Is DDR5 worth the extra cost over DDR4?

Yes, but barely. DDR5 costs roughly double per GB (about $4–6 vs $2–3 for a 32GB kit in early 2025), but the gap is shrinking. It’s worth it for new builds because of higher speeds and future-proofing, especially for CPU-heavy tasks. For tight budgets or upgrading an old system, stick with DDR4.