Altera has expanded DDR5 memory support across its Agilex line of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), chips that can be reconfigured for different tasks after manufacturing, with the release of its Quartus Prime Pro Edition software, version 26.1.1. The update adds compatibility with DDR5, LPDDR5, and LPDDR5X memory to more devices in the Agilex portfolio, giving developers more flexibility to balance memory bandwidth, power consumption, board space, and component availability when building higher-performance AI, networking, and embedded systems.
With this release, Quartus Prime Pro Edition 2026.1.1 adds support for DDR5-6400 and LPDDR5-6400 memory on Agilex 7 M-Series devices, boosting available memory bandwidth for demanding AI, networking, and embedded applications. Combined with newly added LPDDR5 support on Agilex 3 devices, and the DDR5 and LPDDR5 support already available on Agilex 5 devices, these updates give customers more options to optimize performance, power use, board space, and long-term component sourcing across the entire Agilex lineup.
The release also formally documents compatibility with LPDDR5X memory devices, running in LPDDR5-compatible mode, on supported Agilex 5 and Agilex 3 chips. This gives customers additional qualified memory options to source from, helping improve flexibility in the supply chain, since LPDDR5X compatibility means existing designs built around LPDDR5 don't need to be redesigned at the hardware level.
Mike Fitton, vice president of product and corporate marketing at Altera, said today's AI and edge computing applications require more memory bandwidth and greater design flexibility, and that as the only FPGA provider offering DDR5 memory support across its entire portfolio, Altera gives customers considerable flexibility to design memory architectures suited to AI, networking, and embedded applications. He said expanding DDR5 support across the Agilex lineup helps customers move faster while maximizing performance, power efficiency, and long-term design flexibility.
These updates reflect Altera's continued investment in improving the Agilex platform well after its initial release, adding new capabilities through ongoing software, IP, and documentation updates without requiring customers to redesign their existing hardware. As a result, customers get higher performance, with DDR5 and LPDDR5 support up to 6400 MT/s delivering up to 204.8 GB/s of combined memory bandwidth on supported Agilex 7 M-Series configurations; greater design flexibility through broader support for DDR5, LPDDR5, and LPDDR5X-compatible memory; improved supply chain resilience through a wider set of qualified memory options that simplify sourcing and long-term planning; and protection for existing investments, since the software and IP upgrades preserve compatibility with current Agilex hardware and existing Quartus development workflows.
