Samsung Starts Mass Production Of Advanced DDR4 Memory


Samsung announced today that it is mass producing DDR4 RAM modules in 16GB and 32GB capacities, following news that 16GB modules were being sampled back in July 2012. Samsung boasts that its modules support up to 2667Mbps transfer speeds, and that the 4Gb DDR4 memory chips used by the modules lower power consumption by 30 percent relative to comparable DDR3 chips.

The chips are expected to deliver a data transmission rate of 2.667 gigabits per second, which is 1.25x the speed achieved with 20nm-class DDR3 RAM.

    “The adoption of ultra-high-speed DDR4 in next-generation server systems this year will initiate a push toward advanced premium memory across the enterprise,” said Young-Hyun Jun, executive vice president, memory sales and marketing, Samsung Electronics. “After providing cutting-edge performance with our timely supply of 16GB DDR3 earlier this year, we are continuing to extend the premium server market in 2013 and will now focus on higher density and added performance with 32GB DDR4, and contribute to even greater growth of the green IT market in 2014.”

In late 2012, JEDEC finalized the DDR4 specification, which promised more performance, reliablity and efficiency compared to current DDR3 modules. DDR4 DRAM will be capable of 1.6 GT/s (gigatransfers per second) to 3.2 GT/s per pin, while running at a lower 1.2 volts, down from the 1.5 volts required for DDR3 memory.

Samsung hasn’t specified when their DDR4 RAM modules will be available to purchase, or how much they’ll cost, but the company claims that through using their 4 Gb DDR4 chip, they’ve developed “industry’s largest lineup of products tailored to applications from servers to mobile devices”.