Lexar has listed a 32GB DDR5-7200 Chinese DRAM kit in China for 3,999 yuan, about $592, putting a high-speed memory product built with unnamed domestic chips near the price of comparable established-brand kits. The second-generation Thor RGB package contains two 16GB modules and is rated at DDR5-7200 CL38.
The distinction buried under the product pitch is the useful one: Lexar says the modules use selected domestically produced DRAM, but has not identified the manufacturer. Reporting by Tom’s Hardware says CXMT may supply the chips, but says there is no confirmation. Domestic production and confirmed CXMT silicon are therefore separate claims for this specific kit.
Is Lexar’s DDR5-7200 Chinese DRAM cheaper?
Not by much, based on the comparison available. Tom’s Hardware reported that 32GB DDR5-7200 kits from G.Skill, Corsair and Kingston were selling in the U.S. for roughly $585 to $700. At about $592, Lexar’s listing sits within that band or slightly below it. The price does not demonstrate a large consumer discount from the use of domestically produced DRAM.
That does not settle what future Chinese DRAM supply might do to prices. It only says this listing, at this price, is not evidence of a retail-price collapse. A new supplier reaching a retail memory kit and a cheaper kit showing up on a store page are different events.
What does the Lexar kit include?
Lexar rates the Thor RGB kit at 38-48-48-86 timings and 1.40V. It supports Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO. The modules use aluminum heat spreaders, thermal pads and eight LEDs for RGB lighting, according to Tom’s Hardware.
XMP and EXPO are BIOS-selectable memory profiles for running supported RAM beyond conservative default settings. Intel says XMP profiles contain manufacturer-tested combinations of speed, timing and voltage, and are enabled through the BIOS. Corsair describes XMP and EXPO as serving the same basic purpose, with XMP associated with Intel platforms and EXPO with AMD DDR5-ready AM5 systems.
That means DDR5-7200 is a rated profile, not a promise that every motherboard and processor combination will run those settings. Buyers should check board support before assuming the number on the heat spreader will be the number their system reaches.
Which motherboards has Lexar validated?
Lexar published a compatibility list covering 43 boards: 30 Asus models and 13 MSI models across Intel Z890, Intel B860 and AMD B850 platforms, Tom’s Hardware reported. The same list also includes boards validated for a faster 32GB DDR5-7600 CL38 version.
AMD’s X870 boards and previous-generation motherboards do not appear on that list. That is a record of Lexar’s published validation, not a declaration that unlisted boards are incompatible.
The company is entering a field where motherboard makers have begun targeted work around CXMT memory. Tom’s Hardware reported that MSI and Gigabyte have optimized motherboards for CXMT memory ICs, while Corsair has used CXMT DDR5 chips in selected kits. Neither fact confirms the DRAM supplier inside Lexar’s Thor RGB modules.
This story draws on original reporting from Tom's Hardware.
