Samsung announces 512 GB DDR5 memory, twice as fast as DDR4 memory

Samsung announces 512 GB DDR5 memory, twice as fast as DDR4 memory

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Samsung DDR5 Modules
As we move closer and closer to Intel’s Alder Lake and AMD Zen 4 architectures (later this year and / or early next year, save for any delays), memory manufacturers began to announce advances in DDR5 memory, which will provide a huge increase in bandwidth. We even saw some releases of DDR5 modules. Samsung, however, managed to stand out by announcing what it says is the industry’s first 512 GB memory module based on high-k metal gate (HKMG) process technology.
You may have heard of HKMG before, since it has been around for a long time – Intel first used HKMG transistors in 2007 with its 45 nanometer (Penryn) logic technology, which combined a dialectic layer based on hafnium (instead silicon dioxide) with a door electrode made of new metals to combat door leakage, a phenomenon that occurs through a process called tunneling by quantum mechanics.
HKMG has traditionally been used in semiconductor design (Samsung also adopted it in its GDDR6 memory in 2018), but as DRAM structures continued to decrease, the insulation layer became thinner, resulting in a higher leakage current. Therefore, Samsung replaced the insulator with HKMG material. In doing so, the company claims to have been able to reduce leakage and reach a new level of DDR5 performance, while consuming 13% less energy – a benefit for data centers, where every small amount of energy savings is important. .
Samsung DDR5 Module

According to Samsung, its 512 GB DDR5 memory module offers more than twice the performance of DDR4, with up to 7,200 megabits per second (Mbps). This, says the company, will be beneficial for the most demanding computing and high-bandwidth workloads.

“Samsung is the only semiconductor company with logic and memory capabilities and the experience to incorporate cutting-edge HKMG logic technology in the development of memory products,” said Young-Soo Sohn, vice president, Planning / Enabling Group of DRAM Memory from Samsung Electronics. “By bringing this type of process innovation to DRAM manufacturing, we are able to offer our customers high-performance, low-power memory solutions to power the computers needed for medical research, financial markets, autonomous driving, cities smart and more. “

Samsung DDR5 Module

Of course, we are all excited about what DDR5 can offer on the consumer side, with the upcoming platforms from AMD and Intel. In this case, however, Samsung is targeting data center environments and other professional segments to handle advanced workloads in supercomputing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), data analysis and so on.

The 512 GB capacity is achieved by stacking eight layers of 16 gigabit (Gb) DRAM chips. There is no mention of cost, although Samsung says it is currently testing its 512GB modules for customers for testing and verification.

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