Samsung announced the development of the industry’s first DDR5 memory module with an insane capacity of 512 GB. The memory modules are targeted at AI / ML, hyper-computation, analysis, networking and other data-intensive workloads.
Samsung DDR5 memory module package with 512 GB capacity – based on the HKMG process node and offers pin speeds of up to 7200 Mb / s
Samsung says that the 512 GB DDR5 memory modules will expand its existing portfolio to offer the densest capacity ever produced. The memory modules will feature the HKMG or High-K Metal Gate process node, which was also used by Samsung for the production of its VRAM GDDR6 modules. The process node allows memory modules to use 13% less energy and also reduces energy leaks.
In terms of specifications, Samsung’s 512 GB DDR5 memory offers twice the performance of DDR4 memory at speeds up to 7200 Mb / s. The memory has a total of 40 DRAM chips with each DRAM chip featuring eight layers of 16 Gb DRAM modules stacked together and connected with TSVs (Through-Silicon-Via).
512 GB capacity DDR5 module made possible by an 8-layer TSV structure
HKMG material reduces power by 13 percent while doubling the speed of the DDR4Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced that it has expanded its DDR5 DRAM memory portfolio with the industry’s first 512 GB DDR5 module based on High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process technology. Offering more than twice the performance of DDR4 at up to 7,200 megabits per second (Mbps), the new DDR5 will be able to orchestrate the most demanding high-bandwidth workloads in supercomputing, artificial intelligence (AI) and learning (ML), as well as data analysis applications.
“Samsung is the only semiconductor company with logic and memory capabilities and the experience to incorporate cutting-edge HKMG logic technology into 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. ”
“As the amount of data to be moved, stored and processed increases exponentially, the transition to DDR5 reaches a critical tipping point for cloud data centers, networks and cutting-edge deployments,” said Carolyn Duran, vice president and general manager of memory and IO technology at Intel. “Intel engineering teams work in partnership with memory leaders like Samsung to provide fast and energy efficient DDR5 memory, with optimized performance and compatible with our future scalable Intel Xeon processors, codenamed Sapphire Rapids.”
Samsung’s DDR5 will use highly advanced HKMG technology that has traditionally been used in logic semiconductors. With the continuous reduction of DRAM structures, the insulation layer has become thinner, leading to a higher leakage current. By replacing the insulator with HKMG material, Samsung’s DDR5 will be able to reduce leakage and reach new levels of performance. This new memory will also use approximately 13% less energy, making it especially suitable for data centers where energy efficiency is becoming more and more critical.
The HKMG process was adopted in Samsung’s GDDR6 memory in 2018 for the first time in the industry. By expanding its use in DDR5, Samsung is further solidifying its leadership in next generation DRAM technology.
Taking advantage of silicon via technology (TSV), Samsung’s DDR5 stacks eight layers of 16 Gb DRAM chips to offer the largest capacity of 512 GB. TSV was first used in DRAM in 2014, when Samsung introduced server modules with capacities up to 256 GB.
Samsung is currently testing different variations of its family of DDR5 memory products for customers for verification and, ultimately, certification with its cutting-edge products to accelerate AI / ML, exascale computing, analysis, networking and other intensive workloads. of data.
Samsung only claims that it is currently testing different variations of its DDR5 memory, but does not provide any release dates. We can expect a release by the end of this year when Intel and AMD’s DDR5 memory platforms start to hit the shelves and we can also expect some really high prices for memory modules with this capacity.