe 3.0 x1 slot for expansion cards, and a single PCIe 3.0 x4 slot for the M.2 SSD. The power is handled by a 6+1+1 phase VRM, and the I/O is nothing special either. You only get 2x USB 3.0 ports; the rest are USB2, and there's no wireless connectivity onboard. You do get gigabit Ethernet, however.
Those specs, along with how the H610M Combo II generally looks, should tell you that it's a basic motherboard aimed at entry-level gamers. After all, they're the ones most affected by the ongoing component crisis. Pricing and availability haven't been disclosed yet, but, according to Videocardz, ASRock has said the board might not launch in every region.
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Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he’s not working, you’ll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.
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