Samsung unveils super-fast DDR5 memory chip: 8.0 Gbps per pin, 32 Gb module approaching GDDR5X speeds, with 128 GB memory modules likely to appear
Samsung will reportedly reveal a number of advanced memory products in the near future 2024 IEEE International Solid-State Circuit Conference.
In addition to the previously announced GDDR7 memory, which will appear during the High-Density Memory and Interfaces session, the South Korean tech giant will also unveil a super-fast DDR5 memory chip.
The high-capacity 32Gb DDR5 DRAM is developed using 12 nanometer (nm) class process technology to deliver twice the capacity of 16Gb DDR5 DRAM within the same package size.
Lower power consumption
While Samsung hasn’t given too much information about the DDR5 chip it will unveil at the conference, we do know that the DDR5’s I/O speed is up to 8000 Mbps per pin and that it is made with a symmetric mosaic architecture using Samsung’s 5th generation 10nm class foundry node, specially tailored for DRAM products.
When the new DDR5 product was first announced in late 2023, SangJoon Hwang, Executive Vice President of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics, said. said: βWith our 12nm-class 32Gb DRAM, we have secured a solution that enables DRAM modules up to 1 terabyte (TB), making us ideally positioned to meet the growing need for high-capacity DRAM in the age of AI (artificial intelligence) and big data. We will continue to develop DRAM solutions through differentiated process and design technologies to break the boundaries of memory technology.β
Previous DDR5 128GB DRAM modules, manufactured with 16Gb DRAM, required the Through Silicon Via (TSV) process. However, the new 32Gb DRAM allows the production of a 128GB module without the TSV process, reducing power consumption by approximately 10%, according to Samsung. This makes it a welcome solution for data centers currently struggling with the ever-increasing energy demands of AI.
Samsung’s latest DDR5 technology enables 32GB and 48GB DIMMs to be created at DDR5-8000 speeds in single-rank configurations, and also supports 64GB and 96GB DIMMs in dual-rank configurations. We’ll no doubt find out more about the new memory once the conference gets underway.