The name CUDIMM stands for Clocked Unbuffered DIMM (Dual in-line memory module).
At first glance it looks like a normal DDR5 stick. It fits exactly in the same spot your normal DDR5 would, so what's the difference? This new type of UDIMM contains an extra integrated circuit called a Clock Driver. Its job is regenerating the clock signal the memory chips use. By improving the signal integrity this way, stability on these new UDIMMs is greatly enhanced allowing for higher clock speeds on a otherwise normal DDR5 stick.
MSI has already announced support for CUDIMMS on its X870 & X870E boards, one caveat though is that CUDIMMs will work with 8xxx and 9xxx series cpus only. It should be assumed that all other m/b manufacturers will follow accordingly. Reportedly, it is unknown if there will be support for Ryzen 7xxx series due to an unresolved issue which seems to affect the whole 7xxx series preventing it from booting.
Speeds on this new type of ddr5 will start from 6400 up to a whopping 9600 MT/s! And this is just the beginning!
On the Intel camp something is cooking too. Most major ram manufacturers have announced enthusiast class DDR5 CUDIMMs at 9200 and 9600MT/s for the upcoming Lunar Lake-S series. And although these speeds will still be considered OC for the UEFI m/b settings, i can't wait to try them out, they will be released sometime this year !
Cheers
(Sources: Tomshardware, Corsair Blog)

 

Last edited: Sep 30, 2024