Can't buy expensive DDR5 memory? ASRock has a solution, but it's an entry-level board for previous-gen Intel processors.
ASRock Silently Launches H610M Combo That Boasts 4x DDR5 DIMMs and 2x DDR4 DIMMs
This might be the first mainstream motherboard from one of the major motherboard vendors to boast both DDR4 and DDR5 DIMM slots. It looks like this is the only way to tackle the current memory situation, as with both DDR4 and DDR5 slots present on the board, users have the choice to use whatever they wish.
This is the ASRock H610M Combo, which appears to be a fairly entry-level motherboard with the LGA1700 socket. Therefore, it's not targeting enthusiasts, but can surely be sufficient for most budget PC builds, supporting Intel's 12th, 13th, and 14th gen CPUs. The H610M Combo is a micro-ATX motherboard with a total of six DIMM slots, bringing a hybrid combo of 4x DDR5 and 2x DDR4 slots.
However, you can use only one type of DIMMs at a time. So, if you want to populate the DDR5 RAM slots, you can only make the DDR5 memory modules work on it, and the same goes for DDR4. The motherboard supports dual-channel configuration and up to 96 GB DDR5 capacity, and up to 4800 MT/s speed. For DDR4, it can support up to 64 GB of DDR5 memory capacity, and up to 3800 MT/s speed (depends on the memory configuration).
There are a total of 3x PCIe x16 slots, including a Gen 4.0 and two Gen 3.0 ports, where the primary slot works at x16 mode, but the other two are controlled by chipsets, offering just x1 mode. Plus, there is a legacy PCIe slot as well. So, quite basic stuff when it comes to expansion card support. For storage, there is a single M.2 port supporting Gen 3.0 speeds and 4x SATA ports.
The I/O looks like from the early 2010 era, and offers a few USB ports, a Type C port, a PS/2 port, 2.5G LAN, a few display output connectors, including VGA, DVI, and HDMI, and some audio jacks.
News Sources: ASRock, @unikoshardware
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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