(Credit: Kingbank)
MSI has a new BIOS that supports Chinese CXMT memory chips up to 8,200 megatransfers per second (MT/s), unlocking much faster kits from the niche memory brand and providing some light relief from the RAM pricing crisis, VideoCardz reports.
One of the few bright spots in the memory industry this year is the growing support and compatibility for Chinese memory sources like Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT). Although it previously functioned on AMD boards at up to 6,800 MT/s, that artificial limit has reportedly been removed by the new MSI BIOS, potentially opening up gamers and overclockers to a new source of ultra-high-speed DDR5.
MSI has reportedly validated dual-stick motherboards paired with CXMT's 24Gbit chips to run up to 8,200 MT/s, with a safe MemTest burn-in test pass to prove it. Modules using CXMT's slower 16Gbit chips reached 8,000 MT/s under the same conditions. For "mainstream," four-DIMM motherboards, MSI has validated CXMT sticks up to 7,200 MT/s.
In one of the screenshots from the validation tests, MSI is shown using an AMD Ryzen 6 9600X on an MSI B850M Power motherboard. In another, it's running a Ryzen 7 9700X in an MSI MEG x870E Unify X-Max board.
The memory kits MSI used for these tests included those from Chinese firm KingBank and US memory and storage company Lexar. That means these weren't handpicked modules guaranteed to work only in this one configuration, but should be viable for all sorts of builds with memory sticks that use the same CXMT memory chips.
MSI did suggest, however, that real-world performance will depend heavily on the memory controller, the CPU the sticks are paired with, the motherboard being used, and the BIOS version it's running. If all the stars align, though, you can get some very fast CXMT memory and likely save yourself some money in the process. Not a lot, but CXMT's ramp-up of supply is likely to ease the memory pricing crisis at least a little.
Unfortunately, CXMT isn't in the charity business, so while earlier this year its prices reflected its underdog status, with a 5-10% discount over Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron memory chips, MarketScreener reports it's now raised them to be comparable, with the global demand for memory helping CXMT secure a larger share of the market. Even with expanded production, CXMT's manufacturing costs are significantly higher than those of its larger contemporaries, making it harder for it to aggressively cut prices to increase market share.
Still, it's likely to grow anyway. CXMT is adding enough capacity this year to become the third-largest memory supplier by the end of 2026, according to Semi Analysis. It also has new fabs coming online in 2028, as do other memory makers, which might finally signal the beginning of the end of memory price hikes. Assuming the AI bubble doesn't pop first.
About Our Expert
Jon Martindale is a tech journalist from the UK, with 20 years of experience covering all manner of PC components and associated gadgets. He's written for a range of publications, including ExtremeTech, Digital Trends, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and Lifewire, among others. When not writing, he's a big board gamer and reader, with a particular habit of speed-reading through long manga sagas.Â
Jon covers the latest PC components, as well as how-to guides on everything from how to take a screenshot to how to set up your cryptocurrency wallet. He particularly enjoys the battles between the top tech giants in CPUs and GPUs, and tries his best not to take sides.
Jon's gaming PC is built around the iconic 7950X3D CPU, with a 7900XTX backing it up. That's all the power he needs to play lightweight indie and casual games, as well as more demanding sim titles like Kerbal Space Program. He uses a pair of Jabra Active 8 earbuds and a SteelSeries Arctis Pro wireless headset, and types all day on a Logitech G915 mechanical keyboard.
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